Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens

Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens

Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens
4.5
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Monday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Tuesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Wednesday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Thursday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Friday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Saturday
10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
About
Built in 1771, the Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens is the only structure in Wilmington from the colonial era open to the public. Operated as a museum house, it offers visitors a unique opportunity to view a fine example of Georgian architecture and experience what life was like during pre-revolutionary Wilmington. All rooms are furnished with 18th and 19th century antiques and showcase hundreds of objects. Occupying two-thirds of an acre, the colonial style gardens consist of seven distinct areas, including an orchard with pomegranate and fig trees, a kitchen garden and a rose garden. Built on the foundation of a former city jail, circa 1744, the house retains many vestiges of its previous incarnation such as outdoor and sub-basement jail cells and a freestanding kitchen house with a massive hearth complete with period cooking utensils. Guided tours include the stories about the people who lived and worked here and the women's organization that saved this landmark from the wrecking ball. Tours are Monday-Saturday 10am-4pm. Tours are on the hour with the last departing at 3pm. Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens is a Blue Star
Duration: 1-2 hours
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Popular mentions

4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles126 reviews
Excellent
87
Very good
33
Average
6
Poor
0
Terrible
0

Kenneth W
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jul 2023 • Family
Annie was awesome! Highly recommend the tour. Very entertaining and informative. Actually ate a fig from the garden
Written 22 July 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kate Illinois1
Illinois4,722 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
Introductory to Wilmington's past. This house was built 1771 on top of ballast stone walls of the former city jail (circa 1744). Our male docent did a wonderful job bringing this home and occupants to life. One thing not mentioned was the house served as Lord Cornwallis headquaters. Metered street parking or walking distance from Pay Parking lots.
Written 21 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

English Traveller US
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023 • Solo
Great tour experience with guide “ Chuck”! Definitely worth a visit ! Learn this history of the first jail house and the entrepreneur John Burgwin
Written 9 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Susie Snowflake
132 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
May 2023
Hunter guided us through the history of the house and the more he spoke about its personal dramas the more it sounded contemporary. Rich folks getting richer through their associations and marriages-folks were able to get rich as they used their talents wisely, unhampered by onerous tax burdens. Acquiring land and property through marriage worked well for those who mingled in high places and the first owners of the house offered it as a welcoming place for their acquaintances. There are many furnishings original to the history of the home. Many of the rooms have been repainted in original colors. The floors are heart pine- which the owner displayed as a product of his own business. The house is smaller than it appears. There are only two bedrooms. The dining room is upstairs. Although indoor plumbing facilities were installed at some point in the building's history it was not viewable. Outdoors, there are gardens which are a little unusual as they are planted on various levels. The house was built on stone foundation walls that had previously supported a jail. Apparently, although the structure is considered sound, it has settled significantly leading to a lot of displacements including uneven flooring. See it while you can.
Written 2 May 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Patricia B
Boston, MA76 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2023
Guided tour is very informative, includes the kitchen building but self tour of the gardens. The gardens are labeled which helps you identify the species of plants. They have saved many of the artifacts from people who lived in the homes. Ample street parking if you go 2-3 blocks inland.
Written 26 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Djrrossi
Cary, North Carolina, USA216 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2023 • Couples
What a great tour with a knowledgeable guide. Loved the old house, the woodwork, the jail and the pretty grounds. Very informative.
Written 5 April 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Kynzie H
Brookings, SD7 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2022 • Family
The tour guide was great. I'm not a huge history fan, but I actually really enjoyed it and learned a lot. It was a neat place with a lot of history. I love that everything was kept original along with furniture and the same colored paint. They did a great job with restoring it and keeping it how it was back in the day.
Written 2 December 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Chumleygirls
Wasatch Range, UT318 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2022 • Friends
Great tour guide! Interesting history of a jail to a home. Our guide was very informative and engaging. The history of the area is fascinating.
Written 5 November 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Lynn G
North Carolina11 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2022 • Couples
A beautiful mansion right in the downtown/ river walk area of Wilmington. Our guide, Connor, gave a lot of detailed historical information about the home and grounds. I would highly recommend seeing this home when in Wilmington.
Written 15 August 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

A_Davis14
Fort Worth, TX132 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2022 • Couples
This is the only colonial period house that is open to the public to tour. What started as the jail was bought as a guest house which turned into a private family’s home. With over 200+ years of history, the house/land has worn many hats and had many lives. The tour is about 45 mins long and is guided every hour on the hour. They are extremely knowledgeable about the ends and out of the home and grounds. Small tour groups as well which made for a better and more intimate experience. Highly recommend you check this place out.
Written 14 June 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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BURGWIN-WRIGHT HOUSE AND GARDENS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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