CHESTER COUNTY CULTURAL ARTS

Museums · Attractions · Performing Arts


There is something to satisfy almost every interest in Chester County. Longwood Gardens is nationally famous for its numerous varieties of flower and plants. Chester County has several prominent museums including the Brandywine River Museum (housing a large collection of Andrew Wyeth paintings) and the Wharton Esherick Museum. Historic Yellow Springs is also a favorite of art lovers. Area theaters such as The people's Light and Theater Company, Footlighter’s Theatre and Hedgerow Theater produce original plays throughout the year.

Some popular activities in the county are seasonal events, like the Kimberton Fair, displaying arts, crafts and home-making skills. The Devon Horse Show and County Fair held in May are big crowd pleasers. Hayrides abound from May to October (including haunted ones) and pick-your-own pumpkin patches and cut-your-own Christmas tree farms are plentiful.

Dance patrons also have several options for seeing live ballet performances from top-notch companies like the Chester County Ballet/Harrison Dance Studios, Crance Performing Arts School, West Chester Ballet Theatre, the Brandywine Ballet and the world-famous Pennsylvania Ballet in Philadelphia and the Russian Ballet Theater of Delaware in Wilmington.

Just about every major rock band tour hits a venue in the Delaware Valley and Philadelphia's popular music scene includes many diverse venues. A number of Chester County bars present live music on a weekly basis, from rock, pop, and folk to country-and-western.

Festivals galore! Annual special events run all year through. Starting with the West Chester Festival of the Arts, the Chester County Hospital May Fest and Brandywine hospitals Strawberry Festival in the Spring; summers schedule includes the Delco Scottish Games, Yellow Springs Craft Show, the Kimberton Community Fair, and the Philadelphia Folk Festival; Chadds Ford Days in early September begins the busy fall schedule which features the Chester County Restaurant Festival and Longwood gardens Mum Festival; the varied, and quite extensive list of Christmas holiday events include Christmas at Longwood, Candlelight Christmas in Chadds Ford and Old Fashioned Christmas in West Chester.

Equestrian events also rank high on the entertainment popularity scale in the area with such premier events as the Radnor Hunt Races, the Devon Horse Show and the Pennsylvania Hunt Cup.

Other Special events around the Delaware Valley which are perennially top draws are the Philadelphia International Auto Show, the Irish Music Festival, the Philadelphia Flower Show, Mellon Jazz Festival, The Philadelphia Boat Show, Welcome America!, the Philadelphia Home Show, American Indian Pow-Wow, the Philadelphia Craft Show and the Philadelphia Art Show.

Find out all you want to know about "what’s happening" in Philadelphia -- http://www.phillylife.com/

Find out more about what's happening in Chester County:


Museums

Chester County Historical Preservation Coordinator West Chester, PA 610.344.6917

Chester County Historical Society, West Chester, PA 610.692.4800

American Helicopter Museum, West Chester, PA 610.436.9600

Phillips Mushroom Museum Kennett Square, PA 610.388.6082

The Christian C. Sanderson Museum Chadds Ford, PA 610.388.6545

Hopewell Furnace National Historic Site Elverson, PA 610.582.8773

Historic Yellow Springs Inc. Chester Springs, PA 610.827.7414

Thomas Newcomen Library & Museum Exton, PA 610.363.6600

Historic Wynesborough Paoli, PA 610.647.1779

Wharton Esherick Museum Paoli, PA 610.644.5822

Chadds Ford Historical Society Chadds Ford, PA 610.388.7376

John Chad House Chadds Ford, PA 610.388.7376

Barns-Brinton House Chadds Ford, PA 610.388.7376

Brandywine River Museum Chadds Ford, PA 610.388.2700

Brandywine Battlefield State Park Chadds Ford, PA 610.459.3342

1704 Brinton House Dilworthtown, PA 302.478.2853

Chester County Court House West Chester, PA 610.344.6000

Downingtown Log House Downingtown, PA 610.269.1523

Hibernia Ironmaster's  Mansion Coatesville, PA 610.384.0290

Valley Forge National Historic Park Valley Forge, PA 610.783.1077

Chester County Art Assn. West Chester, PA 610.696.5600

McKinney Gallery West Chester, PA 610.436.1000


Attractions

Chester County Tourist Bureau, 117 W. Gay Street, West Chester 19380 610.344.6365

Brandywine Valley Tourist Info. Ctr., P.O. Box 910, Dept.. 9, Kennett Sq.., 19348 800.228.9933

Longwood Gardens Kennett Square, PA 610.388.6741

Herr's visitor's Center Nottingham, PA 800.284.7488

Mushroom Festival Kennett Square, PA 610.444.0774

Country Samplers Springtime Market West Chester, PA 610.431.3762

Devon Horse Show & Country Fair Devon, PA 610.964.0550

Chadds Ford Winery Chadds Ford, PA 610.388.6221

Birmingham Octagonal Schoolhouse Birmingham Rd (off Rt.. 926, next to Birmingham Friends Meeting)

Caln Octagonal Schoolhouse Municipal Drive (off Rt. 30, between Downingtown & Coatesville)

Paoli Octagonal Schoolhouse Diamond Rock & Yellow Springs Rd. (N. of Paoli)


The Performing Arts

Kennett Symphony Orchestra

Chester County Center for the Performing Arts

Gilbert & Sullivan Society

West Chester & Barleysheaf Players

Actors Lab Theatre Company Newtown Square, PA 610.892.4201

The Annenberg Center Philadelphia Box Office 215.898.6791

The Bucks County Playhouse New Hope, PA 215.862.2041

Footlighters Theater Berwyn, PA 610.296.9245

Forge Theatre Phoenixville, PA 610.935.1920

Forrest Theatre Philadelphia, PA 215.923.1515

Freedom Theatre Philadelphia, PA 215.765.2793

Hedgerow Theatre Wallingford, PA 610.565.4211

The Painted Bride Art Center Philadelphia, PA 215.925.9914

The People's Light & Theatre Company Malvern, PA 610.644.3500

The Society Hill Playhouse Philadelphia, PA 215.923.0210

Walnut Street Theatre Philadelphia, PA 215.574.3550

The West Chester & Barleysheaf Players Lionville, PA 610.363.7075

The West Chester University Dept.. of

Speech Communication & Theatre West Chester, PA 610.436.2533

 

DINNER THEATRE

The Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre Lancaster, PA 717.898.1900

Lily Langtry's  King of Prussia, PA 610.337.5459

Rainbow Dinner Theatre East Paradise, PA 800.292.4301

The Riverfront Dinner Theatre Philadelphia, PA 215.925.7000

Three Little Bakers Dinner Theatre Wilmington, DE 302.368.1616

MOVIE THEATERS

AMC Painters Crossing Concordville, PA 610.558.4793

AMC Granite Run 8 Media, PA 610.891.6440

AMC Marple Crossroads Springfield, PA 610.328.5348

AMC Concord Mall 2 Concord, DE 302.478.5579

Coventry 8 Pottstown, PA 610.323.3200

Exton Cinema Exton, PA 610.594.6244

REGAL Lionville 12 Lionville, PA 610.594.1700

REGAL Brandywine 16 Wilmington, DE 302.479.0753

United Artists Theaters King & Queen Valley Forge, PA 610.365.2776

United Artists Theaters at the Plaza King of Prussia, PA 610.265.3456

 

 

COMMUNITY MUSIC ORGANIZATIONS

CHESTER COUNTY BAND, Chester County Community Concert Band seeks members. Fugett Middle School, West Chester. Weds. 8 p.m. Information: 610-269-3736.

COLLEGE/COMMUNITY ORCHESTRA, Musicians sought, Immaculata College (Alumnae Hall) King Road, south of Rtes 30 and 352. Rehearsals Thus. 7-9:30 p.m. Information: 610-647-4400 ext.. 3473.

WEST CHESTER BAND, Experienced musicians, who play the bassoon, oboe, clarinet, tuba and percussion sought. Rehearsals Wed evenings. Information 610-696-8716.

WOMEN'S BARBERSHOP CHORUS, Brandywine Chorus seeks female singers. St.. Patrick's Church, Channing Ave.. Malvern. Mons 7:30 p.m. Information 610-296-4579

WOMEN'S BARBERSHOP CHORUS, Valley Forge chapter of Sweet Adelines seeks women signers of all ages. No experience necessary. American College (auditorium) 270 Bryn Mawr Ave.. Bryn Mawr. Tues. 7:30 p.m. Information 610-644-8762.

SUNSHINE SINGERS, Sopranos & altos needed for group that performs at area churches, nursing homes. Must be retired or have flexible schedule. Information 610-872-7779.

CHESTER COUNTY CHORDBUSTERS - Barbershop Chorus, For more information e-mail: keethm@erols.com, or call (610) 647-8810.

RETURN TO THE CHESTER COUNTY GUIDE


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