The 83rd annual Chester County Day will be held on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The historic home tour offers opportunities to explore history, architecture, landscape, and interior design. A project of the Women's Auxiliary to Chester County Hospital, Chester County Day has raised more than $5 million for the hospital.

The 2024 tour will feature homes and restored barns in the southeast quadrant of Chester County. The route includes parts of Willistown, East Goshen, and East Bradford Townships, as well as a walking tour in the Borough of West Chester as it celebrates its 225th anniversary. Rest stops, picnicking opportunities, and box lunch pickup locations are available along the tour route. Each ticket comes with a map and tour booklet.

The tour stops include two barns in Willistown Township. The barn at Bryn Clovis near Sugartown was once dedicated to dairy production. It has also housed the legendary Ardrossan beagles and is known to host the Budweiser Clydesdales on occasion. The barn has been meticulously restored and renovated for its current equestrian use. In addition, the barn at Goshen Hill has been re-imagined as a party barn.

The walking tour in West Chester will provide participants the opportunity to visit eight homes in the north area of town.

A VIP ticket option includes a visit to the Southdown estate in East Bradford. The estate dates to the early 1700s and occupies a scenic location adjacent to the Stroud Preserve.

The Radnor Hunt Club will host this year's early morning fox hunt. Those parked by 8:30 a.m. may enjoy coffee and baked goods provided by the Women's Auxiliary while enjoying the pageantry of the horses, hounds, and riders. Private homes and public landmarks will open at 10 a.m.

Box lunches from Arianna's Gourmet Cafe may be preordered, and the lunches will be available for early morning pickup at the hunt from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. or at the lunch stops on the tour route from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. To order lunches, visit http://www.chestercountyday.com or contact Arianna's at 610-696-2910 or ariannaswc@aol.com. A lunch is included in the VIP ticket fee.

A limited number of tickets are available for the tour. To purchase tickets or for a list of locations where they may be purchased in person, visit the aforementioned website.

Chester County Hospital was founded in 1892 as the county's first hospital, and the nonprofit has grown into a 329-bed acute-care inpatient facility in West Chester. It offers outpatient services in Exton, West Goshen, New Garden, West Grove, Jennersville, and Kennett Square. In 2013, Chester County Hospital became part of Penn Medicine. To learn more about the hospital, visit http://www.chestercountyhospital.org.