Delaware Tourist Attractions and Vacations

Delaware State Flag Delaware Tourist Attractions

"Must See Tourist Attractions in Delaware."

In 1787 Delaware sanctioned the U.S. constitution, making it America's First State.This state is noted for offering a peaceful ambience, friendly people and attractive small cities and towns. Dover is the state capital. The sights here include a historic square, The Green, as well as the Old State House, the Air Mobility Command Museum and the historic Agricultural Museum and Village. The Delaware coastline offers visitors plenty of activities. In Lewes, visitors can take the Cape May - Lewes Ferry across to Cape Mary, NJ for great marine scenery. In Rehoboth Beach, relaxation and recreational opportunities abound. Bicycle, kayak and sailboat rentals are abundant along the boardwalk and around the town. Wilmington is the largest city, and home of the Du Pont Corporation. The Winterthur Museum, Gardens and Library is a must see for all visitors.

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Hagley Museum and Library - Located along the Brandywine River on the site of the first du Pont powder works, Hagley provides a unique glimpse into American life at home and at work in the nineteenth century. Set amid more than 230 acres of trees and flowering shrubs, Hagley offers a diversity of restorations, exhibits, and live demonstrations for visitors of all ages.

Delaware Theatre Company - The Delaware Theatre Company is a cultural, educational and community-service organization whose purpose is to create theatre of the highest professional quality in Delaware and thereby enrich the cultural life of the area.

Little Italy - Little Italy is a friendly, welcoming neighborhood with a mix of rich cultures and a fine selection of restaurants offering ethnic foods and wonderful flavors and atmospheres. Its many specialty shops and businesses offer a wide variety of products and services.

Kalmar Nyckel Shipyard - Home of Delaware's Tall Ship Ambassador, Kalmar Nyckel, which is an authentic re-creation of the historic vessel that brought the first settlers to the Delaware Valley. The ship offers everyone the chance to share the historic significance of a voyage that had as its purpose not merely exploration, but colonization.

Delaware Museum of Natural History - The museum features dioramas, exhibits and special programs present nature from the wilds of Africa to the local area. Permanent exhibits include Delaware's only dinosaurs, a walk across the Great Barrier Reef, and a 500-pound clam. Interactive Discovery Room offers families new worlds to explore.

Museum of the American Road - Harley-Davidson-themed attraction complete with full-service dealership and located next to Mike's Famous Roadside Restaurant. Museum traces the history of motorcycles and roadside Americana.

Mineralogical Museum - The University of Delaware Mineral Museum has a systematic collection of minerals on permanent display. The permanent display is broken up by chemical associations of the minerals. The collection has 16 such associations. Also available are non-permanent displays addressing particular areas of interest. These displays change every few weeks.

Nemours Mansion & Gardens - Set among the 300-acre country estate of the late industrialist and philanthropist Alfred I. duPont, the mansion contains 102 rooms furnished with fine examples of antique furniture, rare rugs, tapestries and outstanding works of art. The mansion and gardens are open for tours from May 1 to November 30. Reservations recommended.

Delaware Center for the Contemporary Arts - The Center features seven galleries showcasing innovative national and regional artists, private artists' studios, education programs, artist services, auditorium, café and unique gift shop.

Delaware Center for Horticulture - The Delaware Center for Horticulture (DCH) is a non-profit horticultural resource organization dedicated to promoting knowledge and appreciation of gardening, horticulture and conservation. The center offers educational programs for children, teens and adults, and community gardens, public landscaping, roadside beautification, tree programs, and community events.

Delaware Art Museum - The Delaware Art Museum is dedicated to developing an awareness, understanding and appreciation of the visual arts and their impact on culture and to enriching lives by collecting, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting the visual arts for a diverse audience.

Candlelight Music Dinner Theatre - Located in historic Ardentown Candlelight Music Dinner Theatre combines fine dining with superb musical theatre entertainment.

Brandywine Zoo - The Brandywine Zoo is Delaware's only zoo. Located in Wilmington, the zoo sits on 180 acres of Brandywine Park across from the Brandywine River. The zoo itself covers 12 acres of land.

Grand Opera House - The Grand is an 1,190-seat Victorian opera house which has been meticulously restored to its original grandeur and outfitted to serve Delaware as a performance facility. It features a proscenium stage, orchestra pit, loading lift and additional seating at floor level. The facility is able to accommodate full operas and major dance companies.

University Gallery - The University Gallery is a collecting museum which houses over 6000 art objects and ethnographic artifacts spanning the ancient period through the present, thus providing an invaluable resource to students, faculty, visiting scholars, colleagues and institutions in the museum field, and the general community.

Wilmington & Western Railroad - Climb aboard the Wilmington and Western Railroad, Delaware's oldest steam tourist railroad, for fun and exciting adventures through the historic Red Clay Valley. Journey with Wilmington & Western for family fun, romantic evenings, holiday celebrations and 120 years of living railroading history.

Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library - An American country estate filled with Henry Francis du Pont's collection of antiques made or used in early America. 60-acre garden features color throughout the year. Activities include tours, exhibitions, special events, programs for both families and collectors, a garden tram, shopping and dining.

Delaware History Museum - The Delaware History Museum, located in a renovated art-deco Woolworth store, features three galleries of changing interactive exhibits on Delaware history, including displays of rare items of everyday life, costumes, children's toys, regional decorative arts, and paintings.

Christina Cultural Arts Center - Christina Cultural Arts Center exhibits concerts and special events such as dance, theater, and acappella gospel music.

Ashland Nature Center - Visitors can explore four self-guiding nature trails on 200 acres of meadow, marsh, pond and forest. A native plant garden showcases a variety of plants that provide food and shelter for wildlife. Inside, visitors will find exhibits focusing on habitats and a children's discovery corner, and murals depicting changes in the landscape during the past four centuries.

Grand Opera House - The Grand Opera House is an 1,190-seat Victorian opera house which has been meticulously restored to its original grandeur and outfitted to serve Delaware as a performance facility. The Grand presents in excess of 100 performances which range from full symphony orchestras, dance and opera to stand-up comedians, jazz, world culture, events, and programs for young people.

Delaware Toy & Miniature Museum - The Delaware Toy & Miniature Museum is a historical reference of antique and contemporary dollhouses, miniatures and sample furniture as well as dolls, toys, trains, boats, and planes, both European and American, from the 18th to 20th centuries.

New Castle Court House Museum - Located in the historic district of New Castle is the New Castle Court House Museum. Administered by Delaware State Museums, it is one of the oldest surviving courthouses in the United States and a registered National Historic Landmark Site. The original 1732 court was built over the remains of Delaware's first courthouse of 1689, with additions and modifications throughout the 18th and 19th centuries.

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Schwartz Center for the Arts - The Schwartz Center for the Arts is home to the performing arts, educational activities and a variety of entertainment.

Museum of Small Town Life (Meeting House II) - The Museum of Small Town Life gives you the opportunity to experience just that. Housed in the former Presbyterian Sunday school, which was built in 1880, this museum sets its exhibits and vignettes to honor that era in time.

Biggs Museum of American Art - The Biggs Museum of American Art houses a personal collection that has been in the making for over half a century. A native of Middletown, Delaware and with strong family ties to the history of the State, Sewell C. Biggs has assembled an impressive collection that reveals his devotion to the arts of the Delaware Valley region.

Harrington Raceway - Home of the first pari-mutuel harness racing in Delaware. Opened in 1946 as Kent and Sussex Raceway. Harness racing five nights a week May-July and Sept.-Nov.

Air Mobility Command Museum - The Air Mobility Command Museum, located in Hangar 1301 on Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, houses some of the most unique and distinguished military flying machines of the past 50+ years. Stand in the bomb bay of the B-17, gape at the gargantuan C-5 transport, examine the combat scars of the C-47 and more.

Delaware State Visitor Center - The Delaware State Visitor Center staff assists tourists, newcomers and Delawareans alike, by providing information on local and statewide attractions, events, and activities. Maps and printed materials are available as well as a History Store featuring a wide range of distinctive gifts and Delaware souvenirs.

Johnson Victrola Museum - Recollections and displays of Eldridge Reeves Johnson's inventions and personal items. Exhibits include a 1920s Victrola dealer's store with talking machines, Victrolas and early records. Photographs and memorabilia of recording artists from the era are displayed. Victor Talking Machine Company recordings are played regularly on modern and antique equipment.

Delaware Archaeology Museum - The museum's exhibit encompasses 12,000 years worth of archaeological history in the State of Delaware. The exhibited artifacts range from projectile points commonly known as ""arrowheads"" or ""spear points,"" ceramics and other stone and bone tools to glass and personal objects used in Delaware during the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries.

Delaware Agricultural Museum & Village - The Museum offers activities that will transport you to the 19th century...Costumed interpreters at living history events, workshops in 19th century arts and crafts, lectures on life in early Delaware and a host of fun things to do with the family!

Delaware State House - Begun in 1787 and completed by May 1792, this Georgian-style structure was home to all levels of government in the First State. Sitting on the historic Green in Dover, the State House has been witness to many important events that have occurred in Delaware history.

John Dickinson Plantation - Visitors of all ages may take part in a multitude of programs with visual aids, tours, and activities. Archaeology, history, politics and geography are subjects frequently addressed in these interpretations. A permanent exhibit on the life of John Dickinson and the history of the plantation and orientation videos are featured in the site's Visitor Center.

Delaware State Police Museum - Artifacts and exhibits show the Delaware State Police through history.

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Midway Speedway & Water Park - Great family racing on go-kart tracks. Family activity pool, tropical-themed deck and water slides.

Nanticoke Indian Museum - Stone artifacts, carvings and pottery, traditional clothing and much more offer a glimpse into the ancient way of life which the Nanticoke people followed for countless centuries. The museum library houses a large collection of Native American books, photographs and video presentations, and the gift shop has something for everyone.

Nutter D. Marvel Carriage Museum - Collection of historic buildings and horse-drawn carriages, along with photos, newspaper clippings, books and other memorabilia about Georgetown. Buildings include barrel roof barns, a 100-year-old church, a one-room schoolhouse, a blacksmith shop, railroad freight buildings, a dining room with kitchen, storage buildings and an office.

Delaware International Speedway - Stock car racing heats up with modifieds, late models, street modifieds and dwarf cars.

Indian River Life-Saving Station - Visit one of the oldest United States Life Saving Stations still standing in the United States. Step back in time and see the significant role the Life Saving Service played in our maritime history. Personalized and narrative tours and special programs available. Film depicting the Life Saving Service and their heroic deeds shown in our theater room.

Treasures of the Sea Exhibit - Artifacts from the Spanish shipwreck of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha, including cannons, gold and silver bars and coins, jewelry, muskets and religious objects. Gift shop and video on shipwreck, which occurred in 1622 in the Florida Straits.

Zwaanendael Museum - The Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes, was built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the first European settlement in Delaware. Exhibits tell stories of the 1631 Dutch settlement, 1798 wreck of the HMB De Braak, 1813 bombardment of Lewes by the British, and the ever-changing Atlantic Coastline.

DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum - The shipwreck museum opened in July of 1995 and is the product of more than 17 years of research and hard work. The museum displays the largest collection of shipwreck artifacts on the Eastern Shore north of Virginia. The museum displays items from the Titanic, Republic, Atocha, 1715 Fleet, and shipwrecks off the Delaware coast. Maritime films are shown in the theater.

Carriage Place Clydesdale Farm - Visitors to the Carriage Place Clydesdale Farm can enjoy a tour of the barn, view the carriage room, pet horses and visit the gift shop. Carriage, wagon or trolley rides available for additional fee.

Jungle Jim's Adventure World - Jungle Jim's Adventure World is Rehoboth Beach's largest amusement park, offering family fun for everyone. Jungle Jim's has a variety of rides for all ages. From go-karts, to rock climbing, to mini-golf - Jungle Jim's has it all. Come ride the shore's longest Go-Kart track, The Safari 3000, or cool off on the areas tallest waterslide.

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