I’ve been giving our beach towns lots of love with posts about the upcoming jazz festivals https://www.activeadultsdelaware.com/blog/posts/2024/09/10/act-now-to-enjoy-the-history-book-festival-and-fall-jazz-fests/ and other special events taking place through the fall https://www.activeadultsdelaware.com/blog/posts/2024/09/25/plan-ahead-for-fabulous-fall-festivals-downstate/. But I’m equally pleased to spotlight several fun and educational things you can experience around Wilmington during the colorfully beautiful time of year.
Take your grandkids on an autumn train ride at Auburn Heights – October 6th and November 3rd
On the first Sunday of every month between June and November, the Auburn Heights and Marshall Steam Museum welcome you to experience antique automobiles and steam-driven trains from around the turn of the 20th Century. General admission is $15 for ages 13 and up and $10 for those 12 and under, with infants admitted for free, and includes rides in the antique cars and on the Auburn Valley Railroad, entry to the Marshall Steam Museum, featuring working Lionel trains, displays, and a gift shop, and a demonstration of how a steam car works. Add on a tour of the 1897 mansion on-site for $8 for those 13 and under and $4 for those 12 and under. Learn more at https://auburnheights.org/visit/steamin-days/.
Experience Jazz Age life at the Delaware Art Museum – October 5th – January 26th
From the end of the first World War through the early years of the next, America’s Jazz Age characterized the nation’s vibrant culture with scenes from sometimes-scandalous nightlife, high fashion and shifting roles of men, women and racial minorities in daily life. This wonderful exhibition features more than 100 works of art from the time, including those by Aaron Douglas, John Held Jr., Neysa McMein and Frank Schoonover. Get the details at https://www.visitwilmingtonde.com/event/jazz-age-illustration/47623/.
Enjoy culture, science and the environment at the Hagley Museum and Library – October-December
Located on 235 picturesque acres along the Brandywine river in Wilmington, the Hagley Museum and Library site https://www.hagley.org/ is where E.I. du Pont built his gunpowder fortune beginning in 1802. The area brims with beautiful fall foliage by late October and through November – a lovely setting for the restored mills and the ancestral home and gardens of the du Pont family.
If you’re feeling scholarly, you can browse through the Hagley library’s collections detailing the company’s impact on commerce during the 1800s and 1900s. If you just want to enjoy the spectacular setting you can:
- Spend time with your grandkids on Science Saturdays, October 12th, 26th, November 9th and December 14th. Participate in real life experiments in physics, robotics, architecture and mind tricks.
- Have some spooky fun with the kids on at the Halloween at Hagley event October 26th. Children are encouraged to dress in costume and visit treat stations around Hagley’s powder yard and walk the trick-or-treat trail.
- Bring ‘em back for a visit with Santa on December 7th. The du Pont mansion known as Eleutherian Mills is decked out in Victorian splendor throughout the winter holiday season, and this is a special day for kids who want to share their gift wishes with Santa between 11 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., allowing for the jolly old dude to get a break from 1 to 1:30 p.m. There will also be a Gingerbread House Contest, with houses on display in the Hagley Barn. The activities are included with admission and free for Hagley members.
- Celebrate the season with mansion tours November 29th – January 1st. Come back for house and garden tours, special Holiday Nights Tours and more. Daytime tours are held daily from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., and there are special night events on December 10th, 12th, 17th and 19th.
- Plan for the gifting season at the Craft Fair on October 19th and 20th.. The Hagley complex is the perfect setting for talented artisans from the Mid-Atlantic region who will display and sell fine arts and crafts at this event. Look for wonderful works in wood, leather, pottery, jewelry, fibers and other media and enjoy lunch at the specialty food market.
- Visit for free on Veteran’s Day weekend, November 9th. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free for current military members, veterans, and their families.
Decorate in Old World Style from Winterthur’s Delaware Antiques Show – November 15-17
A lot of the fun that comes from moving into a new house is decorating it! And while our state is filled year-round with fine shops featuring furniture and artworks that harken back to our historic past, the Delaware Antiques Show is a very special event that happens once a year.
It’s one of the nation’s most highly acclaimed events, and this year features more than 60 renowned dealers. If you want to dress up and enjoy fine cocktails and hors d’oeuvres while enjoying an advance look at the offerings, you can attend the opening night party on Thursday, November 14th from 5 to 9 p.m. As a sponsor paying $250 you’ll get early admission at 5 p.m., and as a patron for $175 you’ll get in at 5 p.m.
Your ticket for the opening night party grants admission to the rest of the show, with costs $25 per person and $20 for Winterthur members. Get all of the details at https://www.winterthur.org/annual-delaware-antiques-show/