Beach trips and hiking through Delaware’s wonderful parks are usually fun, but by the middle of the summer, you might be more apt to look for fun comfort inside! If so, consider visiting some of our state’s wonderful museums. Here are some highlights:
IN SUSSEX COUNTY
Located in Milford’s original post office, the Milford Museum takes visitors back to the 1780s and details the town’s roles in the Civil War and WWII as well as its importance to commerce along the Mispillion River that runs through the town.
The Milton Historical Society also operates an impressive museum at the heart of this charming town, with artifacts detailing its role in commerce and culture along the Broadkill River.
In Millsboro, the Nanticoke Indian Museum houses jewelry, pottery, spears and many other artifacts interpreting and honoring the Nanticoke people. It’s open throughout the year and features the annual Nanticoke Powwow, a major festival, in September.
In Lewes, the First Town in the First State, museums and historical sites are too abundant for individual listings, but highlights include the Lewes Historical Society main campus, where you can tour grand historic homes, a tavern, an antique store, coffee shop, schoolhouse, doctor’s office and more, the Cannonball House and Maritime Museum, The Ryves Holt House Museum and Mercantile, the Lewes History Museum and Archives, and the Zwaanendael Museum, commemorating Lewes’ maritime history dating back to Dutch settlers.
The Rehoboth Museum celebrates the town’s history dating back to Native Americans, with special exhibits around maritime, African American, Greek, Jewish, and LGBTQ heritage. There are exhibits all year long and indoor and outdoor summertime activities.
In Fenwick, the DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum is filled with artifacts from hundreds of Mid-Atlantic shipwrecks.
IN KENT COUNTY
The Air Mobility Command Museum on the grounds of Dover Air Force Base is the only institution in the country dedicated to airlift and air refueling history. It features vintage aircraft ranging from WWII propeller aircraft to four-engine jets, flight simulators, guided tours, and more.
Located on Dover’s Legislative Mall, the Biggs Museum welcomes everyone who loves history and fine art and is open Thursdays through Sundays.
The Bowers Beach Maritime Museum tells the stories of the men and women who struggled and thrived through our maritime history and features artifacts, exhibits and special events.
In Dover, The Delaware Agricultural Museum celebrates our farming heritage with artifacts and displays and is located near the Loockerman Landing Village, which recreates rural community life in the 1890s.
Our farming history is also on display at the Messick Agricultural Museum in Harrington, which features antique farming machinery, automobiles and toys.
The Delaware State Police Museum in Dover features uniforms, cars, a helicopter and many other items and artifacts commemorating the work of law enforcement in Delaware along with exhibits about the most noteworthy 20th Century criminal cases.
Lovers of historic architecture and design will also enjoy the circa 1860 Governor Ross Mansion in Seaford. It was built by William Henry Harrison Ross and surrounded by other period buildings, including a granary, stable, smokehouse, “Honeymoon Cottage” and corn cribs. You can also visit the Seaford Museum, operated by the Seaford Historical Society, with numerous exhibits and frequent special events.
IN NEW CASTLE COUNTY
The Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington will fascinate lovers of classic art, with a robust collection of British Pre-Raphaelite art, illustrations by Delaware native Howard Pyle, landscapes by John Sloan, the Copeland Sculpture Garden and much more. There’s also a special Delaware 250 exhibit this summer along with classes and family activities.
The Delaware Children’s Museum in Wilmington is a place for family fun and learning, with rotating exhibits, summer camps, birthday party spaces and all kinds of ways to discover nature, literature, science, athletics and art.
Nature and science also take center stage at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science in Wilmington. It offers summer camps for your grandkids and lots of daytime activities for kids of all ages.
Overlooking the Christiana River in Wilmington, the Copeland Maritime Center features exhibits, special programs and tours of a reproduction of the Kalmar Nyckel when it’s in port. The ship also travels to maritime sites all around Delaware for special educational events.
The Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame is located at Frawley Stadium in Wilmington and is focused exclusively on the most amazing athletes in our state. Its exhibits go all the way back to competitions among the Lenape Native Americans while spotlighting the stars of baseball, football, basketball, racing and the Special Olympics. It’s open 2 hours before every Wilmington Blue Rocks home game between April and September and from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. the first and third Saturdays of the month between October and March.
In Newark, Mechanical Hall at the University of Delaware houses the Paul R. Jones Collection of African American Art and related topics.
The tree-lined cobblestone streets of Old New Castle are the perfect setting for the New Castle Historical Society, dedicated to three centuries of stories about Dutch colonists, revolutionary leaders and 19th Century life.
Old New Castle is also the site of the 14,000-square-foot Read House, a National Historic Landmark overlooking the Delaware River that was completed in 1804 for George Read II, a son of one of Delaware’s signers of the Declaration of Independence. It’s a beautiful place for lovers of colonial-revival design.
The Pencader Heritage Museum at Cooch Dayett Mills shares the history and culture of a region of northern Delaware that dates back to Colonial times. It includes memorabilia from the Cooch family, who lived on land where Delaware’s only Revolutionary War battle was fought, and includes many Native American and Revolutionary War artifacts.
Wilmington’s Rockwood Park and Mansion are located on an 1850s estate with a six-acre historic garden, where you can go on private, group and ghost tours.
Architecture lovers will also love the five historic homes and gardens located in Odessa, a port town that was instrumental in 18th, 19th and early 20th Century commerce in our state. The grand mansions are open for tours between March and December.
Whether you are looking to outsmart a humid summer afternoon, find an educational day camp for the grandkids, or dive deep into the unique stories that shaped our local towns, Delaware’s indoor museums offer the perfect summer escape. From the maritime shipwrecks at the coast to the grand historic estates upstate, there is truly an exhibit or collection for every interest right in our backyard. We hope this indoor guide inspires your next cool afternoon adventure! If you found these recommendations helpful, feel free to share the article with your neighbors, friends, or anyone looking to discover a new side of the First State.
From all of us here at Active Adults Realty, stay well, friends.