Top Things to Do in Wilmington, Delaware (2024)

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Visit the Hagley Museum

The du Pont family had a huge impact on the Wilmington area. To learn all about their legacy, start your visit at the Hagley Museum, thesite of the original gunpowdermills founded by E. I. du Pont in 1802. Located on 235 acres along the banks of the Brandywine River, the historic landmark is educational and offers stunning views.

The grounds include indoor and outdoor exhibits connected by a shuttle bus that stops at the major interpretive areas. At the Visitor Center, you'll learn about the region's early history and the story of the main du Pont family business, the manufacture of gunpowder in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Tour the Eluetherian Mills and Garden, the first du Pont family home, and learn about the family's five generations. Be sure to go to the Powder Yard whichfeatures demonstrations of the water-powered machinery and 19th-century metalworking tools.

Annual events at the property are fun too and include a variety of hands-on and visual activities. You can look forward to events such as theInvention Convention,Victorine’s Valentine’s Day,Maker Fest,Bike & Hike & Brews, Fireworks, Antique Car Show, Craft Fair, Hayrides, Twilight Tours, and the Holidays at the Hagley.

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Explore Longwood Gardens

Built in 1919,the 1,077-acre garden is the living legacy of Pierre S. du Pont, and is the most renowned attraction in the Wilmington area. With 20 outdoor garden areas, fouracres of indoor conservatory gardens and 11,000 different types of plants, Longwood is a spectacular place to visit. You can attend classes and workshops, flower shows, gardening demonstrations, garden walks, and other special events.

The30-minute Illuminated Fountain Performance set to musicand the annual "Longwood Christmas" are not to be missed. Attend a theatrical performance at the Open Air Theatre or a concert year around.

Seasonal events include the Orchid Extravaganza (winter), Spring Blooms (spring), Festival of Fountains (summer), and Chrysanthemum Festival (fall). Longwood Gardens is a popular attraction and tickets sell out during busy seasons so buy your tickets in advance.

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Tour Winterthur

This 1,000-acreestate of Henry Francis du Pont is a spectacular historic property with a 175-room mansion. Home to four generations of the du Pontfamily from 1839 to 1969, Winterthur is known worldwide for its preeminent collection of American decorative arts, a natural garden, and research library for the study of American art and material culture.

Take a narrated garden tram ride to discover garden highlights and the history of the estate or a house tourto see some of the finest early American antiques filling the rooms where the du Ponts entertained.

Explore the roads and walking paths through the meadows to discover beautiful vistas and see more of the estate, including the old train station and barns.You may also customize your visit with a private tour tailored to your interests.

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Guide Yourself Through Nemours Mansion & Gardens

The 300-acre estate ofAlfred I. du Pont, built in 1907, includes a 77-room mansion, the largest formal French gardens in North America, a Chauffeur's Garage housing a collection of vintage automobiles, and acres of scenic woodlands, meadows, and lawns.

Shuttle buses run between the Visitor Center and Nemours Mansion, and also take visitors around the property with stops at key points of interest. Visits are self-paced and self-guided.Interpretive staff members are on site to answer questions. The estate is closed on Mondays.

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Get in Touch With Nature

The DuPont Environmental Education Center is set on the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge, one of the few urban wildlife areas in the country. With 212 acres located on the Wilmington Riverfront, the refuge offers a unique and natural destination where you can walk and look for wildlife. The tidal marsh is home to bald eagles, ospreys, beavers, dragonflies, turtles, butterflies, wild rice, hibiscus, and other plants and wildlife.

The site is open to the public year-round and features natureprograms for groups and individuals. The nature center features a 10-acre ornamental garden, a quarter-mile pond loop through a freshwater tidal marsh, and a four-story environmental center with panoramic views of the refuge, the Christina River, and the Wilmington skyline.

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Experience the Wilmington Riverfront

The Wilmington Riverfrontis a great destination for dining, shopping, and entertainment. The scenic shoreline along the Christina River was converted into parkland and a spacious gathering area for concerts, festivals, and community celebrations.

Major attractions include the Delaware Children's Museum, Frawley Stadium, the Chase Center, City Theater Company, Penn Cinema IMAX, Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, OperaDelaware,RiverwalkMini Golf, the Wilmington Riverboat Queen, and much more. Riverfront restaurants include Big Fish Grill, Cosi, Del Pez Mexican Gastropub, Firestone, Harry's Seafood Grill, Iron Hill Brewery, Joe's Crab Shack, River Rock Kitchen, Timothy's, and Ubon Thai Cuisine.

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Visit the Delaware Art Museum

The Delaware Art Museum is best known for its large collection of works by Wilmington native Howard Pyle and fellow American illustrators. The collections include a British Pre-Raphaelite art, urban landscapes by John Sloan and his circle, and a survey of American art from the early 19th century through the present.

Guided museum tours are available every weekend. Be sure to take a stroll through the outdoor Copeland Sculpture Garden, too. During the summer months, the museum hosts asummer camp program for children ages 6 to 12, divided into two age groups, and focuses on drawing, painting, ceramics, and more.

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Walk Historic New Castle

Historic New Castleis a charming historic town with roots dating back to the 1600s. The town was briefly the capital of Delaware, was the original Penn’s Landing, and was home to early settlers from the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Sweden.

Today, it is a great place to stroll the cobblestone streets, shop for antiques, enjoy casual dining, and walk along the riverfront park. You cantour Colonial-period homes such as Dutch House and Amstel House, visit the Old New Castle Court House, and thepicturesque Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green.

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Wander Through the Historic Houses of Odessa

Known in the 18th-century as Cantwell’s Bridge, the small town of Odessa played a vital role in commercial life along the Appoquinimink Creekas a grain shipping port.Today, you can stroll along the tree-lined streets, tour the beautifully restored historic houses, wander through the lushly landscaped gardens and dine at the historic Cantwell's Tavern.

A 90-minute tour includes a guided walk through five historic properties and their gardens including theCorbit-Sharp House,Wilson-Warner House, Collins-Sharp House, Cantwell's Tavern, and Odessa Bank.Visit during the holiday season and step back in time to enjoy a candlelight tour and learn about 18th-century traditions.

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Experience Living History at Fort Delaware

Fort Delaware is part ofThe Delaware History Trail, with locations dating back to 1859.Take a half-mile ferry ride from Delaware City to Pea Patch Island to visitthe Civil War fortress thatwas built to protect the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia andhoused Confederate prisoners of war.

Today, you can enjoy hands-on history as interpreters take you back in time.Help the blacksmith hammer out new parts for a cannon or work with the laundress. Be on hand when the eight-inch Columbiad cannon fires a live gunpowder charge. Hear the stories of escape attempts from Fort Delaware.

The island is home to herons, egrets, and ibis making this a great place for photography and birding. Note that the ferry is open May through September. Paranormal tours are especially popular in October.