You might know Delaware as the corporate capital of the U.S., but the country’s second-smallest state offers much to explore. Delaware’s beaches, wildlife refuges and state parks rejuvenate work-weary urbanites. The Winterthur estate dazzles with exquisite American furniture, decorative arts and lush gardens, while Hagley Museum and Library tells the story of how the family earned a fortune manufacturing black powder. You can tour Fort Delaware State Park, root for your NASCAR favorite at Dover Motor Speedway, and sail along the Christina River on a replica of a 1638 tall ship. From Wilmington in the north to the state’s southern beaches, discover the best things to do in the First State.
Rehoboth Beach
Rehoboth Beach, the most popular of Delaware’s seaside towns, gains fame for its soft white sands, swimmable ocean, good food and milelong boardwalk. Stroll or bike along the walkway, listen to the seagulls’ calls, and admire a chorus line of dolphins arcing through the waves. The beach is dog-friendly only in the offseason from October through April.
Rehoboth Beach boasts plenty of tasty eateries and notable restaurants. Go local with Thrasher’s thick fries, Grotto Pizza or Starkey’s ice cream, with scores of flavor choices. Travelers with pups won’t want to miss a stop at doggie ice cream shop Salty Paws, where they’ll lick only-for-dogs cones and bowls. Drift Seafood & Raw Bar serves lobster French toast, delectable clams and more; some patrons prefer the airy outdoor patio to the crowded main dining room. DiFebo’s plates tasty Italian standards, while Henlopen City Oyster House’s standouts include oysters and seafood chowder. For fresh seafood to grill at your rental, head to the Big Fish Market.
To book rental homes and condominiums, try Airbnb, Vrbo or local agency Jack Lingo Realtor. The Atlantic Sands Hotel & Conference Center is a popular boardwalk hotel, while The Breakers Hotel & Suites, just two blocks from the beach, is dog-friendly. Before leaving Rehoboth, consider browsing the shopping outlets on state Route 1. The discounted prices, coupled with Delaware’s lack of sales tax, may land you a bargain.
Cape Henlopen State Park
This state park is well worth a visit. With 5,000 acres and 6 miles of shoreline, Cape Henlopen attracts beach lovers as well as bicyclists, birders and hikers in search of gentle nature trails that wind past dunes, marsh overlooks and through pine forests. Fishing enthusiasts cast for flounder and bluefish from the park’s pier.
To pedal the paths, you can bring your bike, rent one at Lewes Cycle Sports or borrow one for free for two hours from the Bike Barn next to the Seaside Nature Center — a good stop for its touch tanks with horseshoe crabs and aquarium displays full of local fish. Along the 3-mile Bike Loop, travelers can view an array of ecosystems that thrive in the park. The Fort Miles Museum and Historical Area merits a stop to gawk at the large guns in Artillery Park, climb the 115 steps of the 75-foot-high fire control tower for sweeping views, and explore the Battery 519 Museum, which is located in the 15,000-square-foot underground bunker.
The popular 3.2-mile Gordons Pond trail offers scenic views of the pond and the salt marsh, as well as the snowy egrets, yellowlegs and ibis that frequent the wetlands, among many other bird species. The Point at Cape Henlopen, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, closes from March to September to protect the park’s piping plovers, oystercatchers and other beach-nesting birds. (The remainder of the park stays open.) For cheap accommodations, book a tent, RV site or primitive cabin through Delaware State Parks’ reservation system. Or, find modern accommodations and food at The Inn at Canal Square in Lewes or at the hotels and eateries in nearby Rehoboth.
Address: 15099 Cape Henlopen Drive, Lewes, DE 19958
Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library: Winterthur
At Winterthur, extreme wealth meets exquisite taste. Henry Francis du Pont filled his home with the finest examples of decorative art made in America from 1630 to 1860. With nearly 90,000 objects, Winterthur rates as the most significant collection of American decorative arts in the world. The 175-room mansion crowns 1,000 acres of meadows and woodlands that include 60 acres of gardens.
You see many rooms as du Pont used them, filled with fine paintings, ceramics and furniture. In the Chinese Parlor, the hand-painted wallpaper and the Steinway grand piano set the stage for du Pont’s bridge parties. Guests once enjoyed lavish meals in the dining room hung with Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington. Opt for a self-guided tour, a 75-minute guided tour or special tours that focus on textiles, ceramics and other aspects of the collection.
Whatever you choose, allow time to explore the gardens. In spring, 500,000 daffodils create a profusion of yellow and white, and azaleas dazzle with pinks, purples and reds. Come June, you’ll be dazzled by sweeps of pink rhododendrons and other colorful flowers. Kids will especially enjoy the 3-acre Enchanted Woods, whose paths lead to the giant Bird’s Nest, the Faerie Cottage and other delights. Tram tours are available as well. Grab lunch at the Visitor Center Café, or buy sandwiches and dessert for a picnic at such favorite spots as the lawn near the Reflecting Pool or the Bristol Summer House, a shaded gazebo.
Stay nearby at the Fairville Inn, located 3 miles from Winterthur in Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania; it offers tastefully decorated rooms in a historic property.
Address: 5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, DE, 19735
Wilmington
Wilmington charms with its lively Riverfront, interesting museums, appealing theaters, good restaurants, engaging neighborhoods and more. Learn about the First State at the Delaware History Museum, which also contains the Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage. The center’s permanent exhibit, Journey to Freedom, explores the African American experience in Delaware starting in 1639, when a Swedish ship brought Antoni Schwartz, the earliest known person of African descent in the region.
The Playhouse on Rodney Square often stages big city-bound shows with cheaper ticket prices than you’ll find in larger cities. Check out the live music at The Queen Wilmington and The Grand Opera House. You can savor craft cocktails at Torbert Street Social, Merchant Bar or Simmer Down in the Quoin Hotel. Trolley Square — called “Trolley” by the twenty- and thirtysomethings who gravitate to the neighborhood’s bars and restaurants — is a lively place to visit, especially at night. Kid Shelleen’s Charcoal House and Saloon, established in 1938, serves a popular weekend brunch and tasty burgers. Bed down at the historic Hotel Du Pont or the boutique Quoin Hotel in Wilmington.
For a respite from city life, visit Brandywine Creek State Park, a 933-acre urban oasis. Popular activities here include hiking wooded trails, mountain biking, and canoeing or kayaking the Brandywine River (as long as you bring your own equipment, since there aren’t rental facilities). Not far from Wilmington is Pennsylvania’s Brandywine Valley, home to the impressive Longwood Gardens and the Brandywine Museum of Art, filled with works by Andrew Wyeth and his family.
Explore Wilmington’s Riverfront
Riverfront Wilmington pops with energy. At the revitalized area along the Christina River in Wilmington, travelers can enjoy bars and restaurants, see a play staged at the Delaware Theatre Company, or watch a Wilmington Blue Rocks baseball game at Frawley Stadium. For more things to do, consider strolling or biking the 1.3-mile Riverwalk, playing mini-golf, and exploring the Delaware Children’s Museum. You can pedal the path by renting bicycles at two Fin rental stations along the Riverfront.
The Riverfront is easily accessed from Wilmington’s Amtrak station. A few blocks away sits the Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park. From there, the Riverwalk stretches to the Russell Peterson Wildlife Refuge and the DuPont Environmental Education Center. As part of creating the Riverfront, Wilmington reclaimed the 212-acre freshwater marsh. At the urban refuge, you can once again spot bald eagles, wood ducks, river otters and other critters.
The large cranes along the Riverfront testify to the area’s importance in World War II, when the Dravo Corporation built ships for the Navy. At times, you can see a tall ship sail by: the Kalmar Nyckel, a replica of the vessel that in 1638 brought Swedish and Finnish settlers to establish New Sweden, the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley. When the ship is in port and not on a multiday trip, come aboard for a 1.5-hour sailing. Cruises depart at the nearby Kalmar Nyckel Foundation. For lodging along Riverfront Wilmington, consider The Westin Wilmington, Hyatt Place Wilmington Riverfront or Homewood Suites by Hilton Wilmington Downtown.
Hagley Museum and Library: Wilmington
The du Pont fortune in the U.S. began at Hagley when, in 1802, E. I. du Pont opened his gunpowder plant on the banks of the Brandywine River. It’s hard to imagine that today’s bucolic landscape with its tall trees, gardens and rushing river once bustled with workers, smelled of sulfur and rang with frequent blasts from the mills.
At the indoor-outdoor museum, whose heart is the powder yards, learn about the dangerous process of producing black powder for guns and for explosives to create canals, open mines and clear land for railroads. By the river sits the only remaining water-powered roll mill, a behemoth used to grind the gunpowder mix. A guide demonstrates the quality of the black powder by igniting a sample in an “eprouvette” — a device similar to a test tube device — and igniting it to hear the boom.
Along with viewing du Pont’s office in the home, be sure to visit the barn to see the Du Ponts Down the Road exhibition. Among the transportation exhibit’s scores of antique vehicles are a Conestoga wagon, a 1912 Detroit Motors electric car and a shiny black 1928 DuPont Motors Model G Phaeton. The Visitor Center’s Nation of Inventors exhibit showcases patent models: scaled-down models of inventions required from 1790 until 1880, before a patent could be granted. Locals recommend Pizza by Elizabeths for its upscale pies with a choice of 60-plus toppings. The historic Hotel Du Pont and the boutique Quoin Hotel are nearby.
Address: 200 Hagley Creek Road, Wilmington, DE, 19807
Fort Delaware State Park on Pea Patch Island
Time travel back to the Civil War at Fort Delaware State Park, located on Pea Patch Island, a 10-minute ferry ride from Delaware City. Located in the Delaware River and completed in 1859 to protect the ports of Wilmington and Philadelphia, the fort is impressive. A 30-foot moat surrounds the pentagon-shaped granite block structure whose walls rise 32 feet high. Because of its island isolation, Fort Delaware served as a Union prison camp, housing about 33,000 prisoners — mostly Confederate soldiers — from 1861 to 1865.
The interpreters dressed as Union soldiers in their Yankee blues and women in long skirts and bonnets tell you about fort life. Don’t miss the daily firing of the Columbiad cannon. Another highlight is the island’s rookery, home to between 1,000 and 1,500 breeding pairs of herons, ibis and egrets. The end of April through early June is the optimal time to see the spectacle of hundreds of birds flying to and from their nests to feed their hatchlings. Later in the summer, most of the birds depart and the bug population increases.
For a full day at the fort, reserve a morning ferry and pack a picnic lunch. Stay overnight near Delaware City at Four Points by Sheraton Newark Christiana Wilmington or the Holiday Inn Express & Suites Wilmington-Newark.
Delaware Art Museum: Wilmington
A gem of a midsized regional museum, the Delaware Art Museum contains some surprises: the most extensive collection of Pre-Raphaelite art outside of the U.K., for example, as well as a substantial collection of American art from 1757 to 1960, American illustration galleries and an engaging sculpture garden. The Pre-Raphaelites — mid-19th-century British artists — used realism to address social issues. Samuel Bancroft Jr., a wealthy Wilmington textile mill owner, amassed the collection that his family donated to the museum. Notable works include Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s “Lady Lilith” and Simeon Solomon’s “The Mother of Moses.”
In the collection American Art, 1757-1960, museumgoers can view portraits and works of urban realism. Among the highlights are Edward Hopper’s “Summertime” and Raphaelle Peale’s 1810 portrait of Absalom Jones, a Delawarean man who was born enslaved and later founded an Episcopal church in Philadelphia. The American Illustration collection has works by Howard Pyle, N.C. Wyeth and others, while Contemporary Art focuses on mid-20th century to contemporary works. Peruse Edna Wright Andrade’s abstract piece “Updraft,” Hank Willis Thomas’ screen print “How to Live Through a Police Riot,” and works by Dale Chihuly.
In the Copeland Sculpture Garden, admire the balancing act of George Rickey’s “Three Rectangles Horizontal Jointed Gyratory III” and the emotion of Tom Otterness’ “Crying Giant,” a piece created as a memorial to the victims of 9/11. A nice place to reflect and rejuvenate is over coffee and sandwiches at the museum cafe Kaffeina.
Address: 2301 Kentmere Parkway, Wilmington, DE, 19806
Delaware Children’s Museum: Wilmington
Even along Wilmington’s bustling Riverfront, the bright yellow Delaware Children’s Museum stands out. Inside the 38,000-square-foot facility, 11 permanent exhibits entice kids to learn through play. Although anyone can enjoy the museum, the sweet spot for the exhibits is ages 2 through 8. Kids literally get inside Kokoun, a hand-crocheted rainbow climbing structure, to crawl through portholes in the nets. At Structures, children don hard hats like real builders, review blueprints, and connect beams and poles to construct stable buildings. In Power of Me!, they can shoot hoops, pitch baseballs and walk a sensory path.
The STEM Room reinforces science, technology, engineering and math skills. Youngsters fashion pyramids, create crafts from recycled items and learn about the human body from a 7-foot-tall doll. Training Wheels’ colorful train and boat entice tots to climb aboard. At DCM Speedway, toddlers sit on mini cars to navigate a course of traffic cones and tires. Young artists paint, create prints, weave and sculpt at Studio D. Parking is free at this museum.
Address: 550 Justison Street, Wilmington, DE, 19801
Dover Motor Speedway: Dover
Get caught up in the excitement as stock cars rocket around Dover Motor Speedway, the world’s fastest 1-mile oval track, also called the “Monster Mile.” Steeped bank curves at 24-degree angles contribute to speeds nearing 170 miles per hour. The Dover Motor Speedway’s signature event is the NASCAR Cup Series. The 107th NASCAR Cup Series race at this track is set to take place Sunday, July 20, 2025. For those who enjoy the race but not the roar of the cars, the Dover Motor Speedway offers an enclosed, air-conditioned, sensory-friendly grandstand for the race. Since the facility is near the backstretch, some track views may be obstructed.
On NASCAR weekend, watch future stars compete at the BetRivers 200 NASCAR Xfinity Series on July 19, and the General Tire 150 ARCA Menards Series race on July 18. The Fan Zone’s free concerts, driver autograph sessions and games add a party atmosphere. If your bucket list includes zooming around the Monster Mile, then contact NASCAR Racing Experience so you can don your racing suit and helmet, hop through the window, and go solo around the track for five to 48 minutes, aided only by the guidance of a spotter on a two-way radio. For those who want the track’s feel without the stress of steering, the NASCAR Ride Along experience delivers three high-speed laps with a pro driver.
Dover Motor Speedway offers tent and RV sites for camping. If you prefer a hotel stay, Bally’s Dover Casino Resort and the Hilton Garden Inn Dover are nearby.
Address: 1131 N. Dupont Highway, Dover, 19901
Air Mobility Command Museum: Dover
The Air Mobility Command Museum is the only U.S. museum solely dedicated to showcasing the history and importance of the Air Mobility Command, a major Air Force unit tasked with airlift and air refueling. Located on Dover Air Force Base, about 10 miles from the Dover Motor Speedway, the facility’s tarmac blooms with more than 30 aircraft. Many served in WWII, Korea, Vietnam and other conflicts, deploying troops, bringing supplies, and carrying wounded service members and refugees to safety. The guides, often with Air Force backgrounds, relate key missions and sometimes even personal anecdotes.
The C-47A Skytrain, nicknamed “Gooney Bird,” carried cargo and personnel, dropping paratroopers into enemy territory in WWII. Some of the museum’s vintage aircraft are labeled “First, Last, and Only,” making their stories particularly interesting. The VC-9C was the first to serve as Air Force Two, and one of the first to have a special radio communications system on board. The C-141B Starlifter, built in the 1970s, served in Vietnam and Desert Storm. You can practice takeoff, flying and landing an aircraft via the museum’s simulators; from the former Dover AFB Control Tower, get a sweeping view of the airfield.
If you’re looking to stay overnight in Dover, consider Home2Suites by Hilton Dover and the Residence Inn Dover.
Address: 1301 Heritage Road, Dover, DE 19902
Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge: Smyrna
Migrating birds flock to Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, along the coast of Delaware Bay. The facility’s more than 16,000 acres feature one of the largest remaining expanses of tidal salt marsh in the mid-Atlantic, as well as freshwater impoundments that attract thousands of birds. You might spot red foxes, beavers, turtles and deer, too. The refuge provides urbanites with a soul-enriching escape from city life. The 12-mile loop road takes you past tidal marshland, cordgrass meadows, mud flats, forests and three observation towers.
The wildlife changes with the seasons. In spring and fall, thousands of migratory birds fill the skies. In April, listen for the piping chorus of wood frogs and spring peepers. In June, you might catch sight of baby eagles leaving their nests. Shorebirds typically arrive in July, and the egret, heron and ibis populations increase. By October, ducks and geese arrive, with their populations peaking in November or December.
The best time to visit the wildlife refuge is from April to early May or November to December, when bird concentrations are high and the mosquito and fly populations are low. From mid-May through mid-September, you may want to enjoy Bombay Hook by driving the refuge but primarily remaining in your car to avoid bugs. Book an overnight stay at the Hampton Inn Dover nearby.
Address: 2591 Whitehall Neck Road, Smyrna, DE 19977
First State Heritage Park: Dover
Discover aspects of Delaware’s history from the colonial era to the 20th century at First State Heritage Park, an “urban park without boundaries” that connects cultural and historical sites in Dover. The heart of the park is the wide Dover Green, laid out in 1717. Since many of the surrounding 18th- and 19th-century buildings remain privately owned, the area can be quiet except on the days when guides in period attire lead walking tours. On the first Saturday of the month, enjoy such special programming as rolling hoops, creating colonial crafts and learning about the suffragists who massed on the Green to fight for the right to vote.
The Welcome Center has free parking and information about the park. Complimentary guided tours start at the John Bell House Interpretive Center. The modest frame building constructed in the mid-1700s is the oldest wooden timber structure in Dover. The sign at 325 South State St. marks the original site of the Golden Fleece tavern, where in 1787 delegates ratified the U.S. Constitution, making Delaware the first state — and thus creating a proud nickname. The original Golden Fleece was demolished in 1830. The Old State House, completed in 1791, features an 18th-century style courtroom.
Walk about two blocks and two centuries to the Johnson Victrola Museum, a showcase for the Victor Talking Machine Company, founded by Delaware native Eldridge Reeves Johnson in 1901. The building contains a variety of early phonographs, Victrolas and records, as well as information about the real Nipper, the dog that listens to a gramophone on the RCA Victor logo.
Address: 43 The Green, Dover, DE 19901
Trap Pond State Park
Trap Pond State Park features the northernmost naturally occurring stand of baldcypress in the U.S. One section in the 4,200-acre park stretches for 80 to 100 acres. Exploring the swamp feels like breaching a magical world. The cypress trees rise in thickets, creating leafy green canopies. When the sun comes out, it transforms the swamp. Turtles slide onto logs to warm up, and the brown water becomes mirrorlike, reflecting the trees so they appear to grow downward into the water. You might come across great blue herons, kingfishers, woodpeckers, beavers, bullfrogs and even bald eagles. The best way to experience the swamp is by boat. Board a pontoon tour, or go deeper along swamp channels by canoeing or kayaking on your own. Check the schedule for guided canoe trips.
For a different perspective, travelers can hike or bike a land path. The 4.6-mile Bob Trail circumnavigates the pond, offering views of the water and the cypress trees. For a shorter hike, try the 1-mile Cypress Point trail that showcases wetlands and the forest. The camp store allows visitors to reserve a bike for free for one hour. To stay overnight, reserve one of the park’s tent sites, yurts, primitive cabins or RV sites. Depending on the weather, mid-June through August can be buggy. For indoor accommodations, the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Salisbury – Delmar sits just over the Maryland border, around 10 miles from the state park.
Address: 33587 Bald Cypress Lane, Laurel, DE, 19956
Why Trust U.S. News Travel
Candyce H. Stapen, a long-time Washingtonian, frequently heads to Delaware with friends and family for getaways. She recharges at the beach in Rehoboth, gets her fill of gardens and antiques at Winterthur, seeks out museums and state parks, and eats her way up and down the coast.
You might also be interested in:
— The Top Things to Do in Maryland
— The Top Things to Do in New Jersey
— The Top Weekend Getaways From Washington, D.C.
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The 14 Best Things to Do in Delaware originally appeared on usnews.com
