Open Travel Guide
History of Delaware

Delaware History & Heritage Guide 2026

The history of Delaware told through its places: sites worth the detour and the context they need.

Delaware has 6+ historical sites covered in this guide, led by Historic New Castle Courthouse Museum, Hagley Museum and Library and Old Swedes Church (Holy Trinity Church). Each entry below includes the practical details — what it costs, when to go, and how to plan around it.

Delaware, the First State, packs remarkable diversity into the nation's second-smallest state — from the cosmopolitan Wilmington riverfront and historic New Castle's cobblestone streets to the Victorian beach resort of Rehoboth Beach and the wild marshes of Cape Henlopen. Rich in colonial and Revolutionary War history, home to major corporate headquarters and the DuPont dynasty's legacy estates, and bordered by Atlantic beaches, Delaware rewards visitors who look beyond its modest size.

Historical sites

Places where Delaware's past comes alive.

Historic

Historic New Castle Courthouse Museum

Where: New Castle

Admission: Adult: Free | Child: Free

Historic

Hagley Museum and Library

Where: Brandywine Valley, Wilmington

Admission: Adult: $20 | Child: $8 (ages 6-14)

Historic

Old Swedes Church (Holy Trinity Church)

Where: Wilmington

Admission: Adult: Free (donations welcomed) | Child: Free

Historic

Amstel House Museum

Where: New Castle

Admission: Adult: $7 | Child: $3 (under 12)

Historic

First State National Historical Park (Dover Unit)

Where: Dover

Admission: Adult: Free | Child: Free

Historic

Zwaanendael Museum

Where: Lewes

Admission: Adult: Free | Child: Free

Museums

Curated collections that tell Delaware's story.

Museum

Delaware Historical Society Research Center

Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM; Saturday 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM

Admission: Adult: $4 (research access) | Child: Free

Museum

Delaware State Museum (Johnson Victrola Museum, Dover)

Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM

Admission: Adult: Free | Child: Free