Cool Things to Do in Delaware: A Comprehensive Guide

Delaware is a tiny state with a lot of cool things to do packed in a small area. I-95 runs through the northern tip of Delaware, but Route 1 runs north to south through Delaware’s three counties. Here are our favorite activities in all three counties, heading generally from north to south.

Cool things to do in New Castle County, Delaware

State Parks in New Castle County

There are many lovely state parks in New Castle County. Purchase Delaware State Park passes here or at the park for about $4 for an in-state vehicle and $8 out-of-state. You’ll find several of these parks in the greater Wilmington area.

Alapocas Run State Park is one of the only places in Delaware where you will find blue granite cliffs that rock-climbers have long enjoyed scaling. Our children often enjoy the Can-Do playground and little story-book trail, as well as several nice woodsy trails.

Brandywine Creek State Park is a picturesque park of rolling meadows and forested area, and of course the creek. Chipmunks can be spotted near the blue gneiss stone walls (built in the late 1800s), and there are more than 14 miles of trail throughout the park, a disk golf course and plenty of fishing.

Bellevue State Park lies a few miles away. William DuPont’s home, Bellevue Hall, stands in the middle of the park. Find lovely horses throughout the park, along with stables, indoor horse training facilities, and a horse track. There is a fishing pond, disk golf course, and several playgrounds.

White Clay Creek State Park encompasses a very large area that runs into Pennsylvania. This provides ample opportunity to get lost if you’re not careful! (Yes, we know from experience.) You can hike to the Mason Dixon line or find the point where Delaware, Pennsylvania and Maryland come together.

Nearby Lums Pond State Park has Delaware’s largest freshwater pond, 17 miles of trails, a boathouse, camping, pavilions, a dog park, and a nature center with a few live animal exhibits. Our personal favorite activity is the Go-Ape Treetop Ropes course. This provides a great workout and some awesome zipline rides across the pond.

Old New Castle and the Wilmington Riverfront

The historic town of Old New Castle, Delaware, is just a few miles away from Wilmington, and is connected to it by a 5.5 mile, mostly paved trail. On the Historic New Castle side you will find colonial homes from the 1700’s and picnic tables and playgrounds.

On the Wilmington Riverfront side, you will find waterfront restaurants and shops, along with a walkway out to an elevated boardwalk and tower with a nature center where you can view the city and the natural wetland on either side.

There are several parks in the city of Wilmington, including Brandywine Park near the downtown area. Not a state park, this attraction is completely free. It is beautiful in late March/early April when the cherry trees bloom. In late May and June, the Jasper Crane Rose Garden is brilliantly in bloom. Formal gardens stand near the creek. Across from it sits the Brandywine Zoo, a small, attractive zoo perfect for children.

Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library and the Brandywine Valley

Winterthur offers various tours, exhibitions, and interactive programs for children and adults. It includes another former DuPont Home. Our favorite annual event is the fairy days that are held in May. Our girls like to dress up and enjoy the children’s garden and enchanted woods. There are thousands of acres of hilly meadows and woods, as well as gardens.

The Brandywine Valley, home of the Bidens, is a beautiful area to drive through, both in terms of the rolling forested hills (especially in the fall), and the beautiful homes throughout the area. Close by the area are Longwood Gardens (in PA), the Delaware Art Museum, the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, Nemours Estate, and more.

Art, History, and Science

New Castle County has some wonderful choices for families to learn about local history, art and science.

Pea Patch Island/Fort Delaware can be reached by a short ferry ride. It is a historic landmark, which served as a Union prison during the civil war, and also a great place for bird watching.

Other local museums and attractions worth visiting include the Delaware Children’s Theater and the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science. Downtown Wilmington offers several interesting museums, such as the Delaware History Museum and Mitchell Center for African American Heritage, and beautiful historic churches.

Find more to do in New Castle County at this post.

Cool Things to Do in Kent County, Delaware

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge and other Wildlife Viewing

Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge is a beautiful preserve located at the northern edge of the county, near Smyrna. It is renowned for birdwatching, and includes several observation towers that serve that purpose well. We enjoy driving through near sunset, and getting out to take one of the peaceful trails during the spring or fall. The cost is $4 per vehicle.

Other places to view wildlife include Kitts Hummock or Pickering Beach to see horseshoe crabs, or St. Jones Reserve to see fiddler crabs and other wildlife.

The Capital City of Dover, DE

The Dover Air Mobility Command Museum is one of the best in the country, and it is free. If you have an airplane lover in the family, they will enjoy viewing the many historic aircraft in the main exhibit gallery and outside as well. C-5A cargo compartment tours are available, living history reenactors are on site most Saturdays, and you can sometimes visit one of the air control towers and watch the planes traveling in and out of the base. The Museum is open to the public Wed through Sun, 9 to 4PM.

It’s also fun to visit the more historic area of Dover, where Victorian buildings surround the area known as the Green, where Legislative Hall and other historic buildings are located. You can tour Legislative Hall and several of the other buildings that are part of First State National Historic Park. Find more information at this website.

Killens Pond State Park

Killens Pond is the only other state park in Kent County, and is located in the Southern portion near Felton. It is a bueatiful park with a 2.5 mile flat trail that wraps around the pond. The park offers fishing, boat rental, a nature center, and a waterpark in summer.

Find more to do in Kent County at this post.

Cool Things to Do in Sussex County, Delaware

The southernmost county of Delaware, Sussex County, is a mix of popular beach towns and rural farmland and small towns.

Inland Attractions

There are several charming small towns to visit in Southern Delaware. Take the River Walk in Milford and get lunch at La Hacienda then take the kids to play at the Can-Do Playground. Drive through Milton to see beautiful, colorful Victorian homes and stop for homemade ice cream at Kings or a show at the Milton Theater. In Seaford, check out the Seaford Museum to learn about unique historical figures, local art, and a huge model train collection.

In Millsboro, check out the Nanticoke Indian Museum to learn about the indigenous people who lived in Sussex county before Europeans arrived. Here you can learn about one of the largest Powwows on the East Coast which occurs in Sussex county every year. Then, grab dinner and listen to a band at Paradise Grill.

For outdoor recreation, go birdwatching at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge or paddle through Trap Pond State Park to see the northernmost bald cypress swamp in the country. Delaware Botanic Garden along Pepper Creek is another great destination for a stroll to take in seasonal blooms and whimsical artwork. Tours are offered for about $10 per person.

State Park Beaches

There are several beaches in Delaware which are also state parks. The northernmost park is Cape Henlopen State Park, where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, and you can visit both sides. The Seaside Nature Center highlights the ecosystems founds there including barrier dunes, coastal beaches, and maritime forests. Fort Miles was built in the park during World War II, and the towers can be viewed along the drive.

Next comes Delaware Seashore State Park, which is quite large, taking up about 20 miles of coastline. It includes campgrounds, cottages, playgrounds, fishing, angling, hiking, and even a museum – the Indian River Life-Saving Station. You can visit some of the eleven towers that were used for observation and defense during World War II (the same series that can be viewed at Cape Henlopen).

The southernmost park is Fenwick Island, which has about three miles of coastline. In Fenwick, you can visit a historic lighthouse or just enjoy a beach day on the guarded beach complete with bathhouse and concessions.

Beach Towns

Lewes Beach is a charming town filled with unique shops and eateries. The Bay is great for little ones who want to swim without needing to worry about getting knocked down by a wave. The town is known for its tulip festival in spring, and for the Lewes-Cape May Ferry to Cape May, NJ.

Rehoboth is not as quiet, but has a fun, mile long boardwalk and lots to do. Many come for the tax-free shopping at the outlets, but the beach itself at Rehoboth is clean, lovely, and worth the crowds. There is a nice boardwalk with amusements at one end and a playground at the other.

The town of Dewey, is just down the street from the Towers Beaches. It’s a great place to stop and eat dinner at the Starboard or take a trolley ride. You’ll find Bethany Beach near Fenwick Island, where you may want to stop at the Boathouse restaurant, one of the most well-known features in the town. Finally, the town of Fenwick has a few points of interest including the DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum, which houses tens of thousands of artifacts from shipwrecks all over the world, and Seashell City, a huge souvenir shop located in the same building.

Find more information about the Delaware beaches at this post.

Find more to do in Sussex County, Delaware at this post.