Visit Hagley Museum and Library for Local History, Science and Nature

Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware, sits along the Brandywine and includes activities that appeal to the whole family and fill several hours with local history, science and nature.

There are multiple entrances, so you’ll want to navigate to the Visitor’s Center at 200 Hagley Creek Rd in Wilmington, DE 19807. Parking is free, and you’ll see a sign directing you to where you can purchase your tickets, which is also the museum.

In the museum you will find the “Nation of Inventors” exhibit, where you can see all kinds of patent models from the 1800s and early 1900s. It is colorful and interactive, making it a hit with kids and adults alike.

From the Museum, a shuttle runs every 20 minutes to a couple of spots that are worth visiting. We went first to the historic house, belonging to E.I. DuPont, the founder of the business, and the very first home and gardens of the DuPont family in America.

You can tour the Dupont family home, but if your little ones are like ours, you can duck out early if you need to! You must be with a guide to enter the home, but the surrounding gardens are lovely and you can tour them on your own. You can also take a look at the barn where some old carriages are stored. We ate our packed lunch at the nearby picnic tables.

Next, we took the shuttle to the old powder yard, where you can see dioramas of the whole process of making the gunpowder that first earned the DuPonts their riches. You can even see, hear and smell a demonstration of some gunpowder exploding! This was exciting, but not overwhelming or scary to the youngest among us.

The former residence is about 3 miles from the visitors center, but the powder yard is only about a half a mile. The surrounding area along the canal is also full of interesting old structures that your family will enjoy exploring on foot.

At the time of this writing, Hagley is open daily from 10AM to 4PM, except for Wednesdays, when it is closed to the general public. Current ticket prices are below, but consider buying a Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport for $99 per family to get a great deal on this and 11 other attractions in the Brandywine Valley area.

$20 for adults
$16 for students and seniors (62+)
$10 for children (6-14)
Free for children under 6 and active military
Free for Hagley Members

Check the website for discounts, and enjoy your visit!