6 Best Sights in Wilmington, Delaware

For a look at how the uber wealthy lived in the early 20th century, visit Nemours, an estate on 200 acres with impressive gardens and a 47,000-square-foot mansion built for Alfred I. du Pont in 1910 by noted architectural firm Carrère and Hastings, complete with the latest in technology. This modified Louis XVI château showcases more than 30 (of 77 in all) rooms of European and American furnishings, rare rugs, tapestries, and art from different eras. Despite its splendor, the mansion feels homey and personal, and it's fun to explore on your own and ask the pleasant interpretive staff questions. The formal French-style gardens, reminiscent of those at Versailles, are landscaped with fountains, pools, and statuary; garden tours are offered April through October. Vintage cars from Rolls-Royces to Cadillacs are on display in the Chauffeur's Garage. Tickets can be purchased by the parking lot.   No food is sold on-site, but picnicking on the lawn is permitted.

In an 85,000-square-foot building, the museum presents several notable American and international collections in galleries that reflect diverse, engaging stories about artists and the periods in which they worked. Its strong holdings of American illustration include paintings by Howard Pyle (1853–1911), a Wilmington native known as the "father of American illustration," and works by his students N. C. Wyeth, Frank Schoonover, and Maxfield Parrish. Some other American artists represented are Benjamin West, John Sloan, Winslow Homer, Faith Ringgold, and Grace Hartigan. The museum is renowned for the largest American collection of 19th-century English pre-Raphaelite paintings and decorative arts, with works by Dante Gabriel Rossetti and Edward Burne-Jones, among others. Dale Chihuly's colorful Persian Window glass installation, the interactive Kids' Corner, and the open-air Copeland Sculpture Garden are other highlights.

There's not a bad seat in the house at this working theater that also hosts jazz, classical, and pop performances. Built by the Masonic Order in 1871 and restored a hundred years later, the four-story Grand's facade is cast iron painted white in French Second Empire style to mimic the old Paris Opera. The adjoining Giacco Building houses a smaller theater and art galleries.

The first du Pont gunpowder mills still stand on this site, offering a glimpse of the du Ponts at work and an enlightening look at the development of early industrial America. You can tour the mills, a 19th-century machine shop, and the family home and gardens, all set on 240 acres. Wear comfortable shoes.

Through the restored buildings of a mid-19th-century mill community on 235 acres along the Brandywine River, this indoor-outdoor museum provides an enlightening look at the development of early industrial America and the du Pont family's role in it. This is the site of the first of the family's black-powder mills (founded 1802) and family home. A visitor center has the excellent exhibition "Nation of Inventors," a fun, family-friendly experience that tells the stories of diverse American inventors over the centuries, using more than 120 patent models from various industries. Admission includes a narrated shuttle bus tour with stops at Eleutherian Mills, the du Ponts' 1803 Georgian-style home (guided house tour included); Workers' Hill, where costumed interpreters describe the life of a mill worker; and the Powder Yard, with demonstrations that show the dangerous work of the early explosives industry. The DuPont Company's history is explored in the Machine Shop. You can bring a picnic or buy sandwiches and such from a refrigerator and find a place to eat.  Be prepared for some walking and allow a minimum of two hours for your visit, which can include tours and self-guided exploration.  

Just south of downtown, the city's redeveloped historic waterfront along the Christina draws locals and visitors to its restaurants, sights, and the popular 1½-mile blue-and-white-signed Riverwalk promenade. Businesses and housing have also sprung up in this neighborhood. By the Riverwalk's northeastern end is Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park ( Rosa Parks Dr.), a recreational area that has a statue of abolitionists Harriet Tubman and Thomas Garrett helping enslaved people as they fled to freedom along the Underground Railroad in the state. The Hare Pavilion at the foot of Old West Street hosts events; nearby, away from the river, is Delaware Contemporary ( 200 S. Madison St.), a museum presenting contemporary art exhibits. Also along the Riverwalk, the Delaware Children's Museum ( 550 Justison St.) has interactive exhibits aimed mostly at children ages 8 and under; Riverwalk Mini Golf operates seasonally right nearby. A regional visitor center ( Closed Mon.–Wed.) is at 920 Justison Street, Suite 5. There's parking at a Beech Street lot, at attractions, and on Justison Street.