Delaware Museum of Nature and Science

Private Non Profit Natural History Museum On Kennett Pike Outside Wilmington, Opened In 1972 As The Delaware Museum Of Natural History And Renamed After A Major Renovation · Wilmington, Delaware

The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science is a mid-sized natural history museum on Kennett Pike, in the wooded chateau country between Wilmington and Winterthur. It opened in 1972 as the Delaware Museum of Natural History, founded by John E. du Pont, and it reopened in the early 2020s under its new name after a major renovation that rebuilt the galleries around hands-on displays. Behind the public halls sit large research collections, above all of mollusk shells and of birds and their eggs, which scientists from elsewhere still come to study, and some of that material is shown in the galleries. For most families the centerpiece is a large dinosaur gallery, backed by exhibits on Delaware's own habitats, from the Brandywine woods to the coastal marshes, and on animals from around the world. Outside, a short nature trail loops through the grounds. It is a family museum rather than a big-city one, and a visit of two to three hours covers it well, which makes it an easy pairing with the du Pont houses and gardens a few minutes away.

4840 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, 19807, United States

The museum is an indoor attraction open for daytime hours on most days of the week, closed on at least one weekday for much of the year and on major holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas; hours are longer and every day is more likely to be open around summer vacation and school breaks. Last admission is usually some time before closing, so arriving late in the afternoon leaves very little time. School groups book many weekday mornings during the school year, which makes the galleries loud and busy until lunchtime; weekday afternoons and early weekend mornings are calmer. Special events, evening programs for adults, camps and holiday activities run on their own schedule and often need a separate ticket. The outdoor nature trail is generally open during museum hours only and can be muddy or closed after storms. Any cafe or snack service has been limited, so plan to eat before or after, or bring a snack for outside. Because the museum was closed for years during the renovation and reopened recently, older guidebooks and websites carry wrong hours and prices; confirm the current days, hours and ticketing on the museum's own website before you drive over.

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