Old State House
Delaware'S Georgian Statehouse Of 1791 On The Green In Dover, Now A Free State Museum Run By The Division Of Historical And Cultural Affairs And Part Of The Setting Of First State National Historical Park'S Dover Green Component · Dover, Delaware
The Old State House faces The Green in the middle of Dover: a two-story red-brick Georgian building with a white cupola, finished in 1791, that served as Delaware's capitol until the General Assembly moved into Legislative Hall, just behind it, in the 1930s. For much of that time it also held county government, with the Kent County court on the ground floor and the state House and Senate meeting upstairs. After later alterations it was restored for the 1976 Bicentennial, and it is now a small, free state museum with a period courtroom, the two legislative chambers and county offices furnished as they may have looked around 1800. The Green outside is where Delaware's delegates, meeting at the Golden Fleece Tavern that stood nearby, ratified the US Constitution on 7 December 1787, the first state to do so, and the square is the setting of First State National Historical Park's Dover Green component. It is a modest visit of an hour or less, best joined to a walk around the Green, and it keeps Wednesday-to-Saturday hours only.
25 The Green, Dover, Delaware, 19901, United States
The Old State House is open WEDNESDAY TO SATURDAY only, roughly from mid-morning (about 10) to mid-afternoon (about 4), and it is CLOSED SUNDAY, MONDAY AND TUESDAY. It also closes on major holidays and on Delaware state holidays, which include a few that out-of-state visitors do not expect, such as Good Friday and the day after Thanksgiving - confirm the current list. Admission is FREE. Visits are usually guided by state museum staff, with tours starting as visitors arrive rather than at fixed times, but at busy moments you may wait for the next group, and a late arrival near closing may not get the full tour. The building can close or change hours for special events, staff shortages, bad weather or state emergencies, and festival days on the Green, such as Delaware Day around 7 December or the spring Dover Days festival, can change access and parking. The Green itself is open public space at any hour. Confirm the day's hours with the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs before driving to Dover.