Things to do in Wilmington, Delaware
Late spring brings the Brandywine Valley's famous gardens into full bloom, while September and October pair mild weather with autumn color across the du Pont estates and creek-side parks. Summers are warm and humid; winters are cold but quiet.
Best months: May, June, September, October
What is worth your time in Wilmington, Delaware
Longwood GardensDo not miss
Pierre du Pont's world-class horticultural display garden just over the Pennsylvania line, with grand conservatories, illuminated fountains, and 1,100 acres of blooms.
Day Trip · 7 hr4.9
Hagley Museum and LibraryDo not miss
The original DuPont gunpowder works along the Brandywine, with restored mills, a powder yard, and the family's first Delaware home and gardens.
Museum · 3 hr4.8
Mt. Cuba CenterDo not miss
A former du Pont estate turned celebrated native woodland garden, famous for its spring wildflowers, trilliums, and naturalistic meadows.
Park · 2.8 hr4.8
Nemours EstateDo not miss
Alfred I. du Pont's French chateau and the largest formal French gardens in North America, a Gilded Age showpiece of fountains and statuary.
Historic Site · 3 hr4.8
Old New Castle Historic DistrictDo not miss
A remarkably intact colonial river town of cobblestone streets and Dutch and Georgian houses where William Penn first stepped ashore in America.
Historic Site · 2.3 hr4.7
Winterthur Museum, Garden and LibraryDo not miss
Henry Francis du Pont's sprawling country estate holds one of the world's great collections of American decorative arts inside a 1,000-acre naturalistic garden.
Museum · 3.8 hr4.7
Brandywine ParkDo not miss
A Frederick Law Olmsted-designed park straddling the Brandywine, with riverside paths, stone bridges, and the Jasper Crane rose garden.
Park · 1.8 hr4.6
Delaware Art MuseumDo not miss
Home to a renowned Pre-Raphaelite collection and the illustrations of Wilmington's own Howard Pyle, set above a sculpture garden.
Museum · 2.3 hr4.6
Delaware Museum of Nature and ScienceDo not miss
A reimagined natural history museum with dinosaur halls, a Great Barrier Reef diorama, and hands-on science galleries that delight families.
Museum · 2.3 hr4.6
Wilmington RiverfrontDo not miss
A revitalized Christina River district with a paved riverwalk, the Riverfront Market, breweries, museums, and an outdoor beer garden.
Neighborhood · 2.5 hr4.5
Jack A. Markell Trail
A paved biking and walking trail running from the Wilmington Riverfront through wetlands and marsh boardwalks to historic New Castle.
Scenic Route · 2 hr4.8
Read House and Gardens
A grand 1804 Federal-style mansion in Old New Castle with formal gardens and lavish period rooms overlooking the Delaware River.
Historic Site · 1.5 hr4.8
Alapocas Run State Park
A wooded gorge along the Brandywine with a dramatic blue-rock quarry wall, a paved multi-use trail, and a popular climbing crag.
Nature · 1.8 hr4.7
Amstel House Museum
A 1730s brick mansion in New Castle furnished with colonial decorative arts, once host to George Washington at a wedding.
Museum · 1 hr4.7
And 31 more, which the planner picks between based on your dates, pace and what you are into.
Worth knowing
- Many of the best sights are the du Pont family estates and gardens scattered through the Brandywine Valley, so renting a car makes the trip far easier than relying on transit.
- Tax-free shopping is a real perk: Delaware charges no sales tax, so Market Street boutiques and outlet stops are cheaper than across the state line.
- Garden estates like Winterthur, Longwood, and Mt. Cuba reward timed tickets booked ahead, especially on spring and fall weekends.
- The Wilmington Riverfront is the most walkable evening district, with a paved riverwalk, breweries, and a beer garden along the Christina River.
- Tipping follows US norms: 18 to 20 percent at restaurants and a couple of dollars per drink at bars.