Top 10 Attractions in Delaware: Beaches, Estates & Forts

The top attractions in Delaware are Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk, Cape Henlopen State Park, Winterthur, Hagley Museum and Library, Nemours Estate, Fort Delaware State Park, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, the Air Mobility Command Museum, First State National Historical Park and the Delaware Art Museum. Together they cover the Atlantic coast, the du Pont estates of the Brandywine Valley, and the state’s colonial and military history.

Delaware is one of the smallest states in the country, so you can see several of these in a single weekend. It also has no sales tax, which helps if your trip includes shopping at the Rehoboth outlets. The ten picks below are grouped by region, followed by a seasonal planning table and two ready-made itineraries, because several of the best sites close for part of the year.

At a glance: where each attraction is and when it works best

1. Rehoboth Beach Boardwalk

Rehoboth Beach is the state’s best-known resort town, and its wooden boardwalk is the center of it. The boardwalk runs about a mile along the Atlantic, was first built in 1873, and stays open all year. Funland, the family-run amusement park, has been on the boardwalk since 1962, and Dolle’s Candyland has been making its taffy and candy here since 1926. Grotto Pizza and Nicola Pizza are the usual dinner stops, and the Rehoboth Beach Bandstand hosts free summer concerts.

Rehoboth is also a good base for the whole coast. Cape Henlopen is a short drive north, and the outlet shopping nearby is tax-free because Delaware charges no sales tax. Two practical notes: parking in town is metered and enforced, and dogs are barred from the beach and boardwalk for part of the summer. Check the town’s current dates before you bring a pet.

2. Cape Henlopen State Park

Cape Henlopen is where Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic, and at more than 5,000 acres it is the state’s largest state park. Its beach stretches roughly six miles, and the Great Dune rises almost 80 feet, making it one of the highest points on the coast. Lifeguards patrol the designated swimming beach from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day.

The park’s history is as strong as its scenery. The U.S. Army built Fort Miles here in 1941 to guard the entrance to the Delaware River, and Battery 519 now houses the Fort Miles Museum. The historic area was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2005. William Penn set this land aside as public ground in 1682, and the park itself was dedicated in 1964.

Walk the 2.6-mile Walking Dunes Trail, borrow a bike through the Friends of Cape Henlopen program, or camp among the pines. The Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal is next door if you want to cross to New Jersey.

3. Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library

Winterthur (pronounced “winter-tour”) was the country estate of collector Henry Francis du Pont, and it holds nearly 90,000 objects made or used in America between about 1640 and 1860. The collection fills a 175-room house, so you see Federal parlors, Shaker simplicity and an elliptical staircase in one visit. The estate describes itself as the premier museum of American decorative arts, and the claim is hard to argue with.

The grounds are equally important. Du Pont designed a 60-acre naturalistic garden, with massed color from early spring through fall, set within a preserve of roughly 1,000 acres of meadow and woodland. Families should look for Enchanted Woods, the children’s garden with fairy-sized houses and hideaways.

Winterthur is closed to the public for part of the winter (the 2026 closure ran January 5 to February 27), though members can still walk the grounds. Confirm hours and admission packages on winterthur.org before you go, and plan on half a day.

4. Hagley Museum and Library

Hagley is where the du Pont story begins. In 1802, E. I. du Pont founded a gunpowder works on 235 acres beside the Brandywine River, and the site today includes restored mills, a workers’ community, the family’s Eleutherian Mills residence and period gardens. That mix is the point: you see how the factory hands lived as well as the owners.

Machinery demonstrations bring the powder yard to life, and the contrast between the workers’ vegetable gardens and the ornamental plantings at the du Pont home tells the social history without a word of signage. Budget at least 90 minutes, and closer to two hours if you want the residence and the mills. The Belin House Cafe on site handles lunch.

Hagley pairs naturally with its neighbors. Many visitors do Hagley in the morning and drive a few minutes to Nemours in the afternoon, a combination that covers the du Pont family’s industrial and domestic worlds in one day.

5. Nemours Estate

Nemours is the most formal of the Brandywine Valley estates. Alfred I. du Pont built the 77-room mansion for his second wife, Alicia, and it was completed in 1910. The house is furnished with 18th-century pieces and even includes a bowling alley, and guests can move freely between rooms while docents answer questions.

The gardens are the draw. Nemours has the largest formal French gardens in North America, laid out across nearly 200 acres of lawns, woodland and meadow, with fountains, statuary and a maze area. A separate Chauffeur’s Garage holds a collection of vintage cars once used on the estate.

One practical warning: there are no food facilities at Nemours, so eat beforehand or bring a plan for later. Confirm tour times and tickets at nemoursestate.org, since access to the mansion is by guided visit and the schedule varies by season.

6. Fort Delaware State Park

Fort Delaware sits on Pea Patch Island in the Delaware River and can only be reached by ferry from Delaware City, a crossing of about half a mile. The granite and brick fortress dates to 1859 and was built to protect Wilmington and Philadelphia. During the Civil War it held as many as 33,000 Confederate prisoners.

Costumed interpreters run musket drills and blacksmith demonstrations, and the fort’s upper levels give you river views across to New Jersey. Away from the walls, the Prison Camp Trail leads to an observation platform above the Pea Patch heronry, where an estimated 1,000 to 1,500 breeding pairs of herons, egrets and ibises nest.

This is a seasonal attraction. The park generally operates weekends and holidays from late April or May through September, with added weekdays from mid-June to Labor Day. Ferry tickets are timed and can sell out in peak season, so book ahead and verify dates on the Delaware State Parks site. The ferry ticket also covers Fort Mott State Park in New Jersey.

7. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge

Bombay Hook is Delaware’s premier birding destination and one of the largest unaltered tidal salt marshes in the Mid-Atlantic. The refuge covers about 16,000 acres along Delaware Bay, was established in 1937, and sits on the Atlantic Flyway, where hundreds of thousands of migrating waterfowl stop each year.

You can see most of it from your car. A 12-mile wildlife drive loops past freshwater pools, marsh and woodland, with five short walking trails and three observation towers along the way. The Forest Discovery Tree Trail adds a 2.7-mile walk through old and young forest.

The main spectacle comes in late fall and early winter, when tens of thousands of snow geese gather, along with Canada geese, swans and pintails. That makes October to December the best window for photographers. The refuge is open from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, and an entrance pass is required. Bring binoculars and bug spray in warm months.

8. Air Mobility Command Museum

The Air Mobility Command Museum in Dover is one of the best free attractions in the state. Admission and parking cost nothing, though donations are welcome. The museum occupies Hangar 1301, a restored World War II hangar, and its outdoor ramp holds more than 30 aircraft, including a C-5 Galaxy, one of the largest aircraft on public display in the country.

The collection tells the story of airlift and air refueling, from a combat-veteran C-47 Skytrain to jet transports. Volunteers, many of them Air Force veterans, lead tours and explain the cockpits. Open Cockpit Days let visitors climb aboard many of the planes, which is the main reason families with children put this on the list.

Because the museum sits beside Dover Air Force Base, you may also see active aircraft taking off and landing. The museum has its own gate off Delaware Route 9 and cannot be reached through the base. Hours have varied by source and season, so check amcmuseum.org before you drive.

9. First State National Historical Park

Delaware earned its nickname by being the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, on December 7, 1787, and First State National Historical Park tells that story across several sites. President Barack Obama created it as a national monument in 2013, and Congress later redesignated it as a national historical park, making it the first national park unit in Delaware.

In New Castle, start at the Sheriff’s House visitor center, then walk the Green and tour the 1732 New Castle Court House. In Dover, the Dover Green is where the ratifying convention met. In Lewes, the Ryves Holt House, from 1665, is thought to be the oldest house in the state. The Brandywine Valley component, Woodlawn, protects roughly 1,100 acres of open land.

The sites are spread across the state, so treat this as a thread running through your trip rather than one stop. A single morning in New Castle covers the heart of it.

10. Delaware Art Museum

The Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington, at 2301 Kentmere Parkway, is the state’s main art museum and the best choice for a rainy day. It focuses on American art and illustration and includes a sculpture garden, where the Crying Giant sculpture is a favorite photo stop.

It also fits neatly into a Wilmington day. The museum sits a short drive from Hagley and Nemours, so you can pair a gallery visit with one of the du Pont estates. If you want contemporary work as well, the Delaware Contemporary on the Wilmington Riverfront shows rotating exhibitions by regional and international artists and is an easy detour from the Riverwalk.

Check the museum’s website for current hours, special exhibitions and admission before you visit, since temporary shows change throughout the year.

How to combine these attractions: two sample plans

Two days in northern Delaware (Brandywine Valley). Spend day one at Winterthur, giving the house and garden most of the day. On day two, start at Hagley when it opens, move to Nemours in the afternoon, and finish at the Delaware Art Museum or a stroll along the Wilmington Riverfront. In season, swap in Fort Delaware for a day on the Delaware River.

Two days on the coast. Start at Cape Henlopen State Park for the dunes, beach and Fort Miles, then spend the evening on the Rehoboth boardwalk. Next day, visit historic Lewes for the Ryves Holt House, or drive inland to Bombay Hook for the wildlife drive.

A central stop. On the way between north and south, Dover has the Air Mobility Command Museum and the Dover Green.

When to visit: a seasonal checklist

Delaware’s attractions are more seasonal than most guides admit. The beaches and Fort Delaware peak from late spring through summer, Bombay Hook shines in late fall and winter, and Winterthur closes to the public for part of January and February. Gardens at Winterthur, Hagley and Nemours are best from spring through early fall. Indoor options such as the Delaware Art Museum and the Air Mobility Command Museum work in any weather. Always confirm hours directly, because schedules change.

Frequently asked questions

What is the number one tourist attraction in Delaware? Rehoboth Beach and its mile-long boardwalk is the most visited and best-known attraction, thanks to the beach, Funland and the food. For history and gardens, Winterthur is the headline stop.

What is there to do in Delaware in one day? In the north, pair Hagley Museum and Library with Nemours Estate. On the coast, combine Cape Henlopen State Park with an evening on the Rehoboth boardwalk.

Are there free attractions in Delaware? Yes. The Air Mobility Command Museum in Dover has free admission and parking. The Rehoboth boardwalk is free to walk, and the Dover Green and New Castle Green are open public spaces.

Does Delaware have sales tax? No. Delaware has no sales tax, which makes shopping at the Rehoboth outlets and along the coast more affordable for visitors.