Wilmington, Delaware. It may not be the biggest name in travel destinations, but it has a lot to offer. So much so that we recently made our fifth trip to the region. Just a hop skip and jump to the northwest of Wilmington is the Brandywine Valley. The valley is so beautiful, it just keeps pulling us back.

Wilmington, DE

Wilmington is located on the Delaware River (makes sense, right?) and the river serves as the border between Delaware and Pennsylvania. One of our main reasons for visiting Wilmington, on this trip, was to explore the city’s riverfront, a.k.a. take a long walk along the river. It did not disappoint. Sometimes, it’s just worth it to drive two hours to take a walk along a river.

With that being said, there are several rivers that flow through Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley. The Cape Fear River (did you see that movie?!) the Christina River and the Brandywine River. There are probably a few more as well. Honestly, I gave up trying to keep them all straight.

With a population of approximately 70,000, Wilmington is not a big city, by most city standards, but it is the largest city in the State of Delaware. The city is a corporate business hub, as well as a foodie destination. There are also a multitude of cultural venues. As mentioned, the nearby Brandywine Valley is as lovely as it’s name suggests. The region is also the foundation of the du Pont family dynasty. In other words, there’s a lot to experience, which explains why we keep going back.

The Riverfront

The river walk is approximately 1.5 miles from end to end and it makes for a great stroll. We walked from one end to the other and back again. The wooden plank promenade is an easy comfortable walk with various places to take in the landscapes, watch the crew rowers or just sit for a spell and breathe the fresh air.

Although it was quiet during our afternoon walk, we could clearly see how popular the river walk must be to the local community. There is a large children’s museum, a mini-golf course, multiple eateries, a market and a couple of breweries. Cultural venues and theaters are nearby within walking distance. There’s something for everyone and we’re betting it’s super popular for the after work and weekend folks.

The du Pont Family

Our second reason for this trip to Wilmington was to visit the Hagley Museum and Library. As mentioned, Wilmington, the Brandywine Valley and the du Pont family dynasty are interwoven. In 1802 Pierre Samuel du Pont and family arrived in the Brandywine Valley having immigrated from France. Two years later, Pierre Samuel’s son, Éleuthère du Pont, founded the DuPont Company and the rest, as they say, is history. And, it’s a fascinating history.

Hagley Museum

The Hagley Museum is a living museum that offers visitors an exceptional experience. Visitors can take a docent-led tour of the historic home and a self-guided stroll through the acres of gardens, including the Italian designed garden which was intentionally built to resemble Italian ruins. The barn where buggies, sleighs and farm equipment are kept is open to visitors as well. There is also a collection of cars on display in the barn.

• We were guests of Hagley Museum.

The Historic Home

Generations of the du Pont family lived in the historic home on and off from 1803 to 1958. The last du Pont to live (and restore) in the home was Louise du Pont Crowninshield. Louise had grown up living in nearby Winterthur and was gifted Hagley by her father. All three floors are open for docent led tours, however on the day of our visit staff were rearranging collectibles so we didn’t see the upper two floors. But, now we have a really good reason to return.

To Read More About du Pont History, Homes & Gardens

• Winterthur Museum Garden & Library
• Nemours Estate
• Longwood Gardens

The Powder Yards

Éleuthère (Samuel’s son) founded the powder yards which operated, at Hagley, for 120 years. They harnessed the power of the Brandywine River, which runs through the property, to power the machinery. For those mechanically inclined, or just curious, visitors can see an interesting demonstration of how gears were made in the machine shop. And, of course learn how gunpowder was made.

The Brandywine River

The Brandywine River flows through the Hagley property which has 235 acres, and it is lovely. Visitors can walk along the riverbank as they explore the gunpowder yards. Multiple stone buildings line the river along with the machine shop where visitors can experience demonstrations.

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to Hagley Museum. To embrace the full experience we suggest a minimum of three hours. We loved the historic home, the gardens and strolling along the Brandywine River. Everyone on staff is super friendly and professional. I can’t think of a better way to spend a few hours when visiting Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley.

A Visit to Hagley Museum

If You Go:

• 200 Hagley Creek Road, Wilmington, DE
• Webite: Hagley.org
• Hours 10:00 – 5:00 closed Wednesdays
• Gift Shop
• Restrooms
• Surface parking
• Admission $16 seniors $20 adults (see website for children’s fees)
• No smoking, no alcohol
• Picnics allowed
• No pets (see website for exceptions)