We visited Old Swedes Historic Site last Saturday when we visited Wilmington and New Castle on a…read moreday trip to Delaware. We're visiting Sweden at the end of the month, and I was keen to learn some Swedish American history. And - to be honest - until I started researching for our day trip (after learning about the replica of the Kalmar Nyckel and its sails down the Christina River) - I didn't know much at all about New Sweden! Old Swedes Historic Site was not only very informative - but interesting! Old Swedes Historic Site is a place where you can learn about New Sweden - a Swedish colony in North America (in what is now Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) from 1638-1655 (it was incorporated into New Netherland in 1655 after it was conquered by Peter Stuyvesant). For a time, Fort Christina (in what is now Delaware, and just down the street from Old Swedes) was the first settlement of New Sweden. At Old Swedes Historic Site, you visit three different sites in one spot and on one guided tour: the Hendrickson House (an example of a home built by Swedish colonists) that was moved to the site); the 1638 Burial Ground; and the Holy Trinity (Old Swedes) Church (built in 1698). The church was particularly interesting - with its brick floor, oldest pulpit in America, beautiful stained glass, and carved into wooden doors! Our tour guide was very nice, and the tour was only about 45 minutes (you can stay and explore more of the burial ground if you choose after the tour). In a single day, you can visit the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation and Museum (and sail on the Kalmar Nyckel), visit the park and monument now at the former site of Fort Christina, and Old Swedes Historic Site. These three stops were interesting and really gave us a much better understanding of this part of American colonial history that I was quite ignorant of. Definitely worth including in a day of exploring the area!

Oldest active church in the US…read more.. You can also stop for a National Park cancellation stamp here. Very cool grounds to walk. 5 stars for that!

Not much to see here other than a house though it seems that there are art classes available…read more The marker reads: "The home of world-renowned illustrator Felix O. C. Darley (1822-1888). Built in the late 18th century and enlarged several times during the first half of the 19th century, the house was purchased by Darley in 1863 and renamed "The Wren's Nest." During his career, Darley illustrated books for Washington Irving, Edgar Allen Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Charles Dickens, and James Fenimore Cooper. Two of his most notable works were Irving's The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Rip Van Winkle. Charles Dickens visited here for two weeks during his triumphant tour of America in 1867. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974." See also https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/F._O._C._Darley and http://www.finitesite.com/thewolfspirit/.

We took a wonderful stroll on a brisk winter evening while the lights were still up in January…read more Highly recommend. we will definitely come back. Sorry we didn't take any pictures.

My family and I had such a great time on our northeast trip. We spent a little bit of time in…read moreDelaware and one of the favorite things we did in Delaware was the riverfront Riverwalk. It was very fun we walked up and down the bridge in the river and saw the sights and took pictures and just had a great time it is definitely worth visiting

Fort Christina was the fort established by Swedish settlers who founded the colony of New Sweden in…read more1638. The colonists landed at "The Rocks" at the confluence of the Brandywine and Christina Rivers. In 1655, the Dutch fought the Swedes, which led to the surrender of the fort and the end of official Swedish colonial presence in America. The Dutch renamed the fort (Fort Altena), but the fort eventually fell into disrepair and vanished entirely. The land where the fort had been became part of an industrialized area but was turned into a park in 1938 to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Swedish colonization of the area. The Crown Prince of Sweden gifted a monument to the park, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Crown Prince, and other Swedish royals attended the dedication of the park. There's not much too the park, but it was worth stopping by to see the monument and to see the remnants of "The Rocks," where the Swedes landed when they established New Sweden. Its hours are limited and seasonal (I think because it's opened and staffed by volunteers from the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation), but stop by if you're in the area and it's open!

The staff were very friendly. The park were closed most of the time. There is a museum nearby where…read moreyou can ask someone if there is any ranger available to open the park. The park itself is small. Very peaceful inside.

Fantastic experience due to all of the friendly, enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff. Right from…read morethe start at the ticket booth through to Ed the tour bus driver this crew of volunteers made this a memorable visit. Of course the grounds are stunning as is the house. This estate has the best basement I have ever seen. Sure the rest of the house is beautiful but that basement is great. Don't miss the chauffer's garage and living quarters. We learned a ton about the duPonts that lived here but I now need to learn more. Well worth the price of admission! Bravo!

My husband and I went to Nemours Estate & Gardens after i had recently heard about it. The mansion…read morewas very beautiful. Just remember no eating, drinking (the complimentary water they give you upon entering their welcome center, don not touch anything, sit anywhere unless there is a throw pillow indicating "Yes you can sit here", oh yes and no chewing gum. The gardens were pretty except most of the flowers aren't in bloom in mid April, the fountains aren't turned on in the multiple reflection pools either. It would be great if they indicated all of this somewhere on their website. I just feel like you don't get your money's worth if not all of the flowers are in bloom. My advice is visit sometime in the summer possibly then maybe you'll see more. All in all it was a cool experience just to get out and do something but u definitely would have went at a later date had I known the gardens were not fully in bloom. But as a love of tulips I absolutely loved seeing those.

Little-known cultural jewel in Delaware County! I believe when we took the tour they said this is…read morethe oldest structure still standing in Delco! First, yes, this is kind of out of the way of more obvious places, and is on some "back roads" for those not familiar with that part of Delco ("back roads" as in winding through the residential parts of Brookhaven/Upland, not as in some rural route). You will literally have to drive through a neighborhood of 20thC homes in order to get to Race Street, where what remains of the plantation is located. But it's easy enough to get to, with "Pusey Plantation" signs pointing the way when you are close, and definitely worth the trip. The address says Brookhavem but it really seems like it is in Upland, FYI. The location is kind of behind some project housing, which is so bizarre given the fact that this used to be a homestead on a 100-acre farm. But don't think you are in the wrong place, just keep going until you see it around the corner. The heavily constructed area will open up to a small park and the old home. It's a little oasis in the middle of sprawl and creeping citification. The tour (offered May - Oct), is really intimate in the tiny house, and the antiques and period items are very cool to see up close. The guide was personable, and very friendly about asking questions and showing her love of local culture and the history of the home. They host a fall festival which is great for kids (as is the tour, which they adjust for kids' interest levels). Here is info from their website: "Built in 1683 and occupied by Caleb Pusey, this is the only building still standing which can claim documented association with the Proprietor, William Penn, and which he is known to have visited on several occasions. This unique English Vernacular house stands beside Race Street, the small road once paralleling the millrace that brought water from Chester Creek to power the mills."

Another important landmark and point of history, this marker commemorates one of the station…read moremasters on the Underground Railroad. This was how many southern slaves escaped their slavery to the North and freedom. Wilmington was an important stop on this route. The marker reads: "Born August 21, 1789, in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, Garrett came to Wilmington in 1822. A prominent merchant, his home and business were located nearby on Shipley Street. Garrett was committed to the anti-slavery efforts of his Quaker faith. He is credited with assisting more than 2,700 of "God's Poor" to escape slavery through the secret network known as the Underground Railroad. Though he was convicted and fined by the U.S. District Court in 1848 for aiding runaway slaves, he refused to abandon the fight to abolish slavery. After his death on January 25, 1871, Black Wilmintonians carried him to the Quaker Cemetery at 4th and West Streets in appreciation of his unwavering commitment to the emancipation of slaves."