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    Hagley Museum & Library

    4.6 (41 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

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    Deb A.

    Visited this beautiful du pont property Bec our hotel had a promo to come here for free. It was interesting to learn about gunpowder and the engineering involved in powering it. The staff were very nice and the tour was very informative. The property is well kept Too bad, the pandemic didn't allow us to tour the interior of the house.

    Steam engine!
    Stephanie G.

    There is a LOT to see here, so you are getting a lot of value for the price. This is history of the Du Ponts, some history on the gunpowder production, on site demonstrations, info about the workers, and some nice scenic views. Amazing. On their site, they have tips if you have 90 minutes, a few hours, all day, etc. what to see. All day? There's enough stuff to do? Hey, if you have the time, they have the presentations. They have a whole map, most of it's walkable and fun to stroll through. The tours of the house you have to take a shuttle to and sign up for a time slot. The house has consistently been in the family, so most of the furnishings are original and there's a nice history of the family and their business. There is also a demo of the steam engine in a room, at the Power Yards, they take you around a factor setting and show how things worked, and in the visitor center there is a timeline demonstration of the history of munitions and on the top floor, more modern innovations from the Du Ponts. Sure, the family itself donates to the museum, so it's all positive, but it's still really thorough and interesting. There is a cafe on site which makes a great stop for lunch if you'll be here a while. Which I was. Gift shop wasn't much. Plenty of parking. The shuttle comes in handy for cold days to get around. It's right on the river, so on a warmer day, it's even better to stroll along. This is a must see for history lovers to get a ton of things to do and see.

    Events today
    Doug D.

    The Hagley Museum is one of the greatest museums in the United States, and I am surprised more people do not go there. "Museum" is really a misnomer; it's more like a complex or a campus. They have so much to see and do on the grounds, that you actually need to take a shuttle bus around. The Hagley is the location where the Dupont family originally set up a black powder mill in the early 19th century after they immigrated to the US. Just to name a few: they have an old cotton mill, which doubles as the welcome center with explanatory over exhibits. They have the actual forge, where they milled the black powder. Then they have the original mansion, which has all the original furniture and antiques inside. On the grounds, you will see it's right on the Brandywine River, and it's the part that has all the beautiful falls. That makes sense because they needed the hydro-power from the falls to turn the millstones. You will see many cool animals. We actually saw a turtle resting on a log by the river; a little kid pointed it out. They also have blue herons, among other cool animals. However, the best part was the volunteers and workers there. They are all so excited about Hagley's history, and they openly chat with you at each turn.

    Teresa S.

    I was fortunate to receive two 2015 Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport tickets which gives you access to 11 amazing attractions throughout Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley's top attractions and this was one of them. The Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport was valid from May 23, 2015 through September 7, 2015 and couldn't be used during special events. We had no issues using them at the admission office and just waited for our passport stamp which was cool. We visited this museum and mini mansion at the beginning of a very hot and humid day. We thought since the house was smaller our tour would be shorter, wrong! I would've preferred a self tour so we could skip through what we didn't want to see. Nevertheless the experience was cool. The house was simple and its furnishing were basic household items you would see in our homes which was refreshing. We really enjoyed the grounds of the museum where the owners wanted a ruin like look and they were successful. We had a tour of how hey made gunpowder and one of the staff actually made the powder so we could hear the explosion which was very loud. They had a cafe on the grounds and the place is so huge they have mini shuttle buses that can take you from one area to the next which was great during those hot and hazy days, This is definitely a place to check out if you're in the area.

    The guides on this tour make this an incredible experience. Olga and Jane spent time with us when my husband and I visited on Valentine's Day weekend. They put their hears and souls into their tours! There was also very nice and informative gentleman who showed us around the fruit and vegetable garden area. This is a must see attraction when you are in Wilmington.

    Hagley Museum - Dupont Estate
    Joel L.

    After passing by this place on several trips, we decided to give this museum a try on our way back home from Philadelphia. Are we glad we made the time to try out this museum. The tour with the guide is way worth the time. Excellently preserved furnishings in the house give you a picture of the DuPont family in a simpler time. The grounds of this historic property are beautiful. The bus is an excellent way to tour the property. For family interest, there are attractions for the kids like the working steam engine and the working machine shop. When we were there they we running hay rides for the kids. For gear heads, the preservation of all of the working turn of the century technology will appeal to big kids and small alike.

    The volunteers at Hagley are knowledgeable and super-nice.
    Joe P.

    We just recently joined and made a couple visits but still have not seen all that the Hagley has to offer. The DuPont company was and still is a great example of American entrepreneurship and this museum offers a glimpse of how French immigrants came across the Atlantic and helped make America great. Ok, enough platitudes. The Hagley is a great place to take the kids with plenty of outdoor activities and demonstrations (the gunpowder demonstration is my fave!). You can't do it all in one day. Again, we haven't explored all there is but by being members, we are eligible to attend the classic car show and the Independence Day fireworks, both of which are considered the best in the region. I'm also looking forward to seeing it decorated at Christmas time.

    Jaime B.

    Really cool place to check out, went with my family because I had a school project that required me to visit a museum and so glad I chose Hagley. Beautiful location, will return in the future?

    Writing in the schoolhouse with a quill
    Jasmine R.

    My husband and I had so much fun coming to this park! It was $15 for admission, and there is a bus that will take you from site to site although you can easily walk the first half of it. We were initially let down because we thought it was going to be more of an arboretum/garden/free roaming place like the Nemours Estate (IF YOU HAVE NOT BEEN TO THE NEMOURS ESTATE, YOU HAVE TO GO!!!) but it was more like a limited guided tour. Having said that, it was a lot of fun and the staff is so hands on that we learned more about the history of the Du Ponts than in any of the other sites we have been to! (And we have been to several). A charming and hilarious tour guide brings you through the house, you can spend time walking the vegetable gardens and learning more about the land, the bus brings you back to the path where you can walk and explore a little bit of the surrounding land, you get to see how they used to utilize steam and the waterwheel, they fire a mini canon (this was super fun to see), and there is a gunpowder demonstration. You can also walk up to the schoolhouse and practice your quill writing skills, and you can tour an old house where the workers used to live. It was a very educational experience and we do not regret going at all! FYI you will not get cell service here, although the visitors center does have WIFI.

    Your face in an astronaut suit!

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    Beautiful place, Rich with history and very friendly staff! Black powder mill started in 1802 by E.I. DuPont.

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    9 years ago

    What a beautiful and wonderful place. For the amount of tours and demonstrations, this museum is a real bargain

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Hagley Museum & Library

    Review Highlights - Hagley Museum & Library

    On the grounds, you will see it's right on the Brandywine River, and it's the part that has all the beautiful falls.

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    Chadds Ford Historical Society - Barn Visitor Center

    Chadds Ford Historical Society

    1.5(2 reviews)
    7.0 mi

    What a gorgeous day for the Massive Barn Market. Apparently tripled in size this year! Parking was…read morebedlam, food trucks ran out of food and not enough port-a-potties (25 min. + Lines)..Do not think I'll be back. One plus hours to get .3 miles up hill from Baltimore Pike to parking entrance - one police officer until PA State trooper showed up with no where to turn around and high tail it out, basically trapped:( Please organize better & get the word out that you have! For over 7,000 people attending ~ yikes.

    Came here for Chadds Ford Day as a day trip for my job and had an overall unpleasant experience…read more Enjoyed the food trucks and the different venders selling art, jewelry, and such but getting in was a hassle. Didn't get handicap parking when we needed it. So we had to walk a good distance while pushing a wheel chair to get to the entrance. I didn't know they only accepted cash and not card so once I arrived to the ticket stand the lady sitting at the stand told me they had a ATM machine and where to find it but refused to let me use it, which I couldn't understand. When I asked if I could use it to pay for my ticket she literally laughed at me and told me no I could not use their ATM machine and would not tell me why, she then assisted the person behind me in line. Another lady approached me and ended up having a free voucher ticket and gave it to me. I don't have any plans on ever coming back here for any event that is held.

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    Chadds Ford Historical Society

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    The Turkey Hill Experience - Entry area ~ 4.6.26

    The Turkey Hill Experience

    3.9(367 reviews)
    52.5 mi
    $$

    I was gonna take my daughter to North Museum of Nature and Science...but the tickets were sold out…read moreon Easter morning. Then I found Turkey Hill Ice cream Experience only 30min away from Lancaster, and decided to visit. We bought the double scoop experience (comes with ice cream test lab) and obviously that was the highlight of the place! The test lab is about 45min experience and the whole thing with self-guided tour takes about 1hr 30min to 2 hours depending how crowded it is. The visit was fun and of course my 5-year-old daughter had a great time eating tons of ice cream!

    Visted on the 4th of July, perfect tourist attraction for locals and all ages…read more Even being solo for the experience, with families and kids was relaxing, and pleasent. Admission prices are reasonable, and who doesnt love unlimited samples of iced tea, and lemonade, icecream on a hot day. Vistors have a choice between one scoop, two scoop, or three scoop attraction. I choose one scoop; hilights of my visit- learning history of Turkey Hill, process of icecream being made, creating a virtual icecream flavor, watching the production , live from interactive camera in one of the exhibits. Be sure to take the few moments, to watch the introduction video. My favorite ice cream sample flavors were Graham Slam & Blueberry Lemon Pound Cake. An attraction must, well visiting Lancaster, PA. My recommendation would be too sell a few more flavors that you offer , with unlimited tastings. My favorite was orange icedtea.

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    The Turkey Hill Experience - Free sample of yummy Black Raspberry ice cream

    Free sample of yummy Black Raspberry ice cream

    The Turkey Hill Experience - TASTE LAB

    TASTE LAB

    The Turkey Hill Experience - Exterior

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    Exterior

    Kalmar Nyckel Foundation Museum & Shipyard

    Kalmar Nyckel Foundation Museum & Shipyard

    4.2(6 reviews)
    3.3 mi

    A 2 1/2 hour sailing trip on the Delaware on Labor Day afternoon sounded wonderful, peaceful and…read morecalming. I imagined sails unfurled taking us in the replica sailing vessel under the Delaware Memorial Bridge towards Philadelphia or perhaps southward towards the merge with the ocean. Two and one half hours sailing ... 150 minutes of sails billowing perhaps music playing and history being shared. Casual entertainment on the Delaware. We pulled out of New Castle under the ships motors at 3pm and were back unloading at 5pm. By my calculations that was exactly TWO HOURS not the promised 2 1/2 hours and no sailor, the seas were not rough nor the skies stormy. Two hours ... shortchanged by 30 full minutes of "sailing" time. Oh wait, we actually did not sail but several of us were called to duty to pull up the sails only to watch them billow for a couple of minutes before they were brought back down. And, those of us who helped really had to put our muscles and our backs to work to pull those sails upwards. We we're motorized for these 2 hours and actually we sat almost still for about 15 minutes. We never reached the Delaware Memorial Bridge (we headed north for this trip) and actually we did not cover much of the Delaware River on this 2-hour experience. The ship itself is awesome but perhaps some music or entertainment other than having to help the amazing volunteer crew with the sails would have made the cost/trip more worthwhile. We were handed a sheet with a scavenger hunt hinting that we and our shipmates should start searching for the answers but they never provided the answers to the scavenger hunt and there were no winners nor losers. It was as if it was an afterthought. The history narration was interesting but most on board either missed the announcement or couldn't find the docent providing us with insight on the Kalmar Nyckel. The extremely excessively large American flag kept hitting people on the foredeck wrapping itself around them, which was not a pleasant experience (You would think by now they would have purchased a smaller flag ). I felt worse for people with children because there was no energy in this TWO HOUR cruise ... it was calm and peaceful and I burned a few calories pulling ropes. Yelp asks ... "What could improve?" ... MUSIC, MORE INTERACTION by crew leaders, being truthful about how long the trip is, actually using the sails to move the boat, and travelling up or down more of the Delaware, which might lead the trip to last the advertised 2 1/2 hours.

    We visited the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation Museum and Shipyard yesterday, and it exceeded my pretty…read morehigh expectations. We are visiting Sweden later this month on vacation, and (somehow - I don't remember how), I learned about the Kalmar Nyckel and thought: "Now that is the perfect thing to do leading out to our vacation in Sweden!" So off we went. We booked a sail on the boat - 9:30 a.m. on their opening day of the season. We arrived a few minutes before 9:00 to check in (as instructed when we purchased the tickets). That was great, because the Foundation's building is also home to a surprisingly great museum. The museum is on the upper floor of the building, and you can learn about navigation, sailing, the original Kalmar Nyckel, the replica of the Kalmar Nyckel, the colony of New Sweden (founded just a few minutes walk away from where you stand), and more. I knew nothing about the Kalmar Nyckel (had never even heard of it) and almost nothing about the colony of New Sweden. I got so much out of my visit. The Kalmar Nyckel was built in 1625 and eventually came to be owned by the Swedish city of Kalmar. When Sweden decided to establish a trading colony in the New World, the Kalmar Nyckel was one of two vessels selected to make the journey. The colony of New Sweden was founded in what is now Wilmington when the Kalmar Nyckel and the ship that accompanied it landed at the rocks just next to where the Kalmar Nyckel is docked now in 1638. The ship was sunk in 1652 off the coast of Scotland, but it made three more journeys to New Sweden and so was instrumental in the founding of the colony. In 1986, a group of Wilmington citizens established the Kalmar Nyckel Foundation, which designed, built, and launched the replica that you can see or sail on if you visit. After learning as much as we could in half an hour, we boarded the Kalmar Nyckel with around 50 others (lots of children and families) and went out for a sail on the Christina River on the ship. The ship is beautiful, and I spent a lot of time taking in the details (see my many pictures). The sail was lots of fun. The staff volunteers were amazing, answering lots of questions and providing lots of information throughout (there was a pirate story for the kids and a history talk for everyone during our 1 1/2 hour sail). There are opportunities to help the volunteer staff pull some ropes (sorry I can't provide technical language for what we did; not a sailor!). Important info: The Kalmar's sailing season is May-October, but it docks at some other East Coast locations throughout the season. So definitely take a look at their schedule on the website to ensure you're visiting on a day you can see and sail on the Kalmar! This was a wonderful experience. I learned a lot and had tons of fun. And it just felt so unique to this region and to Wilmington. Where else can you go for a sail on a 17th century replica of a Swedish vessel?! Definitely an activity to add to your to do list if you live in or are planning a visit to Wilmington. I was really glad we made this day trip up for our sail.

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    Kalmar Nyckel Foundation Museum & Shipyard
    Kalmar Nyckel Foundation Museum & Shipyard
    Kalmar Nyckel Foundation Museum & Shipyard

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    Hagley Museum & Library - museums - Updated May 2026

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