Delaware with Kids: Beaches, Parks, Museums and More

3 Palms Petting Zoo and Education Center is an animal rescue sanctuary that is home to a variety of exotic, wild, domestic, and agricultural animals living in a natural woodland setting. The rescue zoo is the only one of its kind in the state and rescues and rehabilitates all kinds of animals from ducks and sheep to alpacas, donkeys, and pigs.

The sanctuary has three different sections housing various animals, including an Asia Aviary with mandarin ducks, peacocks, and black sumatras; the North American Habitat which is home to pheasants, migratory waterfowl, turtles, and cackling geese; and the Africa Habitat which boasts African pygmy hedgehogs, white-faced whistling tree ducks, side-neck turtles, and guinea fowl.

3 Palms Petting Zoo and Education Center is available to host special events and functions.

1060 Vandyke Greenspring Rd, Townsend, DE 19734, Phone: 302-715-1326

Abbotts Mill Nature Center is a public trail system, and picnic area that is part of the 376-acre Milford Millponds Nature Preserve that features lovely hiking trails through the lush deciduous and Atlantic White Cedar woodlands. The surrounding preserve boasts more than six miles of hiking and mountain trails through forest, fields, and streams, a 20-acre pond with a historic working gristmill, a Garden for Wildlife idea garden, picnic areas, and a boardwalk that runs beside a coastal stream into an open meadow. Abbott’s Mill Nature Center has exhibits with live animals and a children’s corner with puzzles and toys.

15411 Abbotts Pond Rd, Milford, DE 19963, Phone: 302-422-0847

Located near the Dover Air Force Base, the Air Mobility Command Museum (AMCM) is home to the largest collection of fully restored U.S. military cargo and tanker aircraft and is dedicated to preserving military aircraft, the history of the airbase, and the men and women who flew and maintained them. The museum boasts a fascinating collection of rare vintage aircraft, ranging from cargo haulers, fighters, and bombers from World War II to helicopters, jets, and a presidential aircraft, as well as a Clarke Airborne CA-1 Tractor and flight simulators.

Visitors can enjoy free guided tours and try their flying skills in the flight simulator.

1301 Heritage Rd, Dover AFB, DE 19902, Phone: 302-677-5938

Established in 1993, the Sewell C. Biggs Museum of American Art Museum houses one of the finest collections of American fine and decorative arts in the country. Located above the state visitor center in the state capital of Dover, the Biggs hosts a permanent collection of decorative art, antiques, and vintage pieces, as well as changing exhibitions of historical and contemporary art throughout the year.

The museum’s collections are housed in intimate galleries, and visitors can enjoy guided or self-guided audio tours of the museum, as well as educational programs, workshops, and symposiums for adults and children.

406 Federal St, Dover, DE 19901, Phone: 302-674-2111

Located on the banks of the Brandywine River in Brandywine Park, the Brandywine Zoo is a small 4.7-acre animal sanctuary that opened in 1905 and is home to animals from Africa, temperate and tropical Asia, the Americas, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. The mission of the zoo is to enhance the understanding of the natural world and the importance of wildlife conservation and offers a range of daily programs, educational classes and workshops, zoo camps, and frequent special events. The zoo also has a Snack Shack and a Zootique gift shop selling books, toys, and souvenirs.

1001 N Park Dr, Wilmington, DE 19802, Phone: 302-571-7747

Cape Henlopen State Park is a 5,193-acre park on Cape Henlopen in Sussex County that offers enjoyable outdoor and recreational activities for the whole family. The park features several attractions including the Seaside Nature Center with aquarium tanks full of marine creatures, a live Osprey cam, and a wide selection of activities and programs for all ages; the Fort Miles Museum and Historical Area; and a campground set among pine-covered dunes with tent site and overnight cabins. The park also features a 24-hour fishing pier, hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding trails, disc golf, and kayak rentals.

15099 Cape Henlopen Dr, Lewes, DE 19958, Phone: 302-645-8983

The Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village is a museum dedicated to the history of agriculture and farming in Delaware in the late 1800s. Situated in a 38,000 square foot building, the museum houses an array of vintage agricultural equipment and machinery, tractors, and over 4,000 artifacts in a range of exciting exhibits. The museum also includes a variety of historic structures, including an 1890s village with a barn and windmill, a general store, a school, a barbershop, a church, a farmhouse, and a blacksmith and wheelwright shop. The Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village is open Tuesday through Saturday, year-round.

866 N Dupont Hwy, Dover, DE 19901, Phone: 302-734-1618

The Delaware Children's Museum is a museum designed for children of all ages that features a range of hands-on exhibits that focus on math, science, and technology. Based on the riverfront in Wilmington, the 37,000square-foot museum boasts interactive exhibits, including a giant slide, a model of the water cycle, a variety of physical challenges, like basketball hoops, building blocks, and other structural materials, and live fish in the ECOnnect exhibit. Fun activities in the museum include a giant Connect Four game, changing car tires and spinning gears in the Training Wheels exhibit, and throwing balls to calculate their speed.

550 Justison St, Wilmington, DE 19801, Phone: 302-654-2340

The Delaware Museum of Nature & Science highlights how we are all connected through ecosystems in our region and around the world. Formerly the Delaware Museum of Natural History, the museum re-opened in May 2022 after an 18-month renovation and redesign. Exhibits include the PaleoZone, with dinosaurs and other Cretaceous creatures, the Global Journey Gallery, and the Regional Journey Gallery.

The museum features a variety of interactive areas, including the Discovery Gallery, the Nature Nook for young children, and traveling exhibits. Other attractions at the museum include outdoor areas like a rock garden, meadow, seasonal pollinator garden, and wooded nature trails. The museum offers the Rest, Relax and Recharge café with snacks, salads, and wraps, outdoor picnic-style seating for packed lunches and ample free parking. The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science explores the nature and science through an extensive collection of birds, eggs, dinosaur fossils, and seashells. Founded by John Eleuthera du Pont in 1957 near Greenville, the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science (formerly the Delaware Museum of Natural History) features a variety of interactive exhibits, including 118,000 bird specimens, live animals, and the Dinosaur Gallery. Other attractions at the museum include outdoor areas like a garden, a meadow, and wooded nature trails. The museum offers indoor picnic-style seating for packed lunches and ample parking.

4840 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE 19807, Phone: 302-658-9111

The DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum takes visitors beneath the ocean with a collection of over 10,000 artifacts relating to shipwreck treasures. Established to preserve the region’s maritime heritage, the quirky museum is entered through a seashell shop and features some eclectic objects such as a desiccated Feejee mermaid and merman, walrus penis bone known as an oosik, a taxidermy shark, and several gold bars. A handmade diorama of a shipwreck recovery scene adds a bizarre touch with rubber fish, tiny diving men, and a blue cellophane ocean. The DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum offers a range of educational programs, lectures, and workshops throughout the year.

708 Coastal Hwy, Fenwick Island, DE 19944, Phone: 302-539-9366