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MuseumsHistory BuffFamily Favorite

Hagley Museum and Library

Hagley Museum and Library is a museum in Wilmington, DE, part of the Philadelphia guide. Cost: under $25.

200 Hagley Creek Road · Wilmington, DE

Why you should go…

Hagley covers 235 acres along Brandywine Creek where E.I. du Pont founded his black powder mills in 1802. In the historic powder yard you walk among the old mill buildings and watch demonstrations, then take a guided tour of Eleutherian Mills, the first du Pont family home in America. The Nation of Inventors exhibition displays more than 120 patent models from the 1800s. A shuttle links the main stops, and paths are gravel and uneven, so wear comfortable shoes.

#industrial history
#du pont
#historic site
#gardens
#patent models

What's around here?

The closest stops to Hagley Museum and Library, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

Sightseeing
History Buff
Nemours Estate
Under $25
Tour Alfred I. du Pont's 77-room mansion, stroll French formal gardens, and see vintage cars in the Chauffeur's Garage.
0.9 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Museums
Family Favorite
Delaware Museum of Nature & Science
Under $25
Natural history museum near Wilmington with dinosaur, shell, and bird exhibits plus a planetarium.
1.1 mi awayMore like this
Museums
Rainy-Day Pick
Delaware Art Museum
Under $25
See Pre-Raphaelite paintings, Howard Pyle illustrations and John Sloan works, then walk the sculpture garden and labyrinth outside.
1.2 mi awayMore like this
Museums
History Buff
Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library
$25–$50
A former du Pont estate holding the world's top collection of American decorative arts, set in a 1,000-acre naturalistic garden.
1.8 mi awayMore like this
Sightseeing
Local Gem
Wilmington & the Brandywine Valley
Free
Delaware's largest city and the du Pont family's Brandywine Valley estates, gardens, and museums.
2.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing
Sport & Outdoor
Iconic
Longwood Gardens
$25–$50
One of the world's great gardens: 1,100 acres of fountains, conservatories, and seasonal spectacle in the Brandywine Valley.
8.2 mi awaySwitch it up: Sport & Outdoor