Since its founding in 1864, the Delaware Historical Society (DHS) has acquired an extraordinary collection of more than 3 million objects, books, documents, photographs, and maps and nine historic buildings related to Delaware’s past and its importance to the nation. We are the only private nonprofit organization with the mission to serve as the statewide organization exploring, preserving, promoting, and sharing Delaware’s history, heritage, and culture to educate, inspire, and empower people and communities. We have two campuses for you two visit, one in Wilmington, and one in New Castle, Delaware.

Come explore the many stories of the First State at the Delaware History Museum, which also includes the Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage. The Delaware History Museum and Mitchell Center for African American Heritage features permanent and changing exhibits that allow visitors a glimpse into Delaware’s fascinating past as this small state continues to contribute to today’s history.

Overlooking the Delaware River in Historic New Castle, the 14,000-square-foot Read House is preserved as a National Historic Landmark and a beacon of design inspiration. It was completed in 1804 for George Read II, son of one of Delaware’s signers of the Declaration of Independence and Constitution, with 2.5 acres of historic grounds developed between 1848 and the 1930s.