Museums of the State of Delaware open for Juneteenth

The five museums of the State of Delaware — the John Dickinson Plantation, the Johnson Victrola Museum, the New Castle Court House Museum, The Old State House and the Zwaanendael Museum — will be open for tours, by reservation, on Juneteenth, the holiday that is being observed this year on Friday, June 18, 2021.

Photo of the log'd dwelling at the John Dickinson Plantation — Log’d dwelling at the John Dickinson Plantation. The building is a reconstruction of the type of housing inhabited by the plantation’s enslaved people. The site’s mansion house is in the background.

Juneteenth is named for June 19, 1865 in commemoration of the emancipation of enslaved people in the United States. The holiday was first celebrated in Texas, where on that date, in the aftermath of the Civil War, slaves were declared free under the terms of the 1862 Emancipation Proclamation.

Administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the museums of the State of Delaware tell the story of the First State’s contributions to the history and culture of the United States. Through tours, exhibits and special programs, the museums shine a spotlight on Delaware’s unique history and the diverse people who came to live there.