Gallery: New Castle Court House Museum
Gallery: The Old State House
Group Tours
Large groups that are interested in a tour must make reservations in advance by calling the First State Heritage Park Reservation Line at (302) 739-9194. A Balancing Act: Delaware and the Constitution Students will participate in and understand the legislative process through participating in an interactive program at The Old State House based on the […]
Group Tours
Discovering Shipwreck Secrets Throughout the 18th century, Lewes was a port town at the center of international trade. Using the Roosevelt Inlet Shipwreck, archaeological illustration and analysis, students will draw their own conclusions about this history and the ways that archaeologists and shipwreck artifacts can help us better understand the past. Grade Level: Grade 4-5Length […]
Historical holiday happenings
Division to sponsor nine special events, including four winter-holiday-themed activities, between Nov. 28, 2019 and Jan. 1, 2020.
History organizations urged to complete national visitation survey
American Association for State and Local History seeks data for 2020 report; 2019 version now available
History was made here: The New Castle Green
Town commons was laid out by the Dutch in the 1650s.
Jackie Collins to retire from downtown Dover museums
Historic-site interpreter served for 25 years.
John Dickinson
A Great Worthy of the Revolution John Dickinson is known as “The Penman of the Revolution” because he was able to put on paper the thoughts and ideals which formed the foundation for our brand new country. John Dickinson was a man trained by scholars. He used his knowledge to think for himself. His pen […]
John Dickinson Plantation
The John Dickinson Plantation was home to a variety of people. We share the stories of the tenant farmers, indentured servants, free and enslaved Black men, women, and children who lived, labored, and died on the plantation. John Dickinson was a framer and signer of the U.S. Constitution and was known as the “Penman of […]
John Dickinson Plantation Exhibits and Displays
Welcome Center Five Stories: The People and Families of the Plantation “Five Stories” explores the lives of a wide variety of people who lived in the late-18th- to early-19th-centuries on the plantation of John Dickinson, one of the founding fathers of the United States, signer of the U.S. Constitution and “Penman of the Revolution.” Panels […]
Johnson Victrola Museum
The Johnson Victrola Museum highlights the history of the Victor Talking Machine Company, which pioneered the development of the sound-recording industry and was founded by Delaware’s native son, Eldridge Reeves Johnson. The Johnson Victrola Museum is a tribute to Delaware’s native son, Eldridge Reeves Johnson, who founded the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1901. Exhibits […]
Johnson Victrola Museum Group Tours
Then and Now at the Johnson Victrola Museum While examining everyday objects, students will learn about the history of recorded sound by comparing and contrasting historical items with their modern counterparts at the Johnson Victrola Museum. Grade Level: Pre-K – 3rdLength of Time: 30 minutes The Man and His Machines Students will examine the history […]
Johnson Victrola Museum History
The Johnson Victrola Museum is a tribute to Delaware’s native son, Eldridge Reeves Johnson, who founded the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1901. Exhibits include phonographs, recordings, memorabilia, trademarks, objects, and paintings that highlight Mr. Johnson’s successful business enterprises and chronicle the development of the sound-recording industry. E.R. Johnson Born in Wilmington, Delaware, E.R. Johnson […]
Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania
Background The start of John Dickinson’s career as the “Penman of the Revolution” began with a political pamphlet titled “The Late Regulations” which expressed Dickinson’s thoughts on the Revenue Act (Sugar Acts) of 1764 which raised taxes on sugar. Many Americans, including John, felt Parliament was threatening the rights of the colonies and the “Acts,” […]
Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania: To the Inhabitants of the British Colonies
Penning A Revolution Letters From a Farmer in Pennsylvania John Dickinson’s most famous contribution as the “Penman” and for the colonial cause was the publication of a series of letters signed “A FARMER.” Dickinson’s thoughts concerning the new Townshend Acts were published in most of the colonial newspapers as well as abroad in England and […]