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Dover -

Dover, the capital of Delaware, was founded in 1693 and named by William Penn (1644–1718) for Dover in Kent, England. Among the city landmarks worth exploring is Delaware Legislative Hall, the state capitol building. It was designed in the Colonial Revival architecture style and completed in 1933.

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Legislative Hall -

The state capitol stands in Capital Square in the heart of Dover's historical district. Open to the public Monday to Friday, a tour of the premises affords a fascinating glimpse into the day-to-day running of the General Assembly, and offers a greater understanding of the historical relevance and significance of Dover and the First State. Pictured is the House of Representatives chamber.

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Delaware Old State House -

Delaware's first state capitol building is located in the Dover Green Historic District, itself set within the First State National Historical Park.  Inaugurated in 1792, this 18th-century landmark is also open to visitors and a tour includes admission to a museum that chronicles the building's long and distinguished history.

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Golden Fleece Tavern Site -

Constructed in the 1730s, the Golden Fleece Tavern is where the newly drawn up Constitution of the United States was reviewed by a group of 30 elected delegates before the historic document was unanimously approved on December 7, 1787, making Delaware the first state in the fledgling nation and the first to ratify the US Constitution. In 1790, another document of huge historical significance found its way into the tavern to be ratified by the Legislative Council: the Bill of Rights. Unfortunately the original watering hole is no longer standing. But a marker on the current building commemorates the old tavern site.

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John Dickinson Plantation -

John Dickinson (1732–1808) was a Founding Father of the United States known as the "Penman of the Revolution" for his open letters addressed to colonists urging unity against British rule in the run-up to the American Revolution. His 1740's brick-built home and various outbuildings have been preserved as a museum, the facilities of which also include a slave-tenant building (pictured) and a granary, complete with six working-order historical machines.

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Air Mobility Command Museum -

Aviation enthusiasts should include this specialist museum in their Delaware itinerary. It has the largest and most complete collection of fully restored US military cargo and tanker aircraft in the Eastern United States, as well as a fine display of vintage aircraft from the early 1940s, arranged in a hanger. The museum is not far from Dover Air Force Base.

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Dover Motor Speedway -

Motorsport fans have often timed their Delaware vacation to coincide with the NASCAR Cup Series hosted at the Dover Motor Speedway. With a 135,000-seat capacity, the Speedway has the largest spectator capacity of any sports venue in the mid-Atlantic coast region.

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Delaware Public Archives -

Want to catch up with people, places, and past events? Browse the Delaware Public Archives for an unrivaled collection of the state's most prized documents, photographs, and public records, all digitalized and ready to view at the click of a mouse. The building also displays some unusual artifacts such as this "Trench Art"—First World War shell casings turned into decorative artifacts.

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Silver Lake Park -

Dover's oasis, Silver Lake Park is picnic central, where covered tables and barbecue grills are set alongside the public area bordering the lake. A children's play park and walking trail make this a perfect family destination, and there is ample parking.

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Delaware Seashore State Park -

This outstanding state park lives up to its name by encompassing 10 km (six mi) of Atlantic Ocean and 32 km (20 mi) of bay shoreline carpeted with soft, powder-white sand. Bounded on the west by Rehoboth Bay and Indian River Bay, the park is a major outdoors tourism destination and serves as an alluring summer retreat for locals plus residents of Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia.

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Delaware beaches -

Delaware's fabulous beaches provide a summer playground for thousands of visitors. Bethany Beach (pictured) is a family favorite, and is served by a wealth of leisure amenities. Dewey Beach offers a more animated scene, and has a reputation as a magnet for high-season partygoers.

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Funland, Rehoboth Beach -

Funland has been entertaining residents and out-of-towners alike since 1939 and remains one of the oldest family-owned amusement parks in the region. Some of the rides date back to the mid-1940s, but newer attractions like the Superflip 360 (pictured) serve today's thrill-seekers.

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Lewes -

The city of Lewes has long proclaimed itself as the "First Town in the First State," founded as it was way back in 1631. Its wonderfully old-fashioned character is exemplified by buildings like Ryves Holt House, built in 1655 to make it Delaware's oldest structure. Other points of interest include Zwaanendael Museum and the 1930s-era United States Lightship Overfalls, one of just a few surviving lightship museums.

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Wilmington -

Wilmington is the largest city in Delaware and deserves a few days of your time for its nine historic districts and a single conservation district, all worth exploring at leisure. The Brandywine Academy Building, Old Customhouse, and St. Mary's and Old Swedes churches number among the noted architectural landmarks. The conservation area of the city is Forty Acres. Pictured is the Wilmington skyline panorama reflected in Christiana River. The city was founded near the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America.

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Nemours Estate -

The Nemours Estate was created in the early 1900s by industrialist Alfred I. du Pont (1864–1935), a member of the wealthy and influential Du Pont family. The estate's center point is the Nemours Mansion, an opulent 77-bed residence set in the largest formal French gardens in North America. The interior contains rooms styled with rare 18th-century furniture and decorated by artwork ranging from 16th-century religious paintings to those by the European masters.

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Nemours grounds -

The house stands in expansive landscaped grounds that are certainly worth wandering through at leisure. Besides a maze garden and the beautifully manicured Box Garden, be sure to seek out the Nemours folly (pictured), a cone-topped water tower.

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Delaware Museum of Art -

One of the state's most respected cultural facilities, Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington will thrill admirers of American author and illustrator Howard Pyle (1953–1911). Pyle illustrated books by Mark Twain and Robert Lewis Stevenson, among other illustrious scribes. The collection dedicated to his work is among the most comprehensive in the country.

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Delaware Art Museum collection -

The museum focuses on American art of the 19th through the 21st centuries. Pictured: 'Portrait of Absalom Jones,' 1810, by Raphaelle Peale. Image: Delaware Art Museum

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Delaware Art Museum collection -

The largest and most important collection of British Pre-Raphaelite art and manuscript materials in the United States forms part of the collection, with noted Pre-Raphaelite artists such as Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Maria Spartali Stillman, and Frederick Sandys well represented. Pictured: 'Lady Lilith,' 1873, by Dante Gabriel Rossetti

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Brandywine Creek State Park -

This pleasant greenspace contains the first two nature reserves in Delaware⁠—Tulip Tree Woods and Freshwater Marsh. A third reserve, Flint Woods, encloses an old-growth forest. The park's Brandywine Creek is celebrated for its excellent angling. The creek also lures canoeists and kayakers to its clear, still waters. Wildlife and birdlife congregate in the park year-round. It's also known for its avenue of tulip poplar trees, some of which are over 200 years old.

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Winterthur Museum, Garden, and Library -

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Winterthur collection -

The period rooms exhibit approximately 90,000 objects, anything from silver, glass, and textiles, to paintings, prints, and ceramics. The library, meanwhile, houses 87,000 volumes and more than 500,000 manuscripts and images. After absorbing this bewildering assortment of furnishings, head out and explore the grounds.

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Winterthur gardens -

The museum building is surrounded by a park that features a botanical garden and the "enchanted woods," intended for families with children and where youngsters can explore a stone cottage and clamber over the Tulip Tree House (pictured).

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New Castle Court House Museum -

One of the oldest courthouses in the United States, New Castle is unique in that is stands at the center of the circle with a 12-mile radius that defines most of the border between Delaware and Pennsylvania, plus parts of the borders between Delaware and New Jersey and Maryland. The building itself, which has played a role in many historic events, can be visited as part of a fascinating museum tour.

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Nanticoke Indian Museum, Millsboro -

The Nanticoke Indian Museum is the only one of its kind in Delaware dedicated to Native Americans. The Nanticoke people consisted of several different tribes, their traditional homelands being in Chesapeake Bay and Delaware. This excellent facility is contained within a former one-room schoolhouse and displays a number of native artifacts. The museum is the focal point of Delaware's annual pow wow gathering.

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Delaware Discoveries Trail -

Follow the Delaware Discoveries Trail and embark on a color-filled, Instagram-worthy road trip to admire a series of interactive murals set in 13 various locations along the trail between the Big Chill Beach Club near Bethany Beach and Wilmington, up in the northern reaches of the state. The journey makes for a perfect weekend getaway diversion and showcases unique artwork from national and international artists.

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Fort Delaware, Pea Patch Island -

Today a living history museum, Fort Delaware was once a formidable stronghold and remains the defining landmark of the Fort Delaware State Park. Constructed as a harbor defense facility and completed in 1868, the fort served as a prison during the American Civil War for Confederate POWs, political prisoners, and federal convicts. Today, tourists are the captive audience, treated to tours and special cultural programs.

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Cape Henlopen State Park -

Cape Henlopen sits on Delaware Bay. The cape's beaches were declared public land by William Penn as far back as 1682. The park was established in 1964 and protects a huge variety of wildlife, including endangered shorebirds like the black skimmer and piping plover.

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Trap Pond State Park, Laurel -

One of the last surviving pockets of what was once an extensive wetland survives within the boundaries of Trap Pond State Park. The habitat preserves an extensive patch of bald cypress trees and protects a wealth of birdlife, including the great blue heron, all sorts of owls and warblers, and seasonal visitors, among them bald eagles.  

Sources: (Britannica) (The Golden Fleece Tavern) (Biography)

See also: America's 30 best national parks

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