I love this place and area. magical, peaceful, lovely. I…read morehave been foraging here for Asian pears, apples, paw paws and wine berries. I have been here for the Karma Fest, sadly the one here was in late June of this year, it will be missed. I have so many incredible memories here. love this place.

I do not understand why this museum is not advertised. Found this by complete accident when I was…read moreon my way to Rock Run Mill. I thought there was nothing to do near Aberdeen MD but I am so glad I found this place. I didn't expect a museum in a middle of the park to be so big and so good. The museum consists of about five different buildings with different theme in each one. Don't want to spoil it, just go. I figured I wouldn't spend more than an hour since I didn't think it would be that big. But I ended up spending almost three hours there! The main reason this museum is so great is the volunteers!!! Thank you so much each and every one of you (if you happen to read this). There is a volunteer working in each building (one was empty since the volunteer didn't show up[but you can still go in there]). All the volunteers are so knowledgeable and so friendly! They know everything! One guide/volunteer was asked a question to which he didn't know the answer to. He actually went out to find the answer from other volunteers! Even if you don't want to explore the museums the whole area is lovely to walk around. I saw a deer. For someone who lives in NY, that alone is enough to make my day. Anyways, once again THANX to all the volunteers and workers! You guys make this museum. For potential visitors, don't even debate if you should go there, JUST GO! But be prepared to spend at least two hours there! It's well worth it. BTW apparently people have weddings here too! I don't know if this would be my choice for a wedding location, but definitely worth revising!

This is a small gem of a museum (...pun intended...) on the campus of the University of Delaware…read more It houses one of the best mineral, crystal, and gem collections in America...especially including the Irénée Du Pont collection. Much of the collection is displayed by the continent on which the minerals were found. Some of the crystals and gems on exhibit will totally wow you. So stop in for a look if you have a chance!

This is a really great little museum if you are into geology. Most people don't even know that…read moreit's there. It is located on the University of Delaware campus, and it is free. Most of the specimens are world class, and many were donated by Irénée du Pont, Sr. He started collecting them as a child, and some he purchased through Tiffany. There are donations from others as well. Exhibits include regional minerals, American and Canadian minerals, crystals, minerals from caves, and gems. This is the only museum I have ever visited where I was able to see everything in a few hours, but it really is fascinating.

1 star for adults and kids over 10…read more 2.5 stars for children under 10 This is a small museum. You can do the full loop in 15-20 minutes unless you have little little ones that get engrossed in one of the interactive stations. Not worthy of a field trip. If you really want a decent natural History museum, plan a day trip elsewhere.

It's considered traditional to celebrate Independence Day at a parade, or a barbecue, or a picnic,…read morefollowed by watching fireworks, right? Well, Lion and I must be non traditional folk, because we visited the Delaware Museum of Nature. It was wonderful. The museum is one of those place I've driven by so many times, thinking - hey, really should go there sometime. Just .... didn't. On a broiling hot 4th of July, when the last thing we wanted to do was barbecue or go to a parade, we saw it was open and decided this was our opportunity. Yay! We arrived to a mostly empty museum, with a group of volunteers and staff who were really great! Being in the museum without crowds was lively. I could spend as much or as little time as I wanted with an exhibit. Volunteers demonstrating various artifacts were friendly Jan helpful. We got to meet two different snakes, learn that turtles can actually move quite fast and can climb trees, and learned that after the passing of Dude, the Museum Cat, they gave a new cat in training. Rye exhibits were nicely curated. This museum is not expansive, however they use their space well, focusing on aspects of Delaware's ecology and history. There's a family/kid nature "lab" where people can explore hands in nature. Parking is free in their private lot. It's an open, airy space that is fully accessible. I think we may have started outrun own new tradition this year.

The Franklin Institute has finally been checked off our list! We'd wanted to get here for a while,…read morebut I wasn't sure how we'd do with my littles (five and under) , turns out we had a great time. We spent three hours there and the time flew by so fast. Honestly, you could easily make this an entire day; there's so much to see and engage with, and I love that it's educational too. If you're on the fence about going, let this be your sign. Plus, right now they have Universal Theme Parks: The Exhibition going on, and that's definitely worth checking out as well , it runs through September 7, 2026, and it's included with general admission. What Else We Explored * SportsZone * Body Odyssey (home of the Giant Heart) * Your Brain * The Train Factory * Sir Isaac's Loft * Amazing Machine * Changing Earth * Space Command * The Franklin Air Show By the three-hour mark we'd made it through nearly everything ,the only thing we didn't get to was the Fels Planetarium, so that's on the list for next time.

The science center named for a founding father famous for several notable scientific experiments…read morelives up to his legacy. There is so much to see in one day that one could spend the whole day there. We managed to arrive just in time for a show in the planetarium, which was beautiful with plenty of relaxing seats. This is just outside of the LEGO exhibit where visitors can explore building various things. Down the middle of the institute is a giant pendulum swinging and knocking over some pegs over the course of 24 hours. Other exhibits include space, engineering, body mechanics, etc. Plenty of things to observe and read about, but also many interactive exhibits making it fun for kids (of all ages). All of us enjoyed the giant human heart that you can walk through to explore the various ventricles and atria. Most memorable for me was watching Child #2, who sits still for nothing, be absolutely entranced by the live demonstration of a dissection of a cow's eyeball. He thought it was the coolest, and the guy giving the demo was very patient with all the kids who came up to ask questions afterwards. For anyone who likes Science, this is an absolutely fantastic place to come explore!

Any visit to historic Chesapeake City is not complete without a visit to the C&D Canal museum which…read moreis located on the grounds of the Army Corpse of Engineers who also operate the canal. This is a small museum that is unmaned and can be covered in about 30 min or an hour if you choose to sit and view all 3 videos about the canal. The museum itself is located in the original pump house and shows the history of the canal which is vital for cutting out some 300 miles of shipping around the Delmarva peninsula. Did you know that the C&D canal is still one of the busiest fresh water canals in the world? Did you know that 40% of all shipping traffic leaving Baltimore harbor goes through the C&D canal? Did you know that Philadelphia is the largest fresh water port city in the US? I know all of this because I visited the museum. Don't be a dummy. Go learn all this fascinating stuff. The canal was the dream of Augustine Herman but digging did not begin for another 100 years. Too bad. If he had seen this canal completed in his lifetime it would have connected Delaware City to his property on Bohemia Manor which is now present day Chesapeake City. The dude was way ahead of his time which is why it took the rest of the world 100 years to catch up. Admission is free and is open from 8-4 weekdays and is self-guided.

Fantastic museum with beautifully maintained artifacts from the rich maritime history of the area…read more Definitely stop in if you are in the area or visiting the lovely little lighthouse across the street. Glad we drove down from Brooklyn.

On November 3, 2023 I had a great day of sightseeing and I purchased my membership too this lovely…read moreMuseum. This Museum has so many things to see and the staff was excellent in customer service.

For history fans a must ! The guide is a wealth of info on furniture which is a gold…read more Mine of originals of the period! A beautiful View of the rivers and you really feel taken Back 200 yrs. the guide is 5 stars!! And Gives a fantastic account of the family History to include the mistress resp for Marvelous " Mise a jour" of the estate.

We had never visited a place like this and it was so interesting. The audio tour does a great job…read moreof walking through how it was built, how the prisoners lived and why it's no longer in use. Its very powerful and there are a lot of places to explore on your own.

We saw this was one of the top rated attractions in the Philly area so we visited on a Monday…read moremorning (it's closed on Tuesdays). With our reciprocal museum membership we got free admission. We opted for the self guided tour with their audio headsets. The guide is very informative and if you listened to all of the recording it is 4 hours long! We did the main tour and listed to a few extras. We were there a bit over one hour. Overall it was very interesting and we learned alot about not only this prison but life in this first of a kind place. The place is pretty creepy. It is great that a group has stepped up to save this important piece of history!

One of the best things to do as a family in Lancaster County is to go to The Turkey Hill Experience…read moreto experience the famous ice cream and iced tea/lemonade brand that started out as a family operation in the area. Tickets aren't crazy expensive. It was just over $16 for my adult ticket. It gave me access to the museum, which is really the second floor. In one small space is a museum about Turkey Hill's history, how ice cream is made, etc. It's very interactive with an area to make your own ice cream flavor, commercial, and more. The ice cream sampling area is great. They give you healthy scoops. There's also an area to try their iced tea and lemonade and learn how it's made. The bottom level is a giant gift shop with toys, clothes, and more. There's a large parking lot out front.

I was gonna take my daughter to North Museum of Nature and Science...but the tickets were sold out…read moreon Easter morning. Then I found Turkey Hill Ice cream Experience only 30min away from Lancaster, and decided to visit. We bought the double scoop experience (comes with ice cream test lab) and obviously that was the highlight of the place! The test lab is about 45min experience and the whole thing with self-guided tour takes about 1hr 30min to 2 hours depending how crowded it is. The visit was fun and of course my 5-year-old daughter had a great time eating tons of ice cream!

Not your typical art museum and that is why it is a Five Star experience. Funky and fun (and…read morepoignant) art work by those who are not typically featured in a museum. This strikes me as somewhat similar to the two excellent Kohler Art museums in Wisconsin. Super interesting and thought provoking especially the stories of many of the artists accompanying their work. The main museum building is a work of art itself. The gift shop is a riot. Hands down the best and craziest museum gift store. Thank goodness my friend recommended this stop. Heads up on parking - the meters on the street are way way cheaper then the Rusty Scupper lot across the street. This place is a gem. Don't miss it!

I've lived in the Baltimore area for quite some time now and I can't believe I've never been to the…read moreAmerican Visionary Art Museum. I mean how can you pass by the mirrored egg or the golden hand and not think to find out what type of dope art is hidden inside. With so many unique pieces to look at I took my time leisurely strolling through the two buildings for the museum. Welcomed by a half naked mannequin with wings floating in the center of the stairs, you can't help but be intrigued to learn more about the artists work. There was so much to take in with every turn. I especially liked the homage to the staples of Baltimore's culture in the second building. And we can't forget about the gift shop that I literally could've spent hours in just rummaging through all the eclectic finds. I'm happy I finally bit the bullet to visit the American Visionary Art Musuem, and I look forward to a return visit to see all the things I missed.