Dover Museums

(Dover, Delaware - DE, USA)

A small state capital with a fairly long list of quality museums, Dover certainly delivers when it comes to history and heritage. Various different subject matters are covered in great detail, including important people and events, the state's police force, historic buildings, vintage aircraft and the evolution of regional agriculture.

The Delaware State House Museum resides within the Old State House, on the historic Green. This was actually the earliest permanent capitol building to be built in the city of Dover, being completed in May 1791 and known for its imposing Georgian-style architecture, which is topped with balustrading and a small bell tower.

Standing just down the road from the North Dover Shopping Center and the campus of the Delaware State University, the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village is another cultural attraction worthy of consideration and resides on the northern side of the city, close to Silver Lake. Visitors will be able to learn about where dairy products originate, whilst finding their way around the site. Alternatively, the Air Mobility Command Museum can be accessed via its very own entrance off Bayside Drive (US Route 9) and is dedicated to the history of flight.

Delaware State House Museum

Address: 25 The Green, Dover, Delaware (DE), 19901, USA
Tel: +1 302 744 5055
Guided tours of the Delaware State House Museum are available throughout the day, while various events take place here during the course of the year, such as watercolor painting sessions in June, major celebrations on Independence Day (July 4th) and stories about the Underground Railway in August.
Open hours: Monday to Saturday - 09:00 to 16:30, Sunday 13:30 to 16:30
Admission: free, donations suggested

Air Mobility Command Museum

Address: 1301 Heritage Road, Dover, Delaware (DE), 19902, USA
Tel: +1 302 677 5938
Located on the grounds of the Dover Air Force Base, on the eastern side of the city, this attraction boasts a number of important old aircraft. These include the C-7 Caribou (1967), the C-119 Flying Boxcar (1947), the C-124A Globemaster III (1949), the C-133 Cargomaster (1956) and the C-130 Hercules (1969), amongst many other planes. The US Air Force's F-101B Voodoo is one fighter plane of particular note on exhibit at the Air Mobility Command Museum, while there is also a bi-plane from the 1930s, a Huey helicopter (UH-1 Iroqouis) and the former Dover AFB Control Tower.
Open hours: Tuesday to Sunday - 09:00 to 16:00
Admission: free

Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village

Address: 866 North DuPont Highway, Dover, Delaware (DE), 19901, USA
Tel: +1 302 734 1618
In the Main Exhibit Hall of the Delaware Agricultural Museum are displays showing how farming in Delaware has enjoyed major technological advances in recent years. Outside, the Loockerman Landing Village offers the chance to step back in history, to the end of the 19th century, with visitors being able to check out a rural village, local store, farmhouse, school and church.
Open hours: Tuesday to Saturday - 10:00 to 15:00
Admission: charge, discounts available for children and seniors, children three years old and under are free

Johnson Victrola Museum

Address: Museum Square, 375 South New Street, Dover, Delaware (DE), 19901, USA
Tel: +1 302 744 5055
The Johnson Victrola Museum resides within the very heart of downtown Dover, a few blocks away from 'The Green' and the Inn at Meeting House Square. This attraction was established to pay tribute to Eldridge Reeves Johnson, who was famously responsible for founding the Victor Talking Machine Company, which later became a leading producer of phonograph records in America. The themed exhibits explain the importance of this early record company and its role in the sound recording industry.
Open hours: Wednesday to Saturday - 09:00 to 16:30
Admission: free, donations suggested

Star Hill Museum

Address: 357 Voshell Mill Star Hill Road, Dover, Delaware (DE), 19901, USA
Tel: +1 302 697 9903
Sited within the Star Hill African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church in the southern suburb of Sandy Hill, in the direction of Brookfield, this museum is only open by appointment, although this is easily arranged by a simple phone call in advance of your visit. Step inside to find information about the church's intriguing history, when it was known for assisting escaping slaves via the Underground Railroad network of secret routes. The church itself dates from the latter part of the 1860s and now rightly belongs to the National Register of Historic Places.
Open hours: guided tours by appointment
Admission: free, donations suggested

Delaware State Police Museum

Address: 1425 North DuPont Highway, Dover, Delaware (DE), 19903, USA
Tel: +1 302 739 7700
Offering an extensive history of the state's police force, the Delaware State Police Museum comes with a host of police memorabilia, related artifacts and historic uniforms worn in the decades from the 1920s onwards. There is also a collection of old state police patches. Visitors will be able to see some original police vehicles from the 1940s (Ford coupes), as well as enjoying presentations within the 30-seater digital amphitheater.
Open hours: Monday to Friday - 09:00 to 15:00, third Saturday of the month - 11:00 to 15:00
Admission: free