Delaware’s largest and most populated city is something of a media hub with five FM and three AM radio stations within its boundaries plus a total of four broadcast television stations. Its greatest claim to in the field of popular entertainment is its featuring in the movie dramatization of Chuck Palahniuk’s novel, Fight Club. The town’s name was influenced by Spencer Compton, Earl of Wilmington, a friend of local proprietor Thomas Penn.
Wilmington’s Riverfront area is perhaps its greatest draw card, offering everything from shops to dining venues to bars and galleries. Residents and visitors alike flock to this popular leisure and entertainment area, especially when the Wilmington Blue Rocks baseball team is playing home games at the Frawley Stadium.
Various sites of historic significance are invariably of interest to visitors and offer some good opportunities for making walking sightseeing tours. For those visitors with historical interests, the Hagley Museum is certainly a must-see on any sightseeing itinerary. Greenbelt areas such as the Brandywine River Park offer opportunities for relaxation and the pursuit of outdoor activities.
Highlights
Riverfront Wilmington: the place to head for the best in shopping, dining and entertainment.
Winterthur: the original DuPont family homestead was designed by H F DuPont and his father Henry Algernon DuPont in a traditional European country house style.
Hagley Museum: with the DuPont story providing something of a focus, this facility presents various aspects of the history of American enterprise via a collection of books, manuscripts and photographs****
Willingtown Square: situated on Market Street Mall, this small plaza is home to a half dozen examples of traditional 18th century houses. While the properties have undergone some restoration, they retain their original splendor.
Kalmar Nyckel: this vessel is a faithful remake of the original ship that brought settlers from Delaware on March 29, 1638, having begun its journey from Göteborg in Sweden.