First State National Historical Park

State: Delaware (with a small extension into Pennsylvania). Type: National Park Service unit spread across multiple historic sites in New Castle, Kent and Sussex counties. First established as First State National Monument on March 25, 2013, then redesignated a National Historical Park by Congress. Delaware's only National Park System unit, telling the story of Delaware as the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787. The park is fee-free.

First State National Historical Park is the National Park Service's answer to a long-standing gap: for years Delaware was the only state without a unit of the National Park System. Created as First State National Monument in 2013 and soon redesignated a national historical park, it is not a single place but a collection of historic sites scattered across Delaware, from Wilmington in the north to Lewes in the south, plus a slice of the Brandywine Valley reaching into Pennsylvania. Together they tell two intertwined stories: the early European colonization of the Delaware Valley, and Delaware's path to becoming, on December 7, 1787, the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, the distinction that gives Delaware its "First State" nickname. Anchor sites include the New Castle Court House, one of the oldest courthouses in the country and where Delaware's assembly broke with Pennsylvania and Britain; the Dover Green, where the Constitution was ratified; the John Dickinson Plantation, boyhood home of a founding father; Fort Christina and Old Swedes in Wilmington, marking the 1638 arrival of Swedish colonists; and the Ryves Holt House in Lewes, the oldest standing house in the state. Because the sites are geographically dispersed, visitors usually choose a region to explore rather than seeing everything in one trip.

The park's sites are distributed across Delaware and a small part of Pennsylvania. In New Castle County they include the Brandywine Valley (Woodlawn/Beaver Valley) area and, in Wilmington, Fort Christina and Old Swedes Historic Site; in the town of New Castle, the Court House, the Green, and the Sheriff's House. In Kent County are the Dover Green and the John Dickinson Plantation near Dover. In Sussex County, the Ryves Holt House stands in Lewes. The park's primary contact point and headquarters is the Sheriff's House Welcome Center at 10 Market Street in historic New Castle.

Delaware has a humid subtropical climate with four seasons: hot, humid summers with afternoon thunderstorms, cold winters with occasional snow, and mild, pleasant springs and falls. Because the park's sites stretch across the whole state, coastal Lewes is somewhat milder and windier than inland Dover or Wilmington, but the overall pattern is similar. Many sites involve outdoor walking and grounds, so weather matters more here than at an indoor museum.

Spring and fall offer the most comfortable weather for touring the park's outdoor sites and historic grounds, with mild temperatures and lower humidity than midsummer. Summer works for combining northern sites with a beach trip near Lewes, though it is hotter and busier. Because individual sites keep their own seasonal hours and some, such as Fort Christina, open only for scheduled tours, checking site-by-site schedules is more important than picking a season.

First State National Historical Park was born from Delaware's status as the last state without a National Park System unit. On March 25, 2013, President Barack Obama used the Antiquities Act to establish First State National Monument, and Congress later redesignated it as a national historical park, expanding the sites it encompasses. The park draws together landmarks from more than three centuries of history. Fort Christina in Wilmington marks "The Rocks," where Swedish colonists landed in 1638 to found New Sweden, the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley; nearby Old Swedes Church dates to 1698. The New Castle Court House, dating to around 1730, is where colonial delegates severed ties with Pennsylvania and Great Britain. The John Dickinson Plantation preserves the boyhood home of John Dickinson, the "Penman of the Revolution" who helped draft the Articles of Confederation and Constitution. Most decisively, in a tavern on the Dover Green on December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, earning the "First State" title the park celebrates. The National Park Service manages the park in partnership with state agencies and local organizations that operate many of the individual sites.

Visitors typically pick a region and tour its sites. In New Castle, you can explore the 18th-century Court House Museum and stroll the colonial streets and Green, starting at the Sheriff's House Welcome Center. In Wilmington, you can visit Fort Christina and Old Swedes Historic Site to learn about New Sweden. In Dover, you can walk the historic Green where the Constitution was ratified and tour the John Dickinson Plantation. In the Brandywine Valley (Woodlawn/Beaver Valley), miles of trails offer hiking, biking and nature walks through preserved Quaker-era countryside. Ranger programs, guided tours and living-history demonstrations are offered seasonally at various sites, and the Ryves Holt House in Lewes lets visitors see Delaware's oldest standing house.

Key sites include the New Castle Court House Museum (circa 1730), the New Castle Green and Sheriff's House Welcome Center; Fort Christina and Old Swedes Historic Site in Wilmington; the Dover Green and the John Dickinson Plantation near Dover; the Brandywine Valley/Woodlawn tract straddling the Delaware-Pennsylvania line; and the Ryves Holt House in Lewes, the state's oldest standing house. Each site interprets a different chapter, from Swedish and Dutch settlement to the Revolution and constitutional ratification.

Because the park is spread across the state, how you reach it depends on which sites you target. The northern sites in Wilmington and New Castle are near Interstate 95 and are close to Wilmington's Amtrak station; Philadelphia International Airport is the nearest major airport, roughly a half-hour drive from the New Castle area. The Dover sites are reached via Route 1 and U.S. 13 in central Delaware, and the Ryves Holt House is in Lewes in the far southeast, reachable by car or via the Cape May-Lewes Ferry. A car is the practical way to connect multiple sites.

Hours vary by site and season, and are set individually rather than park-wide. The Sheriff's House Welcome Center in New Castle serves as the main orientation point. Some sites, such as Fort Christina, are open only for scheduled tours rather than daily, and others follow seasonal schedules. Check the National Park Service's operating-hours page for each site before visiting.

The park is fee-free, according to the National Park Service. Some partner-operated sites may charge modest fees for specialized tours or programs, so confirm individually. There is no general entrance fee to the park's grounds.

Plan on a half day to fully explore the sites in a single region, such as New Castle or Dover, and a full day or more if you want to combine northern and central Delaware sites. Seeing every site across the state realistically takes more than one trip given the distances involved.

Lodging depends on which sites you visit. Wilmington and New Castle in the north offer downtown hotels, riverfront properties and Interstate 95 chain hotels; Dover in central Delaware has hotels along its main highway corridors; and Lewes in the south has inns and beach-area lodging near Cape Henlopen. Because the park is dispersed, many visitors base themselves in one region and focus their sightseeing there.

Each park region has its own dining options nearby: historic New Castle has restaurants and pubs in its colonial downtown, Wilmington offers a broad city dining scene, Dover has eateries around its Green and commercial corridors, and Lewes has a compact downtown food scene with seafood a highlight. Since the sites themselves are historic properties, meals are generally found in the surrounding towns rather than on park grounds.

In the Brandywine Valley near the northern sites, the Hagley Museum, Nemours Estate, Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, and the Delaware Art Museum are all close, along with Longwood Gardens across the Pennsylvania line. Near Dover, the historic Green connects to the Biggs Museum of American Art and other capital sites. Near the Ryves Holt House in Lewes, Cape Henlopen State Park and the Zwaanendael Museum round out a southern itinerary.

For the northern sites, Wilmington's Amtrak and regional rail station and Philadelphia International Airport are the key transport hubs. Central and southern sites are best reached by car via Route 1 and U.S. 13, with the Cape May-Lewes Ferry providing an option for reaching the Lewes area from New Jersey. A personal or rental vehicle is the most practical way to link multiple sites.

Many sites involve walking on historic grounds and, in the Brandywine Valley, natural trails, so wear appropriate footwear and watch footing on uneven surfaces. In wooded areas, take standard precautions against ticks and insects. In town sites, follow normal urban awareness and secure valuables in parked cars. Confirm which sites are open before you travel, since some open only for scheduled tours. For any emergency, dial 911.

Comfortable walking shoes, water, and sun protection are useful for the outdoor grounds and trails, and a light jacket helps in the historic buildings and in shoulder seasons. For the Brandywine Valley trails, bug spray and layers are worth bringing. A camera and a park map or downloaded NPS site guide help you make the most of dispersed sites.

Because the park spans the whole state, plan around one region per visit rather than trying to see everything at once. Start at the Sheriff's House Welcome Center in New Castle for orientation to the northern sites. Check each site's individual hours in advance, especially for Fort Christina and other tour-only locations, since they are not open daily. The fee-free grounds make this an affordable addition to a Brandywine Valley or Dover history itinerary.

Dial 911 for any emergency. For park questions, the National Park Service's First State National Historical Park office can be reached at 302-317-3854, or by email at firststate@nps.gov, per its official visitor information.

First State National Historical Park (National Park Service) - https://www.nps.gov/frst/index.htm

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.

This section is being updated and will be available shortly.