USA TODAY 10Best
Readers name Air Mobility Command Museum the best Delaware attraction
Best Delaware Attraction (2017)
Delaware, the nation's second smallest state, is too often overlooked by visitors to the region, who often have their sights set on the nation's capital. But The First State – Delaware's founding fathers were the first to sign the Constitution – has plenty to offer, from ocean beaches, rolling mountains and the Chesapeake Bay to colonial villages, a wealth of historic attractions and tax-free shopping.
We asked a panel of Delaware travel writers to nominate their favorite state attractions, and for the past four weeks, our readers have been voting for their favorites. The results are in!
The top 10 winners in the category Best Delaware Attraction are as follows:
Photo courtesy of VisitDelaware.com
No. 10: White Clay Creek State Park - Newark
A relaxing oasis in New Castle County, White Clay Creek State Park is known for its 37 miles of scenic hiking trails that wind through lush greenery past sparkling streams to scenic lookouts and rocky outcrops.
Photo courtesy of VisitDelaware.com.
No. 9: Dogfish Head Craft Brewery - Milton
Beer lovers in Delaware are treated to one of the nation's top craft brewery experiences – a tour of Dogfish Head Craft Brewery in Milton. The tour takes visitors through cold storage, the grain handling room, distillery, aging room and the Steampunk Treehouse.
Photo courtesy of VisitDelaware.com
No. 8: Rehoboth Beach and Boardwalk - Rehoboth Beach
The mile-long boardwalk in Rehoboth Beach ranks among the city's top attractions. Summer concerts in the bandstand set the mood for waterfront strolls past colorful shops selling kites, saltwater taffy, ice cream cones and beach gear.
Photo courtesy of VisitDelaware.com
No. 7: Historic New Castle - New Castle
Historic New Castle, one of Delaware's best-restored historic towns, features colonial houses lined up along cobblestone streets, where visitors can stroll, shop and eat along the Delaware River.
Photo courtesy of VisitDelaware.com.
No. 6: Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge - Smyrna
Hugging the Delaware Atlantic coastline, Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge protects one of the largest remaining tidal salt marsh habitats in the region. The refuge also offers wildlife a variety of habitats including freshwater ponds and uplands. During the summer months, it is a mecca for wading birds such as herons, egrets and glossy ibises. Year-round, white-tailed deer, beavers, muskrat, red fox, river otters, woodchucks and opossums call it home.
Photo courtesy of VisitDelaware.com
No. 5: Nemours Mansion and Gardens - Wilmington
Nemours Mansion was the home of American industrialist Alfred I. duPont. The 77-room estate is also home of the largest formal French gardens in North America, as well as a collection of vintage cars and some 200 acres of woodlands, lawns and meadows.
Photo courtesy of VisitDelaware.com
No. 4: Abbott's Mill Nature Center - Milford
The Abbott's Mill Nature Center, situated on the grounds of one of Delaware's last remaining water mills, comprises 313 acres of largely undeveloped land with nature trails, visitors center and a wildlife habitat demonstration garden.
Photo courtesy of VisitDelaware.com
No. 3: Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library - Winterthur
In 1951, Henry Francis du Pont opened Winterthur, his childhood home, as the Winterthur Museum. Today, the 175-room house looks much as it did when the family lived there, showcasing objects made or used in the U.S. between 1640 and 1860.
Photo courtesy of VisitDelaware.com.
No. 2: Hagley Museum and Library - Wilmington
Situated on 235 acres of the Brandywine near Wilmington, the Hagley Museum and Library occupies the site of a former gunpowder works dating back to 1802. Visitors take a step back in time to early industrial America to see restored mills, a workers' community and the ancestral home of E.I. du Pont and his family.
Photo courtesy of VisitDelaware.com
No. 1: Air Mobility Command Museum - Dover
Dedicated to military airlift and air refueling history, Dover's Air Mobility Command Museum houses more than 30 aircraft of varying sizes, as well as exhibits on the humanitarian and war efforts of the U.S. military.
A panel of experts partnered with 10Best editors to picked the initial 20 nominees, and the top 10 winners were determined by popular vote. Experts Judy Colbert and Theresa Gawlas Medoff were chosen based on their knowledge and experience of travel in Delaware.
Congratulations to all these winning attractions.
About 10Best Readers' Choice Awards
Nominees are submitted by a panel of experts. 10Best editors narrow the field to select the final set of nominees for the Readers’ Choice Awards. Readers can vote once per category, per day. For any questions or comments, please read the FAQ or email USA TODAY 10Best.
The Experts
Judy Colbert
Judy Colbert is an award-winning author and... Read More
Judy Colbert is an award-winning author and photographer who specializes in travel, particularly the mid-Atlantic area. Her most recent book is 100 Things to Do in Baltimore Before You Die. She’s also authored or co-authored Peaceful Places Washington, DC, Chesapeake Bay Crabs cookbook, It Happened in Maryland, It Happened in Delaware, Maryland and Delaware Off the Beaten Path, and Virginia Off the Beaten Path. Her current interest is the culinary options available on cruise ships, riverboats and around the planet. Follow her on Twitter.
Judy Colbert
Judy Colbert is an award-winning author and photographer who specializes in travel, particularly the mid-Atlantic area. Her most recent book is 100 Things to Do in Baltimore Before You Die. She’s also authored or co-authored Peaceful Places Washington, DC, Chesapeake Bay Crabs cookbook, It Happened in Maryland, It Happened in Delaware, Maryland and Delaware Off the Beaten Path, and Virginia Off the Beaten Path. Her current interest is the culinary options available on cruise ships, riverboats and around the planet. Follow her on Twitter.
Theresa Gawlas Medoff
Delaware resident Theresa Gawlas Medoff is the... Read More
Delaware resident Theresa Gawlas Medoff is the associate editor of AAA World and AAA Traveler Worldwise magazines. Her travel writing also has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Washington Post. She’s written about her travels from Europe to South Africa to Fiji and specializes in the mid-Atlantic region. She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and the North American Travel Journalists Association. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.
Theresa Gawlas Medoff
Delaware resident Theresa Gawlas Medoff is the associate editor of AAA World and AAA Traveler Worldwise magazines. Her travel writing also has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, the Boston Globe, the Philadelphia Inquirer and the Washington Post. She’s written about her travels from Europe to South Africa to Fiji and specializes in the mid-Atlantic region. She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers and the North American Travel Journalists Association. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.