Tag: Community

Restore & Remember: Jason Beach

Bring your memories and memorabilia for a family history workshop highlighting experiences and memories from Jason Beach, as part of the Jason Beach Juneteenth Celebration.

At this event, participants are invited to bring materials from their personal collections that document holidays, family reunions, baptism, and leisure activities at the beach. Photographs and scrapbooks, letters or other paper materials referencing Jason Beach, swimsuits or other clothing like family reunion shirts, games and accessories (i.e. horseshoes, etc.), and cookware items are all welcome.

Experts from cultural heritage organizations, universities, and local history networks will be in the pavilion to help document and catalog these items and their historical meaning to pass on to future generations. While we would take great joy in seeing materials of all sizes, we recommend participants bring items that would fit into an extra-large tote bag.

Event is free with park entrance fee ($5 in state vehicles, $10 out of state vehicles). Pre-registration is requested to ensure appropriate staffing.
Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/restore-remember-jason-beach

 

The Delaware Historical Society’s Restore & Remember: Historic R&R series engages community members to get involved at important sites within Delaware’s Black community while discussing and learning about the history of each place and the people who used it.

A Legacy 75 Years in the Making
For 75 years, Delaware State Parks has been the backdrop for outdoor adventures and lasting memories. Since 1951, the mission has remained constant: to provide safe, enjoyable recreation, protect natural and cultural resources, and connect people to nature. Today, 17 parks and more than 27,000 acres stand ready to inspire generations to come.

Restore & Remember: The Monday Club

Bring your curiosity and come make history with the Mitchell Center! Delawareans of all backgrounds and curious friends are invited to a hands‑on day of discovery at the historic Monday Club in New Castle.

During this interactive volunteer event, participants will learn how to preserve local history from the Monday Club’s collections. They’ll receive training in conducting interviews and gathering cataloging information as they interview club members to support documenting over 130 years of social life and community advocacy efforts at the Monday Club. Perfect for earning service hours, exploring new skills, or simply spending meaningful time together, this Restore and Remember event welcomes all backgrounds—no experience required. Come learn how to ask great questions, handle historic materials, and play a role in preserving a piece of your community’s story.

Free event, registration required: https://dhs.givecloud.co/rr-the-monday-club-may-30

Delaware Community Preservation Lab

Free Community Digitization Event

As the United States prepares to mark its 250th anniversary in 2026, the Delaware Historical Society is celebrating what makes Delaware unique: its people, their stories, and the items they hold dear. While traditional archives often focus on famous figures or official records, we believe the most meaningful history is being created every day within Delaware’s communities. That’s why we’re launching the Delaware Community Preservation Lab (DCPL), an interactive program that brings preservation tools and knowledge directly into communities across the state. 

The DCPL will bring together Delaware Historical Society staff, local preservation specialists, photographers, videographers, and digital experts to share simple, practical tips for preserving family and community histories. Our goal is to make preservation easy and accessible, so visitors can replicate these techniques on their own without complicated software or expensive equipment.  

Each three-hour event features interactive stations where participants can: 

  • Consult with community preservation specialists about the condition of the items they bring. 
  • Learn tips for organizing and safely storing ceramics, metals, textiles, and other items. 
  • Access basic rehousing materials (for free!) and receive additional guidance on storing and caring for individual items. 
  • Receive assistance in digitizing flat objects such as photos, letters, or other paper documents with our suite of scanners 
  • Discover how to effectively record and preserve photographs or short videos about objects and stories that matter most 
  • Chat with collections care staff at Delaware Historical Society and learn about our community programs, resources, and collections 

Participants who schedule an appointment at one of our digitization booths will receive a USB drive with their newly digitized files, along with easy-to-follow preservation guides created by Delaware Historical Society collections care staff to help them continue their preservation efforts at home or in their churches and community organizations. 

Visitors can also stop by our Build-Your-Own Preservation Kit Station to customize a kit with archival-quality materials like acid-free tissue paper, folders, Mylar sleeves, and more, ensuring their items are well-protected for the long term. 

We will provide expertise and all necessary equipment for the event. 

Free event, registration required: https://dhs.givecloud.co/dcpl

Questions? Check out the FAQ page.

**CANCELLED** Discover History Saturday: Revolutionary Delaware

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

Step back in time and experience Revolutionary Delaware with the Delaware History Museum and the 1st Delaware Regiment this spring! Discover History Saturdays bring history to life for all ages with engaging activities, creative crafts, interactive story time, and more!

Aspiring Revolutionaries will:

  • Get up close with Revolutionary-era reproduction artifacts and uncover the stories they tell.
  • Meet and chat with men and women portraying real Revolutionary-era Delawareans.
  • Discover stories of Delaware’s spy for George Washington, Caesar Rodney’s tie-breaking vote for Independence, and other Delaware Revolutionary War heroes.
  • Explore Delaware’s role in choosing Independence and fighting for freedom.
  • Dress in period clothing, crack a coded spy message, make a tricorn hat, and prepare for Revolution with engaging activities.

Experience is included with regular admission; admission is always FREE for members of the Delaware Historical Society.

The 1st Delaware Regiment is a living history group dedicated to educating the public on Delaware and Delawareans in the American Revolution via living history programs.

 

*SOLD OUT* Uncover the Past: Transcribing Delaware History

*Registration for this event is FULL. Please join us for one of our other transcribathons!*

Uncover the past as you help transcribe Delaware history at this community event with Route 9 Library!

This program series, with four dates throughout 2026, gets people involved in transcribing materials from the Delaware Historical Society’s collections. At each program, attendees will get hands-on with local history as they transcribe 2-3 handwritten documents, creating transcriptions that are more readable and accessible for inclusion in our online collection records.

These transcribathons will be hosted at the Route 9 Library in New Castle County from 1-3 p.m. on February 28th, May 16th, August 8th, and October 31st.
*NOTE: The May 16th transcribathon is full. 

Free event. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/transcribing-de-history

January in Conversation: Commemorating 250 Years of Delaware

*EVENT UPDATE: Due to the forecast for winter weather, this event will be held virtually via Zoom on January 26, 2026 from 6-8 p.m. If you already registered for the event, the sign-on information was sent to the email attached to your registration. If you have not yet registered, please use the link below. The Zoom information will be included with your confirmation. Thank you, and stay safe!

Join local and state leaders for a dynamic conversation about the state’s 250th anniversary — what it means, what’s coming up this year and beyond, and how you can take part. 

Panelists include:
Tina Betz, Director of Cultural Affairs for the City of Wilmington
Molly Giordano, Executive Director of the Delaware Art Museum
Erik Raser-Schramm, Director of Delaware 250
Shysheika Edwards, Executive Director of the Christina Cultural Arts Center

Moderated by Delaware Historical Society Executive Director Ivan Henderson.

Tickets $5. Purchase here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/january-conversation-commemorating-de-250

Uncover the Past: Transcribing Delaware History

*NOTE: Registration for the February 28th transcribathon is full. Please join us for another date this year.

Uncover the past as you help transcribe Delaware history at this community event with Route 9 Library!

This program series, with four dates throughout 2026, gets people involved in transcribing materials from the Delaware Historical Society’s collections. At each program, attendees will get hands-on with local history as they transcribe 2-3 handwritten documents, creating transcriptions that are more readable and accessible for inclusion in our online collection records.

These transcribathons will be hosted at the Route 9 Library in New Castle County from 1-3 p.m. on February 28th, May 16th, August 8th, and October 31st.
*NOTE: The February 28th transcribathon is full. 

Free event. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/transcribing-de-history

Restore & Remember: The Monday Club

Join the Mitchell Center for African American Heritage for a day of Historic R&R at The Monday Club in New Castle to help process their archival materials. Volunteers will be able to talk with elder club members and learn the rich history of the Monday Club while working to rehouse materials such as photographs, printed materials, and objects.

Our Restore and Remember: Historic R&R program engages community members to volunteer at important sites within Delaware’s Black community while discussing and learning about the history of each place and the people who used it.

Free to participate. Please register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/restore-remember-the-monday-club

Preservation PopUp!

Preserve what matters. Join the Delaware Historical Society’s Mitchell Center for African American Heritage, in collaboration with Winterthur Museum conservators and University of Delaware graduate students in art conservation, for our Preservation PopUp! community event. Bring your own personal items and learn how to preserve them for future generations. We welcome all items, especially those that have special meaning for you and your family.

Free event. Pre-registration is required. Register and let us know what item(s) you’d like help preserving here.

Please note: This event is dedicated to preservation advice and tips. No appraisals will be provided. 

Family and Community Day

The Delaware Historical Society, the Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage, and our community partners are excited to introduce seasonal family programming Saturdays. Together we will explore Delaware’s most distinctive people, places, and events.

Family & Community Day
Saturday, August 20, 2022, 1- 3 pm Delaware History Museum
504 N. Market St. Wilm., DE 19801

On street parking is free on the weekends in Wilmington!

Pay what you wish event!

In collaboration with the Route 9 Library & Innovation Center and Christina Cultural Arts Center, the Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage at the Delaware History Museum invites families to join us as we celebrate the legacies of Peter Spencer and his contemporaries in Delaware’s Black church communities. Enjoy story time, get creative with a teaching artist, and explore August Quarterly through the images and objects in the “Forging Faith” exhibition.

 

We cannot wait to welcome you back to the Museum!