Step back into the past with a glimpse into the life of Sylvia Rice, a free Black cook at the Read House, by exploring a unique dress handmade based on 19th century portraiture and extant dresses.
Tickets $15. Purchase here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/sylvias-dress
Take inspiration from the Read House parterre garden’s summer blooms to create botanic watercolor illustrations. Learn about the property’s landscape design through a guided painting lesson in the gardens, accompanied by specialty botanical cocktails created by The Mercury Cafe & Tea House!
This event is for guests 21 and older.
Tickets $25. Purchase here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/painting-the-parterre
Come celebrate 50 years of the Delaware Historical Society’s stewardship of the Read House & Gardens at A Day in Old New Castle! Check out our garden construction progress, enjoy a display commemorating our 50th year as a museum, take a self-guided tour of the first floor of the house, and make a family-friendly craft inspired by our historic interiors and gardens!
A Day in Old New Castle is America’s oldest private home and garden tour, held in Historic New Castle, Delaware. Home and garden tours are ticketed, and tickets are available at https://www.historicnewcastle.com/. The town-wide event also features free activities for kids and art contests, Revolutionary War reenactors, performers and music and costumes, markets for food and crafts, and special offers in our unique shops and restaurants.
Join us for an immersive learning experience as we walk through Old New Castle and discuss the history and culture of generations of Black families who lived and worked there.
The 2026 tours expand upon Dr. Melissa Benbow Flowers’ research at the Read House on the African American population of Old New Castle with additional source materials, a revamped route and accompanying map, and a special focus on the time period from 1776-1876.
Tickets $25. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/these-houses-were-homes-2026
Space is limited, and advance registration is required. To enhance the enjoyment of all participants, we kindly request that walking tour registrants be at least 12 years old. Please note that the historic neighborhoods in Old New Castle feature uneven walkways that may not be suitable for those needing mobility assistance.
Join us for an immersive learning experience as we walk through Old New Castle and discuss the history and culture of generations of Black families who lived and worked there.
The 2026 tours expand upon Dr. Melissa Benbow Flowers’ research at the Read House on the African American population of Old New Castle with additional source materials, a revamped route and accompanying map, and a special focus on the time period from 1776-1876.
Tickets $25. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/these-houses-were-homes-2026
Space is limited, and advance registration is required. To enhance the enjoyment of all participants, we kindly request that walking tour registrants be at least 12 years old. Please note that the historic neighborhoods in Old New Castle feature uneven walkways that may not be suitable for those needing mobility assistance.
Join us for an immersive learning experience as we walk through Old New Castle and discuss the history and culture of generations of Black families who lived and worked there.
The 2026 tours expand upon Dr. Melissa Benbow Flowers’ research at the Read House on the African American population of Old New Castle with additional source materials, a revamped route and accompanying map, and a special focus on the time period from 1776-1876.
Tickets $25. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/these-houses-were-homes-2026
Space is limited, and advance registration is required. To enhance the enjoyment of all participants, we kindly request that walking tour registrants be at least 12 years old. Please note that the historic neighborhoods in Old New Castle feature uneven walkways that may not be suitable for those needing mobility assistance.
Join us for an immersive learning experience as we walk through Old New Castle and discuss the history and culture of generations of Black families who lived and worked there.
The 2026 tours expand upon Dr. Melissa Benbow Flowers’ research at the Read House on the African American population of Old New Castle with additional source materials, a revamped route and accompanying map, and a special focus on the time period from 1776-1876.
Tickets $25. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/these-houses-were-homes-2026
Space is limited, and advance registration is required. To enhance the enjoyment of all participants, we kindly request that walking tour registrants be at least 12 years old. Please note that the historic neighborhoods in Old New Castle feature uneven walkways that may not be suitable for those needing mobility assistance.
Join us for an immersive learning experience as we walk through Old New Castle and discuss the history and culture of generations of Black families who lived and worked there.
The 2026 tours expand upon Dr. Melissa Benbow Flowers’ research at the Read House on the African American population of Old New Castle with additional source materials, a revamped route and accompanying map, and a special focus on the time period from 1776-1876.
Tickets $25. Register here: https://dhs.givecloud.co/these-houses-were-homes-2026
Space is limited, and advance registration is required. To enhance the enjoyment of all participants, we kindly request that walking tour registrants be at least 12 years old. Please note that the historic neighborhoods in Old New Castle feature uneven walkways that may not be suitable for those needing mobility assistance.
Step into history on April 16 with a close look at a rare document from the Delaware Historical Society’s collections: George Read II’s 1789 commission as the first U.S. Attorney for the district of Delaware, personally signed by George Washington. Washington appointed Read to the position, and this document is important to understanding Read’s legal career. The commission document was donated to Delaware Historical Society by Anne Cooch Doran and Judge Richard R. Cooch.
Tickets $10 / Free for Delaware Historical Society members. Register here.
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Wilmington Campus
504 N Market Street
Wilmington, Delaware 19801
(302) 656-0637
Read House & Gardens
42 The Strand
New Castle, Delaware 19720
(302) 322-8411
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