Delaware Has One of America’s Best Open-Air Museums
There are many different kinds of museums in Delaware and throughout the country, and one of them is open-air museums. Sometimes open-air museums don’t get the attention of traditional museums, because they’re so different from the usual museum experience. Plus, there just aren’t as many open-air museums throughout the country are there are traditional museums. But, these special spots of exploration and learning won’t go unnoticed any longer, because the folks at USA Today are highlighting the best open-air museums in the country.
Delaware Open-Air Museum Gets Attention
So, what is an open-air museum? “Open-air museums, comprising a series of buildings preserved as objects and ecomuseums, involving the interpretation of all aspects of an outdoor environment,” Britannica states. The New World Encyclopedia notes that the very first open air museums were built in Scandinavia “towards the end of the nineteenth century, and the concept soon spread throughout Europe, North America, and all over the world, along with the development of transportation and tourism. Open air museums are variously known as skansen, museums of buildings, living farm museums, living history museum and folk museums.”
So, the best way to think of these are as living history museums with something extra to offer visitors. It goes without saying that these museums can be perfect for the warmer months, since you’re experiencing them outside.
The experts at USA Today have released their roster of the best open-air museums in America, as part of their 10 Best series. This series has experts picking spots for which to vote, and then readers vote for their favorites. They state that these museums “offer visitors the opportunity to see how people lived, worked, moved about, and played in different times, and feature historic buildings, artifacts, and activities that help recreate the past.”
So, which Delaware open-air museum made the cut? Coming in at No. 10 is the Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware. USA Today raves about this place, stating, “Situated on the site of the original du Pont family gunpowder works, the Hagley Museum and Library in Wilmington, Delaware, showcases the early industrial history of America, focusing on the development of the du Pont company and its impact on industry and innovation.”
USA Today adds that, “Preserving and interpreting the remnants of the early industrial complex, the museum includes the original powder yards, mills, workers’ communities, and historic buildings.” If you want to visit, the Hagley Museum and Library is located at 200 Hagley Creek Road in Wilmington.
