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Delaware boasts ample recreational opportunities within its borders. Whether one is interested in cultural pursuits or in enjoying Delaware's natural beauty, the First State is sure to appeal to any taste.

The culture and history of Delaware are showcased at numerous museums throughout the state. At the Delaware Art Museum in Wilmington, visitors can view works of British Pre-Raphaelite Art, American illustration, works by John Sloan, and 19th and early 20th century American art, in addition to works by contemporary masters Robert Motherwell, George Segal, and Jim Dine. The Biggs Museum of American Art in Dover showcases 14 galleries in chronological order, with an emphasis on fine and decorative arts. The Hagley Museum in Wilmington marks the site of the gunpowder works founded by E. I. du Pont in 1802, and exemplifies early American industry with restored mills, workers' community, and ancestral home and gardens of the du Pont family. The Johnson Victrola Museum in Dover honors Delaware native Eldridge Reeves Johnson, the founder of the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1907; the museum features phonographs, recordings, and other paraphernalia recounting the development of the sound-recording industry as well as Mr. Johnson's business ventures. The Museum of Small Town Life in Dover treats visitors to a glimpse of 19th century small town Delaware with exhibits such as a general store, print shop, pharmacy, and other types of businesses, and interprets the way of life of a bygone era. Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes interprets the maritime, military, and social history of Lewes, and commemorates the first European settlement by the Dutch in Delaware in 1631. The Delaware History Museum in Wilmington resides in a renovated Woolworth store and displays changing interactive exhibits describing Delaware history; some featured collections include regional decorative arts, paintings, children's toys, and more. Aviation buffs will not want to miss the Air Mobility Command Museum in Dover, which preserves and restores military airlift and tanker aircraft previously assigned to its former Dover Army Air Field and Dover Air Force Base. Maritime aficionados will enjoy the DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum in Fenwick Island, with its collection of shipwreck and recovered artifacts from both regional and worldwide locales; approximately 10,000 artifacts are preserved. At the Delaware Museum of Natural History in Wilmington, visitors can learn about natural history, with over 117,000 bird specimens and over 36,000 clutches preserved, making it the second largest collection of birds' eggs in North America; additionally the collection of 220,000 lots of mollusks ranks among the top shell collections in the country. The Delaware Archaeology Museum in Dover interprets over 11,000 years of human habitation in modern Delaware, covering Native American culture, European colonization, and the modern era, with exhibits of artifacts from the entire time period. The Nanticoke Indian Museum in Millsboro preserves artifacts of the Nanticoke Indians, including jewelry, pottery, spears, and arrow points, and provides a history of the Nanticoke tribe.

Performing arts aficionados can rejoice in plentiful opportunities to attend shows in Delaware. Orchestral music lovers will appreciate the Delaware Symphony in Wilmington and the Newark Symphony Orchestra in Newark. Fans of the stage can take in performances by Opera Delaware in Wilmington; at the DuPont Theatre in Wilmington, with touring Broadway shows; by the Delaware Theatre Company in Wilmington, providing classic and contemporary plays and musicals to audiences; or by the Kent County Theater Guild in Dover, established in 1953 as a community theater group. Fans of ballet will enjoy watching the Delaware Ballet in Dover, the area's only nonprofit ballet company, performing classical and contemporary pieces; or First State Ballet Theatre in Wilmington, with performances of major ballets and mixed-repertory productions.

History buffs will gain insight into Delaware's past by visiting any of the First State's historic sites. Fort Christina in Wilmington preserves the site of the first permanent settlement in Delaware in 1638, by Swedes; this was the first Swedish expedition to the New World. At New Castle Court House Museum in New Castle, one of the oldest remaining courthouses in the U.S., built in 1732, was the site of Delaware's declaration of independence from both England and Pennsylvania, creating the first state. Maritime history is hearkened by the Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse, located at sea near the mouth of Delaware Bay, where in times past deep-draft vessels searched for refuge from the storms of the Atlantic.

Delaware offers family friendly attractions for all ages to enjoy. The Wilmington & Western Railroad ride hosts special event train rides on steam and diesel powered tourist trains, hearkening a bygone era as the trains wend their way between Greenback and Hockessin among the beauty of the Red Clay Valley. Animal lovers should not miss the Brandywine Zoo in Wilmington, open year-round and located in scenic Brandywine Park. Approximately 150 animals of many different species call the 13 acre (0.053 square kilometer or 5.3 hectare) Zoo their home. Families can also take in performances at two children's theatres: Delaware Children's Theatre in Wilmington, and First State Children's Theater in Newark, presenting classic plays and adaptations of classic literature.

The natural beauty of the First State beckons all who enjoy outdoor recreation. Nature lovers can indulge in coastal kayaking, skimboarding and windsurfing, beachcombing, viewing horseshoe crabs, visiting lighthouses, viewing birds and other wildlife in various refuges, and countless other outdoor activities. Beachgoers will enjoy beach towns such as Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach. Delaware also offers wonderful state parks, such as at Fenwick Island State Park, where visitors are treated to a 344 acre (1.39 square kilometer or 139.2 hectare) barrier island with white sand beaches, providing ample swimming and sunbathing opportunities either oceanside or bayside. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge provides wildlife viewers with nearly 16,000 acres (64.7 square kilometers or 6,475 hectares) of virtually untouched tidal salt marsh, fresh water pools, timbered swamps, agricultural lands, and timbered and grassy upland. Bombay Hook is a significant location for migrating birds. Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge, located on the west shore of Delaware Bay, is considered one of the best remaining wetland habitat areas on the Atlantic Coast, and is a major stop-over for migrating shorebirds and wading birds. Additionally, wildlife viewers can spot such protected species as Delmarva fox squirrel, nesting bald eagles, and other animals. Prime Hook features about 10,000 acres (40.5 square kilometers or 4,047 hectares) of habitats such as fresh and salt water marshes, woodlands, grasslands, scrub-bush, ponds, bottomland forested areas, a creek, and agricultural lands. Over 270 bird species, 35 species of reptiles and amphibians, and 36 mammal species inhabit Prime Hook. Visitors may hunt, fish, observe and photograph wildlife, or learn about the environment.

While no major sports teams play in Delaware, other sports pursuits offer enjoyment. Delaware offers many venues for playing golf. For fans of horse racing, a visit to Dover Downs or Harrington Raceway should provide excitement. Racecar fans will want to take in the thrill of fast cars at Dover International Speedway.

Whatever one's desire for recreation and entertainment, Delaware delivers many options within its borders.

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