Delaware Art Museum
A walkable art museum with a stroller-friendly sculpture garden, Family 2nd Sundays, and one of NCC's best summer Thursday hangs.
The Quick Version
- • A mid-sized art museum on 9 acres in Wilmington's Kentmere Park neighborhood. Free parking, stroller-friendly throughout, and a 9-acre sculpture garden you can wander without buying a ticket.
- • Admission: $18 adult / $6 youth 7–18 / under 7 free. Free Thursdays 4–8 PM, April–December.
- • Family programming is the reason to plan a visit: Family 2nd Sundays (monthly), Little Listeners storytime, and Sculpture Garden Happy Hours on summer Thursday evenings.
- • Closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Sweet spot is Sunday morning or Thursday evening (free).
Best Ages
All ages, sweet spot 3–10
Plan For
1–1.5 hours indoors, plus 30–60 min in the sculpture garden
Adults
$18
Kids
$6 (ages 7–18)
What to Expect
The Delaware Art Museum sits on 9 wooded acres in the Kentmere Park neighborhood, just north of Trolley Square. It's the kind of mid-sized museum that's actually well-scaled for kids — big enough to feel like an outing, small enough that you won't burn out before lunch.
Inside, the permanent collection has two real strengths: a major Pre-Raphaelite collection (the largest outside the UK, with Rossetti, Burne-Jones, and Waterhouse) and a Howard Pyle illustration collection — Pyle was a Wilmington illustrator and storyteller whose pirate scenes and fantasy work read like picture-book pages on the wall. Kids tend to engage with the illustration galleries more readily than with the rest. Rotating contemporary exhibitions fill the rest of the space. The building is single-story on most floors, with elevators and wide gallery openings — easy to navigate with a stroller.
If you've got a 2–8 year old, head straight for Kids' Corner on the lower level — it's the museum's dedicated interactive family space, and it's open whenever the museum is. The behavioral expectations the museum sets for kids are simple and worth previewing in the parking lot: walking feet, careful hands, looking eyes.
The Copeland Sculpture Garden is the family secret. It's free to walk (no ticket required), stroller-friendly, and dotted with large works you can get close to — though touching the outdoor sculptures isn't allowed, so set that expectation before the loop. Plenty of grass for a blanket, benches, and shaded paths, and there's a labyrinth in the garden that's a real win for a kid who needs to burn energy. On a nice afternoon you can skip the galleries entirely and just do a loop with snacks.
The programming is where DAM earns a real spot in the NCC family rotation. Family 2nd Sundays (the second Sunday of each month) include free art-making activities, scavenger hunts, and family-friendly performances. Little Listeners is a recurring preschool storytime that pairs picture books with a related gallery visit. And then there's the Sculpture Garden Happy Hour — Thursday evenings May through summer, the grounds turn into an outdoor music venue with food trucks, lawn chairs, beer/wine, and a different live band each week. It reads on paper like an adults-only event, but in practice it's one of the most family-friendly Thursday hangs in NCC: kids run around the lawn, parents listen to the music, and the cash bar is just a cash bar. Many TW readers we know go specifically for the kids running on the grass.
The vibe is unhurried. Staff are kid-friendly, security doesn't hover, and nobody minds if a toddler narrates a Pre-Raphaelite from a stroller.
Did You Know?
You don't need a ticket for the Sculpture Garden — it's free to walk anytime the museum is open. On a nice afternoon you can skip the galleries entirely and just do a stroller loop on the lawn.
Who It's Best For
Babies and toddlers: the Sculpture Garden is the win — stroller-friendly paths, sculptures at toddler eye-level, plenty of grass to crawl on. Little Listeners (ages 2–5) is the dedicated preschool program. Preschoolers: Family 2nd Sunday activities are designed for them. Elementary: peak window for the galleries — Pre-Raphaelite and Howard Pyle illustration collections have enough narrative pull to hold a 5–10 year old. Tweens and up: Thursday evenings during summer concerts are an easy hang.
Highlights
Copeland Sculpture Garden
All ages9-acre wooded grounds with large outdoor sculptures, paved paths, lawns, benches, and a labyrinth kids can walk. Free to enter — no ticket needed. Stroller-friendly. The single best family asset at DAM. Touching the outdoor sculptures isn't allowed, so set expectations before the loop.
Kids' Corner
Ages 2–8The museum's dedicated interactive family space, on the lower level. Open during regular museum hours (Wed–Sun, plus Thursday evenings). The room you head for first with a 2–8 year old.
Sculpture Garden Happy Hour
All agesThursday evenings May through summer. Live music, food trucks, lawn chairs, families everywhere. Reads adult-only on paper but is one of the most family-friendly Thursday nights in NCC. Pay-what-you-can.
Family 2nd Sunday
Ages 2–10Monthly family day with free art-making activities, performances, and gallery scavenger hunts. Built specifically for families with young kids. Usually included with general admission; sometimes free.
Little Listeners
Ages 2–5Recurring preschool storytime — a picture book in a gallery space, paired with a short related art activity. Aimed at ages 2–5. Free with admission; check the calendar for dates.
Howard Pyle Illustration Galleries
Ages 4–12Pirate, fantasy, and storybook illustration by the founder of the Brandywine School. Reads like a children's book brought to gallery scale — kids engage with it much more than with most fine-art collections.
Pre-Raphaelite Collection
Ages 6+The largest Pre-Raphaelite collection outside the UK. Lush, narrative paintings (Rossetti, Burne-Jones, Waterhouse). Kids respond to the storytelling more than the technique — point out the characters.
Free Thursday Evenings
All agesGeneral admission is free Thursdays 4–8 PM, April–December. Pair with the Happy Hour concerts in summer for a full Thursday evening outing at no admission cost.
What to Skip with Little Ones
- • Trying to cover the whole museum in one visit. Pick two galleries (the illustration rooms + one rotating exhibit), then the Sculpture Garden. Save the rest for next time.
- • Mondays and Tuesdays — closed.
- • Crowded openings or member previews — those are designed for grown-ups.
Logistics
Admission
Adults
$18
Kids
$6 (ages 7–18)
Under
Free (ages 6 and under)
Students with ID $7. Seniors 65+ $16. Members free. General admission is free on Thursdays 4–8 PM, April–December.
Membership tip: A family membership is a strong value if you go more than twice a year — free admission, reciprocal admission at many other museums (NARM/ROAM networks), and discounted summer camp pricing. The summer art camp itself is a separate paid program.
Getting There
Parking
Free on-site lot behind the Museum, accessible from Kentmere Parkway. Plenty of space on most days; fills on Family 2nd Sundays and busy Sculpture Garden Happy Hour nights.
On Sculpture Garden Happy Hour nights, the lot can overflow — Kentmere Parkway has free street parking, and there's additional street parking on Bancroft Parkway. Arrive a few minutes early on those nights.
Entrance
Main entrance off the parking lot at the back of the building. Stroller-accessible ramp; the ticket desk is right inside. The Sculpture Garden has its own entrances from the grounds — you don't need a ticket to walk it.
Parent Logistics
Single strollers and front-facing child carriers are welcome in the galleries — and the museum keeps loaner single strollers at the desk if you'd rather not haul yours in. Double-wide strollers, back-carriers, and backpacks are not allowed in the galleries (there's a coat-and-stroller area near the entrance for those). The building has elevators between floors, wide gallery openings, and an open floor plan. The Copeland Sculpture Garden has paved and crushed-stone paths that handle a stroller fine.
Clean restrooms on the main level and in the Studio wing. Additional restrooms on the lower level near Kids' Corner.
Changing tables in the accessible restrooms on the main floor and in the Studio wing. The lower-level restrooms near Kids' Corner also have counter space for changing.
The museum is fully indoor/climate-controlled. The Sculpture Garden has a mix of open lawns and shaded paths under mature trees — there's enough shade for a hot summer afternoon, but bring hats for the open areas.
Food & Snacks
Kaffeina at Thronson Café, on site, is open Wed–Sun 10:30 AM–3:30 PM with extended Thursday evening hours (until 7 PM) April through December. Coffee, pastries, light café fare. During Sculpture Garden Happy Hour Thursdays, rotating food trucks also set up on the grounds.
Snack strategy: Kaffeina at Thronson Café covers a coffee or light bite during museum hours. Pack a snack if you've got toddlers — the Sculpture Garden has benches and lawn space that work for a picnic. For a proper meal, Trolley Square (5 min) has family-friendly options like Snuff Mill Station and Pizza by Elizabeths; Branmar Plaza and the Brandywine Park area are also nearby.
Pro Tips
- ✓ Free Thursday evenings + Sculpture Garden Happy Hour is the highest-value family night DAM offers. Go for the music and lawn, dip into the galleries if you feel like it.
- ✓ Family 2nd Sunday is the easiest first visit — programming is designed for kids, so you're not trying to invent the experience yourself.
- ✓ Pack a picnic blanket. The Sculpture Garden is half the visit for most under-5s, and a blanket is the difference between a 30-minute stop and an hour.
- ✓ If your kid is into pirates, dragons, or fairy tales, lead with the Howard Pyle galleries. They're the easiest sell.
- ✓ Membership pays for itself fast if you do more than two visits a year, and the NARM/ROAM reciprocal admission is a real perk for travel.
- ✓ Touching is off-limits on the outdoor sculptures too — set the expectation before the lawn loop. "Walking feet, careful hands, looking eyes" is the museum's own phrase.
- ✓ Forgot the stroller? The desk has loaner single strollers. Note that double-wide strollers and back-carriers aren't allowed in the galleries — there's a coat-and-stroller area near the entrance for those.
When to Go
Best Time to Visit
Sunday mornings (10 AM open, fewer crowds, calmer). Thursday evenings April–December when admission is free 4–8 PM — and during summer the Sculpture Garden Happy Hour concerts run on those Thursdays. Family 2nd Sundays (monthly) are the highest-value family days.
Seasonal Notes
Open Wed–Sun 10–4 year-round; Thursday evenings extended to 8 PM April through December. The Sculpture Garden Happy Hour concert series runs Thursday evenings from mid-May through summer — pay-what-you-can, food trucks, live music, families welcome. Closed Mondays, Tuesdays, New Year's, July 4, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
Rainy Day?
DAM is one of the better rainy-day indoor options in NCC for the 3–10 set. The galleries plus a Family 2nd Sunday or Little Listeners session can fill a half-day comfortably. Pair with lunch in Trolley Square for a full rainy outing.
While You're in the Area
Trolley Square (5 min) for lunch or coffee. Brandywine Park and the Zoo are 8 minutes east. Rockford Park and its tower are 5 minutes north — easy combo with the Sculpture Garden for an outdoor day.
Upcoming Events
Verified against the venue’s official info.
Last reviewed May 21, 2026. Prices re-checked May 20, 2026. Confirm anything dated (admission, hours, special events) on the venue’s own site before you drive.
Sources: delart.org , delart.org , delart.org