Wilmington, popularly known among the locals as the Delaware Valley, lies at the confluence of Christina River and the Brandywine Creek, and is the largest city in Delaware. It has a rich colonial history, being the settlement of the Swedish, Finns, Dutch and finally the British. Originally known as Willington, it got its present name in 1739 from Spencer Compton, the Earl of Wilmington. Wilmington is well- known for its status as an independent business destination and good rail and road links.
Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley
Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley offers visitors with an array of attractions, suitable for weekend trips, which include anything from historical strolls to a throbbing night life. Wilmington and the Brandywine Valley are home to world class attractions including Winterthus Museum, Hagley Museum, Brandywine River Museum, Nemours Mansion and Garden, and many other historic districts and places.
Some of the places and locales of Wilmington that should be in your list when you make a trip to the city are introduced below.
The Wilmington Riverfront
The Wilmington Riverfront is a great place to hang around. The well maintained beautiful river valley welcomes you with a number of shops, outlets, restaurants and art galleries. This is a place where you would like to spend any time of the day. The nightlife throngs with theaters, concerts and live Jazz shows.
Wilmington State Parks
Be one with nature at any one of the four parks that are part of the Wilmington State Parks, decorated with fountains and sculptures. The parks remain open from sunrise to sunset. There is also a zoo within the parks. Entry to the parks are free, but there is a minimal entry fee for the zoo.
Historical Places
If History and the old world interests you, then you can visit some of the spectacular heritage sites well-preserved in and around Wilmington. These include the Delaware City Historic District, Historic Kennett Square, Historic New Castle, Little Italy Neighborhood Association. You can also visit Fort Christina, the first settlement in the Delaware Valley by the Swedish. Another historic site from the same time is the Holy Trinity or Old Swedes Church.
As part of the historical tour, a must visit is the Kalmar Nyckel. Kalmar Nyckel was a Dutch built armed merchant ship, which brought the first Swedish settlers to New Sweden, now Wilmington, in 1638. A replica of the same was built in 1997. A look at the ship will surely take you back to the old times.
The Brandywine River Museum is a 19th century gristmill, and houses an elaborate collection of American illustrations and paintings. The Delaware Art Museum displays 19th and 20th century American Art.
The world’s premier horticultural showplace, the Longwood Gardens is located here. This beautiful garden with its fountains and breathtaking landscapes is open all round the year.
Finally, any information about Wilmington would be incomplete if we do not mention Delaware’s tax -free shopping environment. The tax-free shopping environment allows you to spoil yourself as much as you wish and makes Wilmington a shopper’s paradise.
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