Delaware Art Museum
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4.4(40)yelp
ArtContemporary ArtPhotographic ArtEducationalIndoor
Overview
The Delaware Art Museum is an art museum located on the Kentmere Parkway in Wilmington, Delaware, which holds a collection of more than 12,000 objects. The museum was founded in 1912 as the Wilmington Society of the Fine Arts in honor of the artist Howard Pyle. The collection focuses on American art and illustration from the 19th to the 21st century, and on the English Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood movement of the mid-19th century.
Practical Info
MonClosed
TueClosed
Wed10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Thu10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Fri10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sat10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Sun10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Suggested Duration2-3 hours
Best TimeOpen year-round, but highly recommended on Thursday evenings between 4:00 PM and 8:00 PM. The museum offers extended hours and free admission on Thursdays, and the late afternoon sun casts a magical glow through galleries housing the top Pre-Raphaelite British art collection in the US.
Getting ThereLocated in a serene residential pocket at 2301 Kentmere Pkwy, Wilmington. Drivers can take I-95 exit 7 and follow Kentmere Parkway straight to the museum's complimentary multi-level rear parking garage. By transit, use DART Route 010 to Delaware Ave & Woodlawn Ave, followed by a pleasant 5-minute walk.
Travel Tips
- Nestled within the quiet residential blocks of Kentmere Parkway, the museum's private surface lot inventory is severely constricted. Weekend loads between 12:00 PM and 3:00 PM saturate all stalls; parking on neighboring private lawns or residential curbs triggers immediate neighbor-initiated municipal towing.
- Housing the premier collection of British Pre-Raphaelite masterpieces and early American illustrations, the galleries utilize high-sensitivity infrared motion grids and low-lux preservation lighting. Carrying motorized flash units, long selfie setups, warm drinks, or backpacks exceeding 12x12 inches inside galleries is fully prohibited.
- The exterior Copeland Sculpture Garden relies on gravel inclines and un-stabilized lawn paths prone to tick breeding during summer months. Wheelchair users, strollers, and guests in open sandals must stick strictly to the central paved concrete alignment; walking into the tall perimeter turf to touch sculpture bases is banned.
Reviews
Positive
- Houses the top collection of Pre-Raphaelite British art in the US and classic Howard Pyle illustrations, holding supreme artistic value.
- The outdoor Copeland Sculpture Garden blends avant-garde statues with beautiful nature, completely free and visually stunning.
- Offers free admission to the public every Sunday, making its value peerless among US museums with zero commercial exploitation.
- The building is modern and quiet, restrooms are clean, accessibility lifts cover all floors, and the staff is gentle and welcoming.
Heads up
- Compared to mega galleries in NY or Philly, it's small; you can see everything in 2 hours, short of expectations for giant scale.
- Special exhibits carry premium upcharges on paid days, and strict room capacity limits can cause long queues during afternoon peak peaks.
- Though free, the dedicated parking lot has limited spaces; it gets fully swamped during weekend family workshops or private weddings.
- Exhibit text labels are small, lacking Chinese or other multilingual electronic guide support, requiring solid English art history basics.