Delaware is the first state — the first to ratify the U.S. Constitution on December 7, 1787, which is why the state takes its nickname with some pride. It is also the second-smallest state by area, the sixth-smallest by population, and the state that most Americans have driven through on I-95 without stopping, which is their loss. Delaware has a surprising number of things going for it: three distinct regions (the urban Wilmington corridor, the quiet middle, and the resort-packed beach towns), the extraordinary du Pont family estates turned public museums, a craft beer scene that helped define the American craft movement, and Atlantic Coast beaches that draw millions of visitors each year.
Delaware receives approximately 8.8 million visitors annually, generating $3.5 billion in tourism spending — impressive numbers for a state of less than 1 million residents. The beach communities of Rehoboth Beach, Dewey Beach, Bethany Beach, and Fenwick Island are the primary draw for summer visitors from the Mid-Atlantic region, offering a more relaxed alternative to the New Jersey Shore. And the tax-free shopping (Delaware has no sales tax) makes Wilmington's premium outlets a genuine destination for shoppers from neighboring states.
Du Pont Estates, Wilmington's Renaissance & The Brandywine Valley
The du Pont family — who built one of the largest chemical empires in American history — left Delaware with an extraordinary cultural legacy that is now public. Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library, outside Wilmington, houses the most important collection of American decorative arts in the world in a 175-room mansion set in 1,000 acres of naturalistic gardens. Longwood Gardens, just across the Pennsylvania border, is one of the greatest horticultural gardens in the world — a 1,100-acre living spectacle founded by Pierre S. du Pont that is spectacular in every season. The Brandywine Museum of Art in nearby Chadds Ford houses the largest collection of works by the Wyeth family.
Wilmington itself has undergone a meaningful revitalization, with a Riverfront district anchoring arts venues, restaurants, and the Delaware Children's Museum. The Grand Opera House — a National Historic Landmark — brings major touring acts and performances to a beautifully restored Victorian theater. The Delaware Art Museum houses a significant Pre-Raphaelite collection unusual for a small American city.
"Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton essentially invented the American craft beer category in the 1990s — the original brewpub in Rehoboth Beach remains the essential Delaware drinking destination."
Boardwalk Fries, Craft Beer & Delaware Bay Seafood
Delaware's food identity is tied to two things: the Atlantic Coast and its extraordinary craft beer heritage. Dogfish Head Craft Brewery — founded in Rehoboth Beach in 1995 and now based in Milton — is one of the most influential craft breweries in American history, pioneering the extreme-beer movement and helping legitimize craft beer as a serious category. The Rehoboth Beach brewpub remains a pilgrimage site. Delaware Bay blue crabs and clams are among the finest in the Mid-Atlantic, and summer crab houses along the Bay offer the classic newspaper-on-the-table, mallet-and-picker experience.
The original brewpub where the American craft beer revolution was seeded. An ever-rotating tap list of inventive ales, a full pub menu, and the genuine pleasure of drinking in the room where it started. The off-centered ales are worth trying in their home.
$$ · Mid-rangeThe inventor of the "Nic-o-boli" — a stromboli-style folded pizza with provolone, herbs, and your choice of filling — that has become Delaware Beach's most iconic food item. Lines form early; the casual atmosphere is pure shore town.
$ · BudgetThe best raw bar on the Delaware Coast, serving locally sourced oysters alongside thoughtful seafood preparations in a bright, modern room. The oyster selection spans both coasts, the chowder is exceptional, and the wine list is well-curated for a beach town.
$$ · Mid-rangeSet inside a converted blacksmith shop in the historic Montchanin Village, Krazy Kat's is Delaware's most distinctive fine dining experience — eclectic decor, serious technique, seasonal American menu. A genuine destination for special occasion dining in northern Delaware.
$$$ · UpscaleBeach Town Inns, Brandywine Valley Hotels & Delaware Simplicity
Delaware's lodging is scaled to its size and character — no mega-resorts, but a solid range of beach motels, boutique inns, and a handful of genuinely characterful properties. In Rehoboth Beach, expect $150–$350/night in summer (Memorial Day through Labor Day) with a sharp drop in shoulder seasons. The Inn at Montchanin Village near Wilmington — a National Historic Landmark property spread across 11 converted 19th-century workers' cottages — offers one of the most distinctive stays in the Mid-Atlantic, with rooms from around $180/night. For budget travelers, Delaware's state campgrounds along the coast offer sites at $35–$50/night with solid beach access.
- Delaware has no sales tax — worth factoring in if you plan to shop. Premium outlets near Rehoboth Beach draw shoppers from the entire Mid-Atlantic region.
- Rehoboth Beach in summer (June–August) is packed with Mid-Atlantic vacationers. Shoulder season (May and September–October) offers the same beach with dramatically lower prices and fewer crowds.
- Winterthur Museum requires a timed-entry reservation for the house tour. The gardens are walk-in. Allow a full day for both.
- Dogfish Head's Milton brewery tours book up on summer weekends. Reserve online. The Rehoboth Beach pub is walk-in but waits on weekends are real.
- Delaware Bay blue crabs peak July–September. Look for roadside crab houses with steamed crabs sold by the dozen — that is the authentic experience.
- The Cape May–Lewes Ferry connects Delaware's Cape Henlopen with Cape May, NJ — a scenic 85-minute crossing that adds a genuinely fun transportation dimension to a regional road trip.
Why Delaware Deserves a Stop
Delaware is not trying to compete with its neighbors. It doesn't need to. The state has an internal confidence that comes from its founding role in American democracy and a genuinely easygoing coastal culture that makes a summer weekend here feel uncomplicated in a way that the bigger beach towns on either side can't always manage. Tax-free shopping, extraordinary gardens, influential beer, blue crabs with a mallet on newspaper — these are not grand gestures. They are exactly right. Stop on your way through. Or make it the destination. Either way, you'll come back.
First state, lasting impression. 🦀