Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington (must see)

Nestled along the scenic Brandywine Creek just outside Wilmington, the Hagley Museum and Library occupies over 235 acres of historic industrial and natural landscape. Once the site of the original du Pont black powder works, the property includes the first du Pont family residence in the United States, a 19th-century machine shop, and the evocative remains of gunpowder yards that helped shape early American industry. The mansion is complemented by a Renaissance Revival garden designed in the 1920s by Louise Evalina du Pont Crowninshield, blending classical beauty with the rugged industrial legacy of the land.

Established in 1957, the museum offers a rich tapestry of indoor and outdoor exhibits that trace the development of American innovation, with particular focus on the du Pont family, their company, and the evolution of explosives and gunpowder manufacturing. Visitors can explore restored mills, a 19th-century workers' community, and interpretive displays that reveal how technological advances transformed daily life and labor. A narrated bus ride through the Powder Yard Trail provides rare access to the du Pont family home, adding narrative depth to the industrial setting.

Beyond its historical exhibitions, Hagley’s library is a leading center for research on American business, technology, and industrial development. Its extensive holdings include over 37,000 linear feet of manuscripts, nearly 300,000 printed volumes, and millions of visual materials and digitized resources. These collections serve both scholars and the public, offering insights into the commercial and technological transformations that shaped the nation.

Central to the library’s mission is the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society, which anchors Hagley’s scholarly outreach. Through fellowships, a scholar-in-residence program, and conferences, the Center fosters critical research in economic and technological history, ensuring that the museum remains not just a repository of the past, but an active participant in shaping the dialogue about America's industrial legacy.