Delaware state museums reopening with self-guided tours

Delaware’s five state museums will begin reopening this week with self-guided tours that allow visitors to experience the history of the First State while continuing to take all recommended steps to safeguard public health.

In accordance with the Phase I reopening plans issued by Gov. John Carney, museums administered by the Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs are accepting reservations for tours offered Friday-Sunday, June 5-7.

Tours will take place at 10 and 11 a.m., and 1 and 2 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30 p.m. on Sundays (except for the Johnson Victrola Museum). To make a tour reservation, patrons must call the museum they wish to visit. For more information, go to www.history.delaware.gov.

With state museums closed in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the division’s site managers and historical interpreters have spent the last several weeks retooling tour programming. The new self-guided tours include all the engaging content visitors expect at Delaware’s nationally accredited state museums, presented in a way that allows for effective social distancing.

“We are very excited and proud to welcome the public back to Delaware’s historical sites in a safe and deliberate manner,” said Tim Slavin, Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs director. “Our team has worked hard to design an experience for visitors that connects them to the people, places and artifacts of our shared past, while respecting the demands of the present.”

Delaware’s state museums include the Zwaanendael Museum in Lewes, the John Dickinson Plantation, the Old State House and the Johnson Victrola Museum in Dover, and the New Castle Court House Museum.

Self-guided tours will be 30 minutes in length and will include reference materials that can be accessed via smartphone or in single-use printed form. Due to space constraints, some museum areas will remain closed for the time being. Tour groups will be limited to four or six visitors, depending on the museum, and cloth face coverings must be worn at all times by staff, volunteers and patrons. All public museum areas will be cleaned between tour groups according to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.