Delaware Ag Museum unveils expanded event space

The Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village opened 9,000 square feet of beautifully renovated and expanded event space to a socially distanced audience of more than 50 faithful supporters June 24.

Speaking at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, board of trustees President Grier Stayton thanked Sen. Dave Lawson, R-Marydel, and other state lawmakers for their financial assistance to support the renovation. Executive Director Carolyn Claypoole thanked museum staff, volunteers and board members whose hard physical labor over the past several months provided the perfect finishing touches.

The massive renovation project of the private, nonprofit institution signaled the successful completion of the first phase of the museum’s long-term plan to promote fiscal sustainability. It is the cornerstone of its strategic vision: To create a model multiuse facility with programs promoting agriculture, education and an appreciation of Delaware’s rural traditions.

The centerpiece of the renovation is the museum’s new 1980 Club Gallery which, at just over 5,000 square feet, provides an elegant, modern setting for weddings, receptions and banquets. Complementing the 1980 Club Gallery are the spacious South Gallery where church services are frequently held and the new Delmarva Room outfitted to handle in-person or virtual meetings as well as elegant private luncheons or dinners.

For all events, clients have the freedom to choose their own caterer. Ample, free on-site parking is a continuing feature of the museum’s rental package.

For more information, go to www.agriculturalmuseum.org/event-space.

Relying heavily on funding from many private donors, a supportive and generous state Legislature, and recent grants from federal and state cultural institutions, the museum’s 38,000 square feet of exhibit space, multiple event galleries, and five-acre historic 1890s Village offer educational opportunities and beautiful, unique settings for events and activities that celebrate Delaware’s rich agricultural life, both past and present. Delawareans are never more than an hour away from this centrally located, dynamic institution.