Delaware Children's Museum
The Riverfront's indoor playground for toddlers and preschoolers — rain or shine.
550 Justison St, Wilmington, DE 19801
Hours
10 AM – 5 PM
Show the week Hide the week
| Fri | 10 AM – 5 PM |
|---|---|
| Sat | 10 AM – 5 PM |
| Sun | 10 AM – 5 PM |
| Mon | Closed |
| Tue | Closed |
| Wed | 10 AM – 5 PM |
| Thu | 10 AM – 5 PM |
Last checked 2026-09-28
- Cost
- $15 adult · $15 child
- Best for
- 2-7
- Indoor / outdoor
- Indoor
- Typical visit
- 90 minutes - 2 hours
Purpose-built for kids and open both weekend days, so it is the reliable rainy-day answer on the Riverfront.
The Quick Version
- • Reopens Saturday, October 3, after a closure from September 8 to October 2, 2026.
- • Indoor and hands-on, built for young kids; in our view it suits ages 2–7 best.
- • Free parking in Riverfront Lot K (entrance on Beech Street, across from Penn Cinema).
- • Plan 90 minutes to 2 hours. Outside food and drink are allowed.
- • A dependable rain-day pick for toddlers and preschoolers, though rainy days are among its busiest.
Best Ages
2-7
Plan For
90 minutes - 2 hours
Adults
$15
Kids
$15
What to Expect
DCM is a hands-on, STEM-themed children's museum on the Wilmington Riverfront. It's smaller and more low-key than the Please Touch Museum in Philadelphia, and for NCC families with kids under 7 it's an easy indoor option close to home.
The exhibits by name: Kokoun, a hand-woven climbing structure; ECOnnect, with an interactive stream table; Training Wheels, a transportation area for the youngest visitors; Structures, building-trade role play; Farm-To-Table (Peach Blossom Farm), where kids play farmer, florist and chef; Studio D for art; the S.T.E.M. Room; DCM Speedway; and the Tree Pavilion.
Good to know: children must be supervised by an adult (18+) at all times, shoes stay on, and adults can't visit without a child unless they're with a confirmed group. The museum doesn't rent party rooms, though you're welcome to celebrate in the public spaces.
Who It's Best For
Our take: the sweet spot is 2–7. The exhibits are built at small-kid scale, and Training Wheels is aimed at the museum's youngest visitors. Older kids tend to finish faster; Kokoun (the climbing structure) and the S.T.E.M. Room hold them longest.
Highlights
Kokoun
The museum's hand-woven climbing structure. It's the piece older kids head for first.
ECOnnect
Nature exhibits built around an interactive stream table. Sleeves up; a spare shirt doesn't hurt.
Training Wheels
ToddlersA transportation-themed area the museum designs for its youngest visitors, with a nursing area.
Farm-To-Table
Peach Blossom Farm: pretend farming, gardening, flower-selling and cooking.
What to Skip with Little Ones
- • Saturday late mornings during school breaks, when it's at its busiest.
- • Planning it as a full day. Most families are ready to move on after 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Logistics
Admission
Adults
$15
Kids
$15
Under
Under 12 months free
Same price for adults and children. Tickets are bought at the admission desk when you arrive; there are no advance tickets. CAPs (Community Access Program) Night: the third Wednesday of each month except September, $2 admission 5–8 PM; members free, and complimentary admission for teachers and military.
Membership tip: Family membership is $149 and covers two adults and two children for 13 months ($25 per extra child, $10 per extra adult). Worth it if you'd go every month or two. Half-price admission at 200+ children's museums is an optional $20 add-on.
Getting There
Parking
Free in Riverfront Wilmington's Lot K at Beech Street and Shipyard Drive. The lot entrance is on Beech Street, across from Penn Cinema; for GPS, the museum suggests 601 S Madison Street.
Lot K is the museum's own free lot, so skip the paid Riverfront lots.
Entrance
Main entrance at 550 Justison Street. The admission desk and the DCM Depot gift shop are just inside.
Parent Logistics
The museum doesn't publish a stroller policy. Our take: the space is built for small kids to roam, so many families let toddlers walk.
Restrooms inside the museum.
The museum doesn't list changing tables online; Training Wheels includes a nursing area.
Indoors.
Food & Snacks
No food on-site. No café. Snack items are sold at the DCM Depot gift shop by the admission desk, and outside food and drink are allowed.
Snack strategy: Bring your own snacks and lunch; public tables are first-come, first-served. For a sit-down meal, the Riverfront restaurants are a short walk.
Pro Tips
- ✓ Go on a weekday afternoon for the quietest visit; weekday mornings fill with field trips.
- ✓ CAPs Night (third Wednesday of each month except September, 5–8 PM) is $2 a person, and free for members, teachers and military.
- ✓ Pack lunch: outside food is allowed and there's no café.
- ✓ Combine with a Riverwalk stroll afterward; the path is flat and paved.
- ✓ Check the museum's events page for programs before you go.
- ✓ DCM or the Please Touch Museum? DCM is closer and cheaper; Please Touch is bigger with more programming.
When to Go
Best Time to Visit
Weekday afternoons are the slowest, per the museum. Weekday mornings run busy with school field trips, and weekend afternoons, rainy days and holiday Mondays are the busiest. The museum is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Seasonal Notes
Reopens Saturday October 3 after a closure from September 8 to October 2, 2026. Otherwise open Wednesday–Sunday 10 AM–5 PM, closed Monday and Tuesday, with select holiday Mondays 10 AM–3 PM. Indoors, so it earns its keep in winter and on rainy days. Check the museum's site for programs around school breaks.
Rainy Day?
Indoors and open in any weather (Wednesday–Sunday), so rainy days are among its busiest; an afternoon visit helps. Pair it with lunch on the Riverfront for a roughly 3-hour outing.
While You're in the Area
The Wilmington Riverfront has plenty to pair with: the Riverwalk path, Constitution Yards (seasonal beer garden), Frawley Stadium (Blue Rocks games), and Launch Trampoline Park (for older kids). Iron Hill Brewery is a solid family lunch option.
Upcoming Events
No upcoming events listed for Delaware Children's Museum right now.
Check all eventsFeatured in these guides
Know when something good is on near Delaware Children's Museum
Free, one email a week — the weekend's best picks for New Castle County families, with ages, cost and logistics on each pick.