Delaware Museum of Nature & Science
Dinosaurs, the Nature Nook, and a hands-on Discovery Gallery — the best rainy-day museum in NCC for curious kids.
4840 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, DE 19807
Hours
9:30 AM – 4 PM
Show the week Hide the week
| Fri | 9:30 AM – 4 PM |
|---|---|
| Sat | 9:30 AM – 4 PM |
| Sun | 9:30 AM – 4 PM |
| Mon | 9:30 AM – 4 PM |
| Tue | 10 AM – 3:30 PM |
| Wed | 10 AM – 3:30 PM |
| Thu | 10 AM – 3:30 PM |
Last checked 2026-09-28
- Cost
- $15.50 (ages 3+) adult · $5.50 (ages 1-2) child
- Best for
- 3-12
- Indoor / outdoor
- Indoor
- Typical visit
- 90 minutes - 2 hours
Has a dedicated under-5 space with its own posted schedule, and it opens earlier than the other indoor stops here.
The Quick Version
- • Recently renovated natural history museum with the PaleoZone (Delaware's only permanent dinosaur exhibit), the PNC Grow Up Great Nature Nook for the youngest visitors, the hands-on Bill & Denise Spence Discovery Gallery, and rotating exhibits.
- • Indoor museum — great for any weather. The building is a manageable size for young visitors.
- • Free, easy parking right at the door. One of the easiest logistics experiences of any NCC venue.
- • Plan 90 minutes to 2 hours. Enough depth for repeat visits.
Best Ages
3-12
Plan For
90 minutes - 2 hours
Adults
$15.50 (ages 3+)
Kids
$5.50 (ages 1-2)
What to Expect
DMNS is a mid-sized natural history museum on Kennett Pike in the Greenville area. It went through a significant renovation and feels fresh and well-maintained. The collection spans paleontology (Delaware's only permanent dinosaur exhibit), Delaware wildlife, live animal exhibits, and hands-on science.
The museum is the right size for young families — big enough to be interesting, small enough that you can see everything without exhaustion. The PNC Grow Up Great Nature Nook is the anchor for the youngest visitors; the Bill & Denise Spence Discovery Gallery is the hands-on space where preschoolers and elementary kids dig into experiential activities. Scheduled live-animal presentations show up most weekends — confirm at the front desk.
Most of the museum is indoors, but there's more outside than many families realize: woods, trails and a wildlife blind on the grounds. It's a good way to let kids wander before or after the galleries, and the shaded picnic tables on the side of the museum make an easy lunch spot.
It's not a flashy, big-city museum. What it is: a clean, well-run, appropriately-scaled science museum where your preschooler can touch a fossil, watch a turtle, build something, and leave happy in 90 minutes.
Who It's Best For
Preschoolers love the Nature Nook and the hands-on Discovery Gallery. Elementary kids engage with the PaleoZone fossils, the Global Journey and Regional Journey ecosystem galleries, and scheduled animal presentations. Kids under 3 can enjoy the Nature Nook but won't get much from the rest. Tweens find enough here for a solid visit.
Highlights
PaleoZone
Ages 3+Delaware's only permanent dinosaur exhibit. Skeletons of Dryptosaurus, the flying Nyctosaur, and the aquatic giant Mosasaur. Kids who are in a dinosaur phase will need to be pulled away.
PNC Grow Up Great Nature Nook
Ages 0-5Dedicated space for the youngest visitors with hands-on activities and story-time programs (10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., not Mondays). Hours are tighter than the rest of the museum — closed Mondays; Tuesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Bill & Denise Spence Discovery Gallery
Ages 2-10Hands-on experiential space that builds on concepts introduced throughout the museum. Where preschoolers and elementary kids dig in for the longest stretch.
Live Animal Presentations
All agesScheduled programs where a naturalist brings live animals out for an up-close look. Run most weekends — confirm the day's schedule at the front desk on arrival.
Global & Regional Journey Galleries
Ages 5+Ecosystem walks through world habitats (oceans, Arctic tundra, African savanna, rainforests) and Delaware's own (forests, dunes, salt marshes, Delaware Bay). Mounted specimens and interactive elements; pairs well with what kids see on local nature walks.
Trails, woods and a wildlife blind
All agesThe museum's outdoor area has woods, trails and a wildlife blind. A good break from the galleries, and a way to stretch a visit on a nice day.
What to Skip with Little Ones
- • Rushing through — the museum rewards slow, curious exploration over a quick walkthrough.
- • The reading-heavy informational panels. Little kids engage through the visuals and touchables, not the text.
Logistics
Admission
Adults
$15.50 (ages 3+)
Kids
$5.50 (ages 1-2)
Under
Under 1 free
5% cash discount available. Members free. Open 9:30 AM – 4 PM; Nature Nook (the toddler space): closed Mondays; Tuesday–Sunday 10 a.m.–3:30 p.m. Visitors under 16 must be with an adult.
Membership tip: Family membership is good value if you visit quarterly — it's the kind of museum kids want to revisit.
Getting There
Parking
Free, in the museum's own lot out front; accessible spaces are to the left in front of the main building. It's one of the easiest venue experiences in the area.
Entrance
Main entrance from the parking lot. Front desk is right inside — friendly staff, quick admission.
Parent Logistics
Strollers work fine through the main galleries, with wide hallways and exhibit spaces. Most families with toddlers use the stroller as a base and let kids walk between exhibits.
Restrooms are in the hall between the atrium and the Regional Journey Gallery. A single-stall accessible restroom is also available — ask at the front desk.
Ask at the front desk.
Mostly indoors. Outside, the picnic tables on the side of the museum are shaded.
Food & Snacks
The Rest, Relax, & Recharge Cafe offers prepackaged snacks, coffee, water, and other drinks. You can bring your own food to eat in the cafe area and on the patio, just not in the galleries.
Snack strategy: The on-site cafe is fine for a quick refuel, but the selection is limited — pack snacks too if you're staying past lunch. For a real meal afterward, the Greenville area has options: Buckley's Tavern (family-friendly pub, 5 minutes away), or head down Kennett Pike toward Centerville or Wilmington.
Pro Tips
- ✓ Ask at the front desk about the day's live animal presentation schedule — these are short, engaging, and free with admission.
- ✓ The gift shop is well-curated with nature-themed toys and books. Reasonably priced for a museum shop.
- ✓ This is one of the best 'emergency plan' museums in the area. Easy parking, quick in-and-out, and reliably entertaining for under-7s.
- ✓ Check the rotating exhibit before you visit — some temporary exhibits are exceptionally good for kids.
- ✓ Combine with Winterthur (10-minute drive) for a full day: museum in the morning, Enchanted Woods in the afternoon.
When to Go
Best Time to Visit
Weekday mornings are quiet. Saturday mornings are busier but manageable. The museum doesn't get overwhelmingly crowded.
Seasonal Notes
Open year-round with consistent indoor exhibits. Special programming during school breaks. The rotating exhibit gallery changes 2-3 times per year — check what's on.
Rainy Day?
A strong rainy-day option: the exhibits are all indoors and parking is right at the door. On a dry day, save time for the trails outside.
While You're in the Area
Winterthur is 10 minutes north on Kennett Pike. Hagley is 10 minutes south. Buckley's Tavern in Centerville is a solid family lunch spot. Delaware Art Museum is a 10-minute drive toward Wilmington.
Upcoming Events
Collections & Research Tours: Behind the Scenes
Sun, Nov 1 at 1:00 PM
Families can step beyond the public galleries into the museum’s Collections & Research department, an area normally closed to visitors. These small-group tours reveal how shells, fossils, birds, and other natural history objects are preserved and studied. Participants will learn how these collections help scientists track environmental change, uncover new discoveries, and answer questions about the world.
More infoTeens in grades 7-12 will explore paleontology through hands-on activities like fossil excavation, assembling dinosaur skeletons, and creating petrified prints. The event includes a free dinner, guest speakers, and opportunities to engage with local science experts in a teen-led program.
More infoSensory Friendly Sunday
Sun, Nov 15 at 8:30 AM
Families can explore the museum in a relaxed atmosphere with reduced noise, lower lights, and fewer people. The event offers early access and hands-on activities designed for a variety of developmental levels.
More infoBirthday parties here
Featured in these guides
Know when something good is on near Delaware Museum of Nature & Science
Free, one email a week — the weekend's best picks for New Castle County families, with ages, cost and logistics on each pick.