The past comes alive in Dover, Delaware, the cozy town where leaders ratified the U.S. Constitution for the first time. Now you can see where history was made by touring historic colonial homes or visiting museums dedicated to such old-fashioned devices as the Victrola. Downtown Dover is the city’s cultural hub, home to colorful gardens, lively theaters and renowned museums. You’ll hear hints of the modern world throughout Dover as stock cars zip around the racetrack and bustling legislators tackle current issues in the state capitol. Whether it is history or the thrill of a race that brought you to Dover, you’re sure to have plenty of things to do!
Day at the Museum
The Air Mobility Command Museum is the only kind in the world exclusively devoted to the unsung heroes of military airlifts and air refueling. Focusing on efforts from World War I to present day, the museum showcases a variety of military uniforms and more than 30 aircraft, including cargo haulers, bombers and helicopters. Visit the Johnson Victrola Museum, which honors Delaware’s own Eldridge Reeves Johnson, founder of the Victor Talking Machine Co. in 1901. Free to the public, the museum includes historic phonographs, early recordings and artwork relating to the revered visionary.
Historic Haunts
Explore the grounds of the historic mid-18th-century John Dickinson Plantation, home to Delaware’s founding father and signer of the Constitution. Enjoy a free tour of the home, led by period-dressed curators, and learn more about the 12-acre tobacco farm and the life and times of the revolutionary leader. Continue your history lesson where the First State conducts its business at the Delaware Legislative Hall, the state's 1933 capitol building. Guided tours are available on weekdays and the first Saturday of every month. Stops on the tour include the House and Senate chambers.
Sports and Recreation
Do you feel the need for speed? Head to the world-famous Dover International Speedway, nicknamed the Monster Mile. The 750-acre facility and its one-mile concrete track, thought to be the fastest in the world, hosts NASCAR events in May and October. On the day of a race, the 8-acre Monster FunZone entertains kids with its bouncy houses, rock-climbing walls and obstacle courses. Take a break from the track-fueled fumes and enjoy a peaceful respite with your family at the 182-acre Silver Lake Park. Take a walk along the water, but leave your swimsuit home&mash;swimming is not allowed. The park has volleyball courts and playgrounds for the kids. Or, use the boat launch for a day on the lake, where you can fish for bass, carp and catfish.
Dining Out
Delight in an authentic Italian meal at family-owned Piazza Mia (492 S. Red Haven Ln., Dover), a casual restaurant with a lavish backlit mural of the Rome's Trevi fountain on one wall and a working fountain in the center of the dining room. Enjoy a slice of thin Neapolitan-style pizza or rich pasta dishes, such as lobster ravioli, all partnered with a fine wine. For laid-back tavern fare, visit Restaurant 55 (2461 South State St., Dover), where you can fill up on massive burgers and wash your meal down with local craft beer favorites, like Dogfish Head or Fordham & Dominion.