Hagley Museum And Library Reviews

If you are at all interested in the history of the Dupont family, Hagley is a critical visit. This is where the DuPont Company established its first operation.....a gunpowder mill...in the U.S. And do it on foot. First, walk thru the enclosed and air conditioned museum, then take a very leisurely stroll past the many stone buildings that comprised the factory. All bordering the beautiful Brandywine River. Perhaps stop to visit a former workers’ living quarters and take a lunch break at the charming restaurant to have a salad or a sandwich and soup, perhaps coffee and desert. It will be a well spent 60-90 minutes.

I stopped here en route to the coast. The tour and history of the area was very interesting and something you don't read about often in history books. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and the museum was in very nice condition.

Very interesting place and the preservations they made are great for them to use and nurture this
Museum so that the future generations will see for themselves what they preserved.

The museum is great but the tour is topnotch. The metal working shop is fantastic and all original. The gunpowder exhibit and show is fun.

Always learning something new even after numerous visits. House tours are great!!
Belin Cafe offers a high end variation on common "Site" food. I recommend the tortellini!!

We spent a wonderful few hours visiting the Hagley Museum and grounds. We were able to walk and stop at several sites. The docents were very knowledgeable and friendly. Midway we boarded a bus with a small group of 8 and continued the tour which included the main house, barn and gardens. I would highly recommend a trip. It’s been many years since my last visit. Much has been added. It was well worth the admission price. You can easily spend three or four hours and enjoy lunch in the cafe. Don’t miss it.

This 235 acre indoor/outdoor museum offers a wonderful opportunity to learn about the life of E. I. du Pont and the makings of gun powder--one of America's earliest industries. This museum complex is situated alongside the lovely Brandywine River, a site chosen by du Pont because of the rock available to quarry for his buildings, water power to run the mills and the availability of raw materials. Beginning at the visitor center where there are three floors of interesting exhibits we learned and learned! Then we boarded a bus to continue to explore the property and not only were there recorded bits of information as we rode through the area but Matt, our bus driver, was also quite knowledgeable and could answer questions and offer additional information.
We stopped at the Powder Yard where Ann, the docent there, demonstrated the use of the diverted stream from the river to supply power to turn the huge grinding machine that ground the gun powder. At the Millwright and Machine Shop, the docent demonstrated the water power that turned all the machines inside that were used to repair the various tools used throughout the complex. We were ready for lunch at that point so made our way to the Belin House Organic Café where the menu was interesting and the food delicious, made even better by the pleasant friendly lady who took our orders and served our food as well as the inexpensive prices. We just need to return at a later date to tour the Eleutherian Mills home of the DuPonts and their gardens there.

This was a GREAT experience for my wife and myself. The grounds were beautiful and the guides and demonstrations were very informative and brought the visit to life. Everyone thinks they know about the DuPont Company, but a visit to Bagley Museum and touring the grounds where it all started was amazing. We highly recommend a visit.

Very interesting and nice place where we learned more about the DuPont family and Delawares industrial history.

We thoroughly enjoyed the day at Hagley. Our day included a tour of the house, office and barns at Eleutherian Mills- the first home of the Du Ponts in the US and site of their gunpowder works. The day included nice lunch at the organic cafe, touring the workers houses, the machine shop (with demos) and powder mills. Very informative and interesting pieces of our history. We chose to walk when we could rather than taking the bus (which is required for a portion of the visit) and logged in 6 miles of walking that day!

We thoroughly enjoyed our visit! What made it so great was all the information the staff/volunteers share with you! We found it all fascinating. The gentleman (John?) that was in the steel shop was just so friendly and forthcoming. We only regret we didn't allow more time to explore. You can easily spend a day here. This is worth the trip.

Exceeded our expectations. Nicely done welcome center with exhibits on inventions.
Take the shuttle bus up the hill to the Dupont Mansion. We learned about the history of the DuPont family and their start with gunpowder manufacturing. There's are a couple of small buildings with exhibits on how water powered early factories and the mechanics of water wheels. Another building with some antique cars, horse-drawn wagons and a Conestoga wagon. Reasonable entrance fee ($20) but free if you are a NARM member. Plan to spend 2-3 hours.

Hagley is a great place for locals and visitors alike. I live in the area and visit often. In the summer they have evening bike and hikes once a week for a buck or two. People of all ages attend, bringing picnics as well. The buildings are closed at this time, but the grounds are beautiful. They add other events like wine tasting or a bat hike to some of the hikes. Touring the buildings and grounds on different days is interesting, and they offer guided tours. There are events every month that are set up to please all age groups. There's always something different to do there.

Arrived about 1:20 at the visitors center ( missed the walkthrough display as we rushed to catch the bus) and left at closing 4:15. Multiple bus stops with guided demonstrations or tours at each stop. You can walk the area too but very windy and cool this Saturday.
Bussed to top of hill then a guided tour thru vegetable garden the house. Guide very knowledgeable and doing guiding here since 2008.
Returned to bus. Next stop a small building with a demonstration of steam engine used when the flowing water of the Brandywine River freezes to keep black powder operations going.
Returned to bus. Next stop the millwright & machine repair shop with excellent skilled guided demonstration of machines. Showing how water and leather belt driven machines like drills, lathes, planers were used. Mechanically really cool!
Next stop was too grinding wheel shed where the three ingredients imported saltpeter, charcoal ( manufactured here in the yard) and imported sulphur are mixed with moist water and ground into a fine powder then dried. The quality of the black powder made here and methods used were superior to competitors. A calibrated explosive test demonstrated F4 grained powder with “bang”.
A nice walk of 1/4 mile back to the visitors center and everything was closing so missed displays inside.

We got to the Hagley at 3:30 on a Saturday and only had time to visit the museum and the gift shop. We returned the next day to tour the mansion and the gun powder mill. There were other things to see and do, but they were better with kids. We had been touring the area for a few days and had already seen so much, we didn’t mind taking it easy. The museum will allow you to return for 7 days on your originally purchased ticket. It was the du Ponts first state and was not as impressive as some others, but we missed the famous gardens since it was still very cold when we toured. A bus will take you up and back from the Visitor’s Center, and a docent will take you on about an hour tour of the home. We enjoyed it quite a bit.

Each year we attend the annual classic car show in September at Hagley museum. There are usually tons of cars, many of them antique or unique. Each year they feature a different class of cars. They have 2 parades of cars during the day as well. My family enjoys this event. It is an all day event, 9am-4pm. We usually enter a car, so admission for the car load of persons is included with the car registration. However, spectators can purchase an entry ticket at around $10 per person.

Overall, the car show at Hagley is a nice day that includes viewing the rows of cars, checking out the old jukebox display & raffle, listening to the oldies playing over the field, kids riding the pedal cars, video car racing, a tour of the house/gardens, the car parades, multiple food vendors,etc. Only downside is that there are no flush toilets for this event...think port-a-potties.

Bottom Line: I would recommend and we will be back.

Not only is this is beautiful piece of history along the Brandywine River rapids but is very well done. There are many volunteers that make the experience personal, fun, and educational. You even get a taste of a DuPont mansion as well as learn about the impacts they had on the development of our country as a whole.

The Hagley Museum and Library is comprised of over 200 acres. It would be prudent to do a little homework before setting out to visit, due to the vast acreage and numerous buildings on site.

Whatever signs they've provided have been beautifully done in good taste; however, they somehow blend into the scenery. A stranger in town needs to become quite a detective to maneuver their way around this place. As an example, we drove right past the main entrance. A few miles away, we knew we were too far and turned around to find an almost hidden driveway as the entrance.

As we entered, we saw a sign that said, "Parking," so, of course, we parked there. After walking quite a distance, we discovered the real parking lot was right in front of the visitor's center!

After paying for our tickets, the clerk never told us to begin our tour with a visit to a display museum, which was right behind her. There were no signs posted that indicated a museum was within, so we missed that one. Then, no indication that a bus was available to take us to the main house exhibit, or any signs to say, "Bus stops here." When we finally found the bus, we ran and were the last passengers to board, even though we were waiting around in the wrong place for 20 minutes. There would be another bus in an hour!

We were rushed through the main house like cattle, so there was very little time to really appreciate the beauty and importance of it. I quickly pulled out my camera and caught a few photos to remember it all. It seemed as if everyone there was worn out and tired; and as if they'd done it all a million times.

Lunch at their farmhouse was quite nice and reasonably priced. Dining was available both inside and outside. If you can get the parking down correctly, it's free of charge. Admission fees are modest - $10 for seniors. They give you a sticker to wear while in the venue. Recommend going when weather is pleasant because it is so very beautiful to walk along the roads and paths, which are adjacent to Brandywine Creek. A little homework is needed before making this trip.

Ton of walking and worthy-
We visited black-powder demo, hydro mechanical powerdemo and an example of a foreman's living quarter. Fascinating.

Our family enjoyed the beautiful grounds. There was a good variety of activities and information for history enthusiasts. A particular interesting part of the tour were the powder mills. It amazed us that the machinery still worked and continues to run from energy generated from the original water turbines. Docents were friendly and extremely knowledgeable. We were so glad we visited.

The grounds are very pretty. The place and house is somewhat interesting but, in my view, not interesting enough for a 50 minute house tour. It could easily be reduced to 20 or 25 minutes so you could get an earlier bus back.

This is one of many attractions included in the Wilmington Passport. It is very interesting and worth the visit. There are several parts to this tour. A bus takes you up a hill to see the barn, garden, and Dupont house where they take you on a guided tour of the house and grounds which includes the original office for the Dupont company. There are also demonstrations in the buildings along the river. Finally there is a little village to see which includes a small school house and their organic café which is a good place to eat lunch. Plan at least a half day to see it all.

The Hagley is an underrated treasure of early Americana. The estate of E. I. Dupont, who arrived in 1802, was one of the birthplaces of American industry. The well-preserved house, along with the 19th century workshops along the Brandywine Creek for making black gunpowder (the initial family business, which generated great wealth), are thoughtfully presented by knowledgeable and approachable guides.

Although they are still recovering somewhat from hurricane-related flooding a few years ago, this museum is well worth a visit.

This is not the most amazing museum in the world, the country, or even necessarily the best of Delaware. When I first arrived to DE as a teenager, I didn't think it had anything to offer in the way of culture, but the DuPont family really made its mark on the state. So much of the history of DE is connected to this family and it is seen through its network of museums including Winterthur, Nemours Mansion & Gardens, and even Longwood Gardens in PA. As I have now seen all of the former DuPont estates turned museums, I have gained a greater appreciation for these estates that have allowed history to be frozen in time.

I think Hagley is for a little older crowd who can really appreciate the milling history of Delaware and the DuPonts, but there are some things that are appealing to younger kids. There are the classic cars in the barn and they do have a gingerbread making contest around Christmas. The period rooms are more for adults. We didn't see everything on the expansive grounds, as the weather was a little colder and we didn't do too much walking.

There is a cost for entrance, but we went for free due to a promotion with a local realtor. We'd like to come again when the our kids (age 6 and 4) are a little older and the weather is a little warmer, but we did like that our visit was free.

Definitely a must visit to enjoy some history, the beautiful outdoors, great docents, and a way to understand the history of the Dupont family and Black powder production. Entry fee is a bargain at nine dollars and we spent 3+ hours there and could’ve spent more.

My wife and I recently toured the Hagley Museum, and found it to be a very enjoyable half day attraction. Only issue we had was several of the attractions were closed - the 2nd and 3rd floors of the visitor center, the powerhouse, and the "Easy Does It" nature center. It would have been nice if we had been notified of these closures when paying the admission fee. We still would have toured the property, but would not have wasted time trying to see the sites that were unavailable to us.

We enjoyed the museum and walking the grounds. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly. We didn't visit and listen to all the stops due to time constraints, but suspect they are as well done as those we had time for. There is an entry fee but a bus is available to get an overall look and required to reach the home. The Museum is a Smithsonian Affiliate

The Hagley complex, on 235 acres is fabulous, with the centerpiece being Eleutherian,overlooking the Brandywine,the 1st home built in America by a DuPont in 1802. As you enter the property there is a nice visitor center that gives you a history of the DuPont's and a tour is available by bus to certain stops around the site. This can be done on foot but it is a fairly large property. Along the Brandywine River there are still many historic buildings and features from this working village, with gunpowder demonstrations, exhibits, gardens, and ruins all in such a beautiful setting. It is amazing that many of the inventions that came from the DuPont Company such as dynamite, nylon, tyvek, orlon, dacron, Freon, kevlar, mylar and lycra just to name a few, we take for granted. This family dynasty has it's rightful place in American history.

Good if you know nothing of gun powder or the dupont family. If you know anything about either you will be bored to years. Docents are nice but are way too chatty and go on and on about trivia. Transportation system is poor especially if you are handicapped or have trouble walking. They have trams but they do not run on a schedule. They call for a team when you need one. Can wait 20 minutes. Walking is not far but hilly. Great if you like to see how the rich lived. The dupont family made great contributions but this was too much detail unless you really like history.

Fantastic tour of the history of the duPont family's work. Great diaramas that kids love, beautiful grounds to walk.

I learned such a lot with this visit, The house and the ground were nice BUT you have to see the demonstrations of the gunpowder and the machine shop. Absolutely amazing for the history and the sheer amount of work that could be done before the days of electricity. I loved seeing the sheer power of water and what you could do with it when it was harnessed.

Wonderful. Very knowledgeable staff. Enjoyed very much. Learned so much. Beautiful grounds. Easy to walk from one exhibit to next, but there is a shuttle bus

When deciding what to do on our one day to sightsee while in Wilmington, we were disappointed that so many places were closed on Monday. We chose to go to Hagley Museum because it was open. Thanks other places for being closed - as we probably wouldn't have come to visit.
What a delightful day! We learned so much about the venue and the DuPont family. Thanks to all the very friendly and informative workers who shared their extensive knowledge. Lunch at the Belin Cafe was yummy, too.

The Hagley Museum is a must-see. Come on now it's the start of the DuPont story. The Hagley museum is a very beautiful place to walk around and see how things were back in a day.

Super neat “museum”. Great experience touring the site of the Du Pont home black powder mill. Great history, stunningly beautiful property and amazing tour guides. Fun demos throughout the property. Highly recommend this great place.

So relaxing and quiet. Simply beautiful. Benches to sit during walking . Views of the Brandywine are awesome

We were pleasantly surprised by this attraction
We learned about the important role of the river in bringing about economic development and prosperity to the area.
Our time was limited but we saw a demonstration of how the factories actually obtained their power from the river
The docent was quite knowledgeable
The exhibits are well done
From the buildings on the site one gets a good impression of life during the era of making gunpowder
We also visited the restored DuPont home
The docent was superb
Our only disappointment was that we did not have enough time
The cafe on site offers good healthy food and value for your money

If you are in the Wilmington, Delaware area and have several hours, please visit this museum. We read a variety of reviews, but they didn't really do justice. We spent 3.5 hours and didn't cover everything.
Note, we like museums and tend to read available descriptions. And we happened to be the only couple on the tour of the house.....the tour after us caught up to us (we tend to ask questions....yes, we are THOSE people).
We plan to return in the spring or summer to see the gardens and finish.

We enjoyed very much each element of the Museum. Terry, the bus driver, Amy at the Black powder area and everyone involved were very interesting and informative
We were most pleased

What a beautiful interesting place. So much to see that you would need a whole day to see it all. We did a quick tour. Tour guide Elton was very informative but we were in a hurry and had to cut him off. You get to tour the DuPont mansion (beautiful!) and hear all about the family and the history of the gunpowder factory. Incredible interesting. The whole area runs along a river and is absolutely beautiful.

Wonderful place that takes you back in time,something for everyone,homes,mansions,cars,machine shops,making of gunpowder with demo explosions.Some walking but a small bus takes you to the different areas.There's enough to see to take all day.

If you want to learn more about the DuPont family, it's influence in the United States and its contributions to science, energy and technology, this is a great place to visit.

The grounds are nice in that you can walk between various site locations or use a bus; all areas have professional tour guides or demonstrators. The main museum has a gift shop and some very good background on aspects of the area, the DuPont family, and a nice interactive children's floor (for creative endeavors.

The grounds are quite nice, the manor home is a wonderful tour, as are the smith works and steam turbine building.

Suggest you visit when the weather is cooler and have lots of hydration available if walking the grounds.

This place was fascinating and on beautiful grounds. I highly recommend the trip.

One could just go to walk along the beautiful Brandywine Creek among old stone industrial buildings and enjoy the day. However, the history, demonstrations and tour guides make this place a real gem. The personal attention and explanations from the guides was marvelous.
The Powder Mill, Machine Shop and Steam Engine Demos were interesting and definitely worth scheduling into your visit.
The "Science Saturday" exhibits were a nice engaging bonus for my 8 & 10 year olds.

Traveled to Delaware in early November so the mornings were quite cool, but the people and knowledge of the people at the museum was great. Had tours and demonstrations that were very interactive and if you arrive late in the day you can also come back to continue at the Museum (I got a late start and didn't arrive till 3pm and they close earlier in the winter). When I return to the area it will be on my list to go back and complete my tour as I didn't get to see the house at all but just the area on making black powder.

Hagley is a gem and definitely worth a visit, even during the abbreviated winter tour schedule. our tour was memorable in large part due to the wit and wisdom of our tour guide / interpreter - Rodney. the tour encompasses two parts - the beginnings of the DuPont fame and fortune as black powder makers and their first manor house on site. honestly Winterthur and Nemours are more impressive, but it all began here at Hagley and the black powder making process is unique. there is a restored and working 19th century water powered machining building on site that is fascinating

Fantastic house and grounds, world famous for many good reasons. Plan to spend 4-5 hours to see most of it. Worth every minute!

A very interesting place. Learn the history and see the way the place use to operate. Nice displays and working exhibits but it is not a place i would repeat a visit to.Side note, need better signage to drive to the place.

Despite the rainy day, our visit to the Hagley Museum was quite enjoyable. My father has been attempting to finish visiting all 50 states as part of his "bucket list" and we were in Maryland, so had to find something interesting to do in Delaware. This was it! It was not busy, on a Sunday afternoon and we got plenty of personalized attention from the docents as we worked our way around the grounds. The sample firing of black powder was fun and I really enjoyed learning some better penmanship in the schoolhouse, complete with feather quill and ink. Fascinating story of how the Dupont family once owned this land and how they contributed to the area. Definitely worth your time to stop by - spend an hour or four! The restaurant was not open at the time of year we went, so be sure to check on that if you plan to eat.

This is mostly a tour of a gun powder plant that started in the early 1800s by E.I. Dupont, which grew into the current chemical company. There is also his mansion and extensive grounds and some historic vehicles including a large Conestoga wagon. The guides are fantastic: very informative, informal and personable. The mansion is interesting too. There is a good and reasonable cafe too. For amazing American furnishings and furniture, go to the nearby Wintertur museum, mostly put together by a Dupont heir who was a great collector. There are several other sights related to the Duponts within about a 3 to 15 mile radius including the huge and impressive Longwood Gardens, so you can make a several day trip out of it as we did.

Hagley is much more than a museum, but a new word would have to be invented to describe it better. The care and effort that have gone into restoring this industrial site is amazing. If you visit Hagley expecting to see priceless relics behind glass, or carefully manicured flower beds you will be pleasantly surprised by the genuine feel of an operating mill town. The hint of aristocracy is there, with the house on the hill, the 350 year old Osage Orange, the Dupont automobile, etc. But the real charm of Hagley stems from the labor and ingenuity of those who worked there, shaping the history of Delaware and our young nation, and brought to life by dedicated staff and tour guides. And don't miss lunch at the café-the prices are reasonable, and the grilled cheese and tomato bisque were amazing!

I was taken here as a child and always enjoyed it but really didn't appreciate the History. Very interesting the Staff is great. It was a very hot day when I went and there were very few people there. I had a couple of the tours solo, just me and the Guide. Make sure that you see the Machine Shop, it's all Water Powered and they will run it for you. The House is also very interesting. Highly Recommend.

Planned on spending an hour here and ended up spending four. Fascinating museum and grounds, with enthusiastic and friendly guides. The different buildings / artifacts have thorough write ups, and there are several tours available too. Would particularly recommend the gunpowder tour.

It was almost empty when I was there, which also provided the extra benefit of a nice quiet walk through what felt like a private riverside park.

There is wifi throughout the grounds.

Hagley Museum is well done. It is a lovely historical Dupont home on the river. There is a working machine shop, a powder mill, and steam engine. The docents were very informative about this family and their industrial impact to the development of the sate of Delaware. The home and grounds are nice. We visited the summer and enjoyed the fireworks. Great place to hike or bike.

Has got to be the most underrated museum around To see where the Dupont empire started with so much physical exsertion.All the stone work and labor involved.Not sitting on a computer to make their fortune.Risk takers and an intregel part in the growth of early United States.Loved this whole set up so much we spent two days here.

On Saturday we spent the day touring the Dupont family home ( Winterthur museum), on Sunday we toured the Hagley Museum, more specifically, Dupont family's first home and black powder mill. There were demonstrations of both the powdermills and the machine shop. Both powered by hydromechanical power using water that is diverted from the Brandywine river then reintroduced to the river when flowing through the turbine system that was built. The curator opened the sleuth gates, in flowed the water, and you can witness the turbine spooling up then go into the machine shop and see how that power was harnessed into each of the machines.
Another portion of that museum visit is the patent model museum which was very interesting.

First, let me say the house tour was five stars. Deb, our docent, did an excellent job and was knowledgeable about the du Pont family and everything in the home and office. We arrived at 9:30 a.m. The visitor center doesn’t open until 10 and absolutely not one minute before. We thought we would walk around, but were told that for “liability reasons” we could not. I guess liability ends at 10. There are only a few uncomfortable benches to sit on while waiting. The first tour was at 11 a.m., so we had an hour to kill. We were told we could wander through the buildings and see demonstrations, and then catch the shuttle to the house for the tour, which was supposed to pass by every 20 minutes. Most buildings were empty and the one demonstration available at the machine shop didn’t start until 11. We arrived at the machine shop around 10:20 a.m. and chatted with the docent who was interesting and eager to give us a demonstration but the timing of the demo clearly interfered with the house tour. While we chatted, we waited and waited and waited for the “20-minute shuttle” which finally rolled by at 10:50 a.m. When we told the shuttle driver (the same guy who was concerned about liability) that we were on the 11 a.m. tour, he said we “had missed it and would have to take the 11:30 a.m. tour.” He said we should have been at the house by 10:45 a.m. to watch a video, which was news to us. When we insisted on making the 11 a.m. tour because we were not late, he argued with us and grumbled about calling the docent “having to go to the house first” to drop us off (which took all of about a minute). In short, the execution of the tours and demonstrations is very poorly executed.

If you are interested in industrial history, this museum is for you!

We visited the Hagley museum as part of a trip to Delaware. Unfortunately, in the time of Covid everything inside was closed.

Although we could only tour the outside of the buildings, there were guides stationed at most of the areas who explained the attraction. Each was very friendly, greeted us warmly and were very knowledgeable. The guides demonstrated a lot of the machinery, which is pretty amazing considering how old it is.

The stories of life during this time was interesting as well. The DuPonts treated their workers differently than other industrial workers at the time.

We can’t wait to return when we are able to tour inside as well.

We visited Hagley on a rainy Monday and were very pleased with our visit. Our guide was wonderful and knowledgeable. I was especially surprised how much I enjoyed the machine shop demonstrations. We had a simple lunch of chili in the "cafe" and had warm brownies to finish it off. It was great to learn so much about the history of the early DuPont enterprises and the effects on the industrialization of the US.

This is a very nice museum. We learned about the DuPont family and their involvement with the creation of dynamite. This is an educational place and a very historic place. The live demonstrations were excellent. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable about the DuPont family and the surrounding area. A highly recommend museum when you are in the area.

One of the best museums I have ever visited. Wonderful tour. Very interesting and beautiful. If you like history, this is it.

The beginning of the DuPont legacy starts here with gunpowder. This museum has the most exceptional, knowledgeable staff. The grounds would have been beautiful to walk but it was a soggy rainy day. No worries the bus shuttle takes you around to all the main attractions. Learn about gunpowder production, harnessing water power and DuPont history.

This is more than a museum. It is the exact beautiful location where the nations’ majority of black powder was made. Both my husband and I now know how the black powder was manufactured and the difficulties the workers had to face. Also learned how the old machine shops worked using water turbine power. The docents were friendly and very knowledgeable.

My wheelchair bound engineer husband, 15 & 17 year old boys, and 13 year old girl all had a great time. The boys were very pleasantly surprised. Beautiful place, has made efforts at being handicapped accessible. As with most historical place there are some limitations. 4 hours were not enough!!! Plan to stay the day.

Elton & Bonnie, our tour guides, did an outstanding job. We loved all the history they were both able to give us. It was a rainy day so we did not get to see everything. We will be back for another visit in betterr weather

There is a reason the Harley Museum is the number one museum in Wilmington!

The historical importance of this museum can’t be emphasized.

A job well done by the staff in both presentation and presentation of all the information about the early DuPont family.

Plan on spending at least three hours to get a good understanding.

Very neat and well kept.

Enjoyed my time there and would go again if opportunity presented.

This is where the DuPont Company started. There is a museum with many interactive exhibits. A bus will drive you around the property with stops at several exhibits. The last stop is a mansion on the hill with gardens. There is also a large garage with several historic cars.
You can also walk along the Brandywine River and see some of the old powder houses.
People of all ages will appreciation what they see here.

It was interesting to tour the original duPont home, especially after visiting Nemours and Winterthur. This is the smallest of the 3 homes. Make sure you go to the garage and see the cars! The Powder Works had cannon demonstrations on the day we visited. Definitely ride the shuttle from the visitors center to the house -- it's an uphill 1.5 mile walk to get to the house.

We go to Hagely once a year for the annual car show in September. Last year was cancelled due to the pandemic, so we were excited to see it come back this year. The car show is always held in September on a Sunday from 9-4. Cars are parked in large grassy fields & several are chosen to participate in the scheduled car parades. They also have food trucks on location to provide breakfast, lunch and desserts. You can pay to enter to view the cars IF you are not a participant. Car show participant's admission is included in their car registration fee & includes all passengers in the vehicle.

Overall, we had another wonderful afternoon at Hagely Car Show. It is a nice show. You see all types of cars from Steamers to Muscle cars & American to Foreign cars. You never know what is going to show up. You can count on seeing several HUNDRED cars though! This car show does not disappoint. It is a nice relaxed setting too. They even have some activities for the kids such as pedal cars. The Alderman's tent usually has coloring pages for the kids too. Food trucks have always been good. I would recommend this car show and we will be back.

Great location!

This was a great find. Very interesting and well executed. The staff were extremely friendly and helpful, especially the ladies in the welcome center.

Joined old friends and former business associates at the annual fireworks event recently and was impressed with their coordination and planning! From the time you entered the parking area on the grounds there was affable staff members on hand to guide you to an appropriate spot. There was ample time to congregate with friends over good conversation, wine and food prior to the scheduled event. They provide enough portable toilets and wash stations to accommodate all in attendance. Finally, the fireworks show was expertly choreographed with pertinent information to give meaning, understanding and appreciation for the program. Both the patrons, some with children along with their fine staff made this an evening to remember! Very Highly Recommended!

It is really fascinating how a person from Europe came here knowing gunpowder was going to be huge in North America! It is how DuPont made their mark on America. The grounds are beautiful and it is neat to see how the worker community lived and was really taken care of by their boss. Also, the re-enactments and work shops were neat too.

What a great experience when you spend an afternoon at this amazing village. The best part are the tour guides and shuttle bus drivers who not only are well educated on their particular section of the DuPont gunpowder grounds, but they are super friendly and happy to share their knowledge. The factory and community is complete with a school and church began in 1802 through 1921 when gunpowder was replaced with more modern products. It is a very small fee which makes it affordable for anyone.

This is a fabulous historic site! The name is very misleading as it’s actually more like a village than a museum. I imagined it would be a converted mill but it’s actually the original mill village with a visitor’s centre which includes exhibits. Honestly you could spend a full afternoon there but unfortunately I didn’t arrive until half 2. Fran, who works on the admissions desk, told me there was two main routes I could take. The first was to explore the two floors of exhibits and then go on the resident’s tour which is an hour long tour of the Du Pont’s house (the mill owner). The second was to go to the mil yard and see two demonstrations, one on the machinery and one on gunpowder, then I could walk along the creek and visit the two exhibits. I opted for the second one as it was more unique to the mill than touring a 19th century house. You learn about the family on both tours as well. The machinery and gunpowder demonstrations were very interesting. I was able to see how they would use the water to power the mill and mix the gunpowder. It’s definitely a must see attraction!

My husband and I took our friend from N. Ireland here to give her some history about the area and we all had a wonderful day exploring the museum, Dupont home and grounds and the powder mill and learning about the family and the way the company started. The staff is very knowledgeable and made the experience very interesting. It was a lot of information to comprehend but it was done in interesting formats. The area is very peaceful and would be a wonderful place to just to relax and unwind. We ate in the café and the food was well prepared and very reasonably priced. Plan on at lease 3-4 hours at least to get the full experience.

It was a rainy day and we still loved our visit. The shuttle driver lent us an umbrella which was so helpful. Although the estate was not yet open, there is so much to see. All the demos of gunpowder and machine shop of gears was fantastic. All the employees were super friendly and informative. The gift shop was cute and the employee there was fun to talk to. The grounds are absolutely beautiful. Well worth a visit, rain or shine.

I had a group of 38 people tour this site and it couldn’t have gone better. They were super prepared for us and the location and weather was perfect. Beautiful setting! Go visit! It’s a fun place. We loved it.

This is where it all began for the du Pont family (and its botanical gardens) in America.

It's called the Hagley Museum and Library in honor of the area's name since at least 1797, but these 235 acres along Brandywine Creek hold the gunpowder yards where E. I. du Pont manufactured the family fortune, one of the company towns where his workers lived and, on the hillside above, the first du Pont family home and garden in America.

We weren't able to see the home and garden (see TIPS below). Botany was the family hobby, and the Brandywine Valley is sprinkled with du Pont homes surrounded by show and/or naturalistic gardens (Longwood Gardens, Winterthur and Mt. Cuba Center, to name three.)

The powder yard was fascinating. The roll mills where gunpowder ingredients were mixed still exist along Brandywine Creek. A guide explained how they worked, then gave a demonstration of the ear-shattering sound and billowing smoke generated by one bullet's worth of gunpowder. Another guide demonstrated how water from Brandywine Creek was diverted to spin a turbine that powered tools in a machine shop -- fascinating for the How Stuff Works crowd.

Just above the power yard is Workers' Hill, where some of du Pont's workers lived. The restored buildings (foreman's house, school, etc.) were interesting to see but no competition for the powder yards or, I imagine, the house and gardens.

TIPS:

* Check the Hagley Museum website for opening days and hours. We arrived just after 2 p.m. one day and were told we were too late to see Eleutherian Mills, the du Pont family home and gardens, which is reachable only by bus (with occasional exceptions).

A most excellent day. My daughter, grandchildren ( age 6 and 4) and myself, can not say enough good things about this location. There was something to do for everyone. The children loved the outdoors. The staff was beyond "super friendly". We will definitely be back. My grandson (4), had such a good time. He asked if we can go to Hagley Museum, each time I come to visit. The vista is just gorgeous. Love, love, love this place.

Great place to visit with more than 200 acres, much of it gardens and woodlands. It is really quite remarkable if you like history and science. It is located in one of the most beautiful parts of Delaware. It will give you the history of Delaware and the Dupont Family and how they became the first billionaire family through gun powder production.

Susan, remember the name. My daughter and I arrived at the museum after lunch around 1:30 an purchased out tickets. We were told that we had enough time to see the House, the Machine Shop and the Steam Engine House. We were not given Itineraries with time schedules. We saw the Machine Shop and Steam Engine House then just missed the bus by seconds to see the House. Turned out to be the last bus. The very nice bus driver suggested we ask for complimentary tickets to come back that weekend to see the house. We went to the Office and Susan refused the request and told us we mismanaged our time there and that is why we missed the bus. She was aggressive, condescending and disrespectful.
We will not be coming back. Terrible experience with the Office worker Susan.

We visited Hagley after a short drive from Auburn Valley State Park. There is plenty of parking and picnic tables close to the parking lot. There are flushing toilets by the parking lot too.

We bought out tickets from the gift shop and waited at the designated boarding station for the bus to the main house.
The bus makes one stop at the machine shop to pick up passengers to take them to the house.

At the last bus stop (Eleutherian Mills), there is a guide who provides introductory information about the family. After that you walk to the barn, the gardens, outside the home and the lower level of the barn. All of this places have a guide.

We were there for about one hour and then waited for the bus. The bus made a brief stop ( about 10 minutes) at the Steam engine house for a demonstration.

There was another stop at Machine shop. This was our stop and from here we visited the machine shop and had a Black powder explosion demonstration. We toured the rest of the buildings and then walked towards the visitor center to exit.

Bathrooms are available throughout the property.

We loved visiting Hagley for the first time. The receptionist was informed and we felt welcomed immediately! The staff are dedicated and enthusiastic about sharing information and providing demonstrations on gears, waterfalls, machinery; our tour guide for the house was wonderful and provided great details on the lives of former residents. We will be returning! perhaps in autumn when the gardens and trees will be
vibrant and colorful. Thank you for a great afternoon!

My husband and I decided to take advantage of the great weather today and visited Hagley Museum. WOW! What a great time we had. We were there walking, exploring and checking out several exhibits for nearly 4 hours. And we never did get to the "house" and library (although we have both been there years ago). The guide at the Machine shop was Steve Patton and he was a hoot! I wasn't interested but did it for my husband's benefit; however, thanks to Steve's knowledge and sense of humor I totally enjoyed it. Then we did the GunPower and Gun Mill exhibit with Rodney Simmons. ANOTHER great experience thanks to Rodney's presentation and experience. They both made our day with their wit and pleasant attitudes along with 2 very very good presentations. THANKS Hagley for a great day! Joanne & Bob Brady

Loved touring this historic home of several generations of the duMonts. Our tour guide was terrific. The shuttle was excellent too. We enjoyed the exhibit about parents as well.

Informative guides at all areas- home, millwork, school house, workers hill, steam engine exhibit. Various demonstrations of black powder manufacturing. 40% of the blackpowder went to the Union during the Civil War. Delaware allowed slavery and did not secede from the Union.

The "Gun Powder Tour" by Steve was awesome! (Steve was a fantastic tour guide, funny and engaging... he made all the difference!) I would highly recommend this tour families with kids who are older than 9 years old... (younger children would probably not enjoy as much - my boys 11 and 13 loved it!) it is a historical tour of the original sites where the DuPont's refined gun powder. The tour ends in a demonstration which provides the finally The is beautifully situated on the brandywine river and the grounds are worth strolling through.

Even with the abbreviated schedule for winter this is a super place to visit. Well preserved buildings and excellent demonstrations. Tours are by shuttle with a guide that accompanied during the visit. Excellent demonstration of gunpowder. The machine shop demo is super. Tours are at 1030 and 1330 from the visitor center. Well worth the visit to understand the gunpowder development in America

I am a native Delawarean. I grew up in this state and I can say that this state worships at the altar of DuPont regrettably. Which makes the review all the more harder to write as I found that the walk through the grounds were wonderful, I found the powder mill tour boring. Nothing against anyone, I guess its just not my thing. I find this history to be pretty standard, family immigrates to America, starts a business, its successful, family gets rich and takes full advantage of the area residents and all that the area has to offer and then proceeds to become the Lord of the manor and Delaware its serfdom. The house is fine, standard historic house, if you like touring these buildings, this will be a highlight. I enjoy this, so I found the house pleasant enough. The grounds to me are the real showcase and worth visiting. Italian gardens, walking path, fields, forest, it's all great. If you can visit on the bike and hike evenings, usually Wed; its a good time. Bring you picnic basket, your dog, and have a wonderful night.

The Hagley Museum shows the origins of the DuPont company. It is mostly outdoors, with original buildings and demonstrations. The original house has an excellent guided tour, too. An admission ticket is good for two days, so make a weekend from it.

I have never met friendlier and so well informed tour guides. It is a very interesting site and the house is very well situated.

Home to plant and what brought Duponts to America. The making of black powder in America History of using water power to produce energy and run the mills along the Brandywine river Grounds are well keep and the start of so many beautiful homes and gardens in the area

I took my brother in law to Hagley this past week.I was disappointed that the 3rd floor exhibit was closed.Other than that the tour was nice.We had a very nice guide at the house.

So much to see and learn yet serene. Seating areas along the way were peaceful and the sound of the Creek was wonderful. Everyone appeared to enjoy showing guests the area. AMAZING!

This is the original estate of the Dupont family in Delaware, and they've built a whole museum complex on it. Expect to spend 2.5 hours, you can't see much if you don't. The staff are cordial and know their history very well. There is a guided tour, which lasts about 1.5 hours, which is longer than the advertised hour (this got us into trouble, as we almost ended up late for a wedding elsewhere on the property), and the tour is the only way you can see most of the property, and once you're on it you can't get off and go back.
The Dupont family story and the story of the estate are quite interesting, but I think the docents went into much more detail than we really needed or wanted.
At the end we attended a wedding at the "Soda House" (no, not soda like Coke and Pepsi but as in sodium nitrate, which was stored there as one of the ingredients in gunpowder). This was a delightful setting for a mid-sized wedding, and the grounds in early October were still very much colorful and in bloom.

the gardens were beautiful, even though it was November. The leaves were turning color and the whole estate was magnificent

I traveled to Wilmington, DE today with high expectations of visiting the Hagley Museum. My daughter recently relocated to the Wilmington area and along with my 85 year old father, we planned to spend the afternoon exploring this cultural attraction. I had heard wonderful things about this place and looked forward to an enjoyable afternoon. When we arrived, we were greeted by a lovely woman in the visitor center. She took our admission and gave us a brief description of what was available on the tour as well as the times for the day's programs. After spending time in the exhibit in the visitor center, we set out to walk to the machine program. We were picked up by one of the shuttles and delivered to the building. We joined the tour which was already in progress, led by Joe Donahue. Mr. Donahue guided the group outside to give us a tour of how the water powered the machine building. I asked Mr. Donahue a question pertaining to pollution of the river by the gunpowder mill and he seemed to get offended by it. My daughter spoke to him a few minutes later and his response to her was unacceptable and offensive. He told her not to lecture him when all she was trying to explain was how his response to my question was inappropriate. I have been a tour guide at a historic mansion in Fairmount Park in Philadelphia and I always treated the visitors with respect and if I was presented with a question that I was unsure about, I would explain to the visitor that I didn't know, but would find out the information for them. Mr. Donahue was unprofessional and rude to my daughter and me. His response caused us to end our visit early, having only been at Hagley for about 45 minutes. In addition, we did not stay for the gunpowder demonstration that Amy was going to present. We took the shuttle back to the visitor's center and had a wonderful experience with the driver who took us past the Sunday School as well as the foreman's home.
I will not recommend this attraction to my friends or colleagues because of the treatment by Mr. Donahue. I am not sure if Mr. Donahue realized how his response ruined our visit, but at no time during our visit did he attempt to apologize. Amy did try to apologize for his behavior and I appreciate the effort that she put forth to make amends for our unsatisfactory treatment.

Nice place to spend a couple hours with your family.
This more than the other mansions tells more about the beginning of the Dupont dynasty

Once the largest black powder manufacturing facility in the world. Supplier to the War of 1812, Civil War, and WWi. Also many patent models on display.

We spent a few days in Wilmington, had never been there before, and decided to choose a visit to this site because it was unusual. We knew the background of the DuPonts and had visited Wintherthur and Longwood Gardens years ago. Hagley was an DuPont industrial site where black powder was actually "created". The acreage is huge and on a very green lush mountain - so the terrain is pretty difficult to walk and "for safety" visitors are not allowed to walk alone in some areas. I would not recommend this location if you have serious accessibility issues. There is a bus that takes you to the various locations but several of the places including the second story of the open home and the site where the making of the black powder is demonstrated are not at all accessible. The site is historic and interesting. We especially loved the old machine shop which is fascinating. I would recommend the visit for adults and kids in middle school or over who are interested and who can patiently listen to 15 or 20 minute explanations by tour guides. There are strict rules to follow and our presentation was somewhat rushed due to the bus schedules that the guides must meet. It was extremely warm on the day we went - if possible we would recommend spring and fall visits!

Hagley is all about the du Pont family and their early business profucing all-important black powder.

Calling Hagley a museum is a gross understatement. It is a beautiful tract of land with wooded hills, the Brandywine river flowing through it and lots of historic stone buildings containing important pieces of du Pont history.

You are free to walk on your own but the main event requires a short shuttle ride to the family mansion, gardens, early office and other out buildings. The docent who took us through was very interesting. The entire property there was beautiful.

On the way out of that portion of the visit, several of us hopped off the shuttle and wandered on our own. So glad! We saw a black-powder demo, a steam engine demo, walked along the river and more.

The entry fee was WELL worth it. Hagley isn't as well known as other venues in the area so it doesn't get too crowded.

I plan to return. They are open every day, year round.

You will learn a lot about the DuPont family and how they amassed their fortune. Today we associate the DuPont name with chemical production, but they started by manufacturing black powder, similar to gunpowder. They used the water power of the Brandywine River, and employed hundreds of workers. Some of this has been preserved and docents are very knowledgeable. A bus will take you up to the beautiful home in which several generations of DuPonts lived. In the fall, it is delightful to walk along the millrace with views of the river, and be surrounded by the colorful foliage of beech and ginkgo trees.

We spent about 2 1/2 hours walking the grounds and visiting the home and powder works. It's very easy walking and if you don't want to walk back up the hill from the powder works, you can take the shuttle and get an extra bit of history from the driver. I would definitely recommend a visit for those in the area.

My husband I frequently visit the Hagley Museum which is a must see for anyone interested in American history, beautiful grounds and a tour of the lovely DuPont Mansion. Both the machine shop and the house tours are interesting and done in small groups. Children 10 and older can find interesting exhibits and there are a number of kid friendly events. The museum has recently contracted with the Wandering Chef Michael (Blovad) for the Belin House which is open for lunch from 11-3:00pm) and for special events in the evening. The good is gourmet at budget prices (no alcoholic beverages). Chef Michael brings his award winning Chinese dumplings and a variety of entrees....In a word, his food is wonderful and he is still in the process of developing his menu.

This was a great stop to see how gunpowder was made in the 19th century, and learn the history of the DuPont family. Highly recommend.

I attended a wedding here and it was magical. So much beauty so close to a terrible city. This truly is a hidden gem.

What a deal - only $10 senior rate for a wonderful half-day's entertainment and education.
The visitors' center is in a former cotton mill, with a well-presented museum area on two floors. A shuttle leaves from there which stops off a several places; you are free to choose what you want to see and in whichever order.
The Dupont home is furnished as they lived there and is shown by knowledgeable docents. Also in this area is a beautiful stone barn holding antique cars and carriages.
The 4 of us broke for lunch midway through in a former worker's house. Cold and hot offerings are available to be eaten inside or out. I can recommend the crab cakes! The workers' homes area also has a Sunday school and peeks inside a couple of the houses' first floors.
There are many buildings left and scattered around along the river that were associated with the manufacture of the black powder, from ruins to reconstructed ones with docents, demonstrations and museums. Don't miss the gunpowder and sawmill demonstrations.

this is mostly an outdoor walking museum which is great in the time of COVID. also good for kids. however you need to time your visit as the bus system takes you to the mansion and you have to get on the list for the bus, we ended up missing out on this (you can't walk to it)

Very interesting place to visit. The demonstrations of both the powdermills and the machine shop were very interesting. The system used to power them uses water that is diverted from the Brandywine then reintroduced to the river after flowing through the turbines.

The patent model exhibit in the visitor center was very unique.

Be aware that access to the main house is by scheduled tour only. In addition you must take the shuttle bus to get to the house.

This is a former duPont gunpowder mill, located along the Brandywine River. Docents are knowledgeable, the exhibits are interesting, the scenery is beautiful. Well worth a visit if you are in the area.

Wasn't sure what to expect. That being said I cannot express how happy we were that we visited see this attraction. An air conditioned van was waiting for us when we arrived While being driven to our first stop, a guide told us the history of the property. We came to the homestead of the Dupont's and there waiting for us was the most knowledgeable, friendly tour guide we have ever had. After that we saw the machine shop where again we were schooled in the way tools were made and fixed at the beginning of the 1800's. A delightful way to spend a day!

Everybody on staff was very polite and informative. Continue to make sure to answer our questions and we are having a good time.

The remaining power production facilities are incredible to look at and watch operate. The guides at the various stops were all very informative and there were a lot of demonstrations/hands on exhibits. The house was interesting as well. The property is beautiful and the majority is walk able.

This museum along the river is fascinating. I found the stone houses where they processed the gun powder to be especially interesting.

This place is amazing if you like history and science. It is located in one of the most beautiful parts of Delaware. It will give you the history of Delaware and the Dupont Family and how they became the first billionaire family through gun powder production.

This tour had a lot more than I expected. We were planning to spend a few hours here and ended up staying the entire day! They have buses that take you to different stops throughout the grounds. Start with a demonstration at the Powder Yard and walk along Worker's Hill to see the old mills, then stop for another quick demonstration at the steam engine house before taking the bus to the DuPont family home, where staff members are located in various rooms ready to answer questions and give information about each room. There is a beautiful garden outside with all kinds of flowers and vegetables, and a barn that has some of EI DuPont's old cars. Something not to be missed is the Library, which has hundred's of models of patents on display. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly and helped make our visit even more enjoyable.

This is a great place to find out more about the beginnings of the gun powder industry and the DuPont family. Very good tour guides that tell you all about the buildings and the machinery that are preserved here. The house tour is also very good.

Spent a lovely afternoon at the Hagley mansion and the ruins garden. We are frequent visitors as we have yearly passes. Our guides were well informed, and we learn something new every time we visit. We were very happy to hear they are hoping to restore the ruins garden. It is so much larger than what is visible today. It will be great to see that happen. So impressed by the humility of the original du Pont family and the care they took of their employees. One of the few early American families that didn’t keep slaves. Annual membership also entitles us to get tickets for Hagley’s annual fireworks display, one of the best around.

A vast property along the BrandywineCreek. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Mr Stack was great at the gun powder demo. The family home tour was great. We saw all the rooms. The family history lesson at the start was well done. You an see a real Connestoga wagon and cars built by the DuPont car company. You can easily spend 4 + hours here. Beautiful setting. A very well organized property

The house with all the antiques, the cafe, the machine works demonstrations, the black powder explosion, the gardens, museum and store.

The stories and demonstrations were not just about the DuPonts, but about life and industry over five generations.

All are accessed by shuttle from the visitors center.

Olga was our guide and was very friendly and brought the history of the area to life.

The DuPonts left the French Revolution to begin producing gun powder at the Hagley site. You can visit each stage of gun powder development. While this didn't sound very interesting to me, it turned out I was fascinated and stayed longer than planned. The site also has the DuPont mansion and worker homes to give a complete picture of what happened at Hagley. There is a lovely garden surrounding the mansion and there is a nice cafe. For those interested in French history, Hagley, Wintertur and Longwood gardens are musts!

(Pre-Covid reviews)

The house and the grounds were beautiful. The shuttle was very nice and the wait was not long. The docents were very helpful if you had questions and the gunpower shop was really cool to see. The gift shop was cute and the employees were very kind.

Beautiful location, fascinating place!

ALL of the staff are exceptionally welcoming and knowledgeable. Bus drivers, tour guides, reception…all fantastic!

I have never seen such a display of power through gears and water. It was really neat to see it all in action, and especially the workshop. To have all those power tools run without electricity and simply through gears and the river, is amazing. The staff was awesome with the children, and we all had a good time touring the property.

The first Dupont estate in Delaware is part of a gunpowder factory. A great place for both adults and kids. SWe loved it!!!

We really enjoyed the tour of Hagley Museum and Library. The demonstrations of the black powder ignition, working machine shop, and steam engine were fascinating (and ingenious for their time). The tour of the DuPont home was very good - the guide, Judy, informative and helpful. Be prepared to do a lot of walking. Well worth touring the estate and grounds. If you arrive after a certain time (I believe it is 3 PM) you are able to come back to finish touring within so many days of the initial tour date. Very nice place to visit - helpful staff.

I visited Hagley Museum many times and always enjoyed the place. The quiet walk along the river, the well restored buildings (the mills, the worker’ houses, the school), the cafe with a terrace, the Dupont house set as museum with the nice garden, all is interesting and well set, with plenty of great volunteers always willing to share great stories.

I decided to visit here because I wanted to see the factory facilities used for making gunpowder & to learn more about Pierre Dupont. My wife & I each paid a $12 a person admission fee at the senior rate. The factory facilities were not impressive & most of the information here was on the I.E. Dupont family. I was not interested in the house tour but went anyway because I thought my wife would like it. The house tour took about an hour, then we had to wait almost half an hour to take a bus to the factory part of the estate about a mile away. When I got there a machine shop demonstration & a gunpowder making demonstration were held every hour so if you wanted to watch both you had to spend an hour + here. Then you hope you can get a bus to take you back to the parking lot. If you come here plan on at least half a day. I am not coming back.

My wife and I visited the Hagley Museum really not knowing what to expect. What we found was an amazing mostly guided tour of the DuPont's home, offices, gardens, and the "black powder factory" on the bank’s of the Brandywine River.

Because of a fallen tree, we started the tour at the original home. It was beautifully done and really interesting to see how the rich of the time lived. Obviously very well to do, but not pretentious. Next we headed to the workers village where we ate lunch in the bookkeeper's house and saw an example of a worker's home. The homes were all built by the company and as a worker you paid rent back to the company to live there.

The final part of the tour was how black powder was actually made. Three simple ingredients - sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter - which were purified and blended in a multi step process. Unfortunately given the highly combustible nature of the combined materials, explosions did occur with devastating results. Each of the processing buildings were built with that in mind and had a blow out wall and roof. Extensive use of water power was also demonstrated. It powered virtually everything, which was really interesting to see.

Finally, we had a demonstration of black powder. All very safe, but quite loud!

All in all, we probably spent about 4-5 hours there. Longer than we thought we would be there before going, but the time flew by. We were surprised we had actually been there that long. Always a good sign.

Tour the grounds and Museums by yourself. No rush. Stop and talk with the representatives who are entrusted with the du Pont history. Take a few guided, educated tours with very nice employees. Walk to the top of Workers Hill to enjoy the mostly Organic Café. Pleasant people there and very good food. Lots to choose from.

From start to finish this is a great place to visit. The inventors displays were very interesting, the grounds are beautiful, and learning the history of the DuPont family and gunpowder business was very informative. The staff is amazing. Shuttles to help move from place to place if needed. We will be going back in the late spring when all is in bloom.

Took a visitor to see the birthplace of the DuPont company, while it was still around! Very impressive history, including the powder mills, the museum- with both historical exhibits and more recent technical advances made by the company. The mansion with several hundreds of items from times past was very good. The tour guides were knowledgable and took time to answer some penetrating questions.

Wonderful informative visit. Buses ran often and staff were very organized about getting us on the bus and scheduling a house tour. Great guides and information, beautiful setting and house tour. Would highly recommend. We were there about 2 1/2 hours and felt like we saw everything very thoroughly.

Tips: Wear closed toe shoes, bring water bottle, buses to the house leave every half hour and most days that's the only way up there.
We enjoyed Eleutherian Mills site the most. Try to get on first bus of the day that leaves visitor center at 10:30. Walking on parts of the road aren't allowed so if you miss the bus you'll need to wait below another half hour. The bus ride up is informative, then the tour of duPont home, IE duPont's office, the garden and barn are done in one hour. The docent keeps things moving and there are plenty of steps. Folks with mobility issues had some trouble keeping up. But it had to keep moving so group could get their bus to Steam House for a demo. It's all very good, but quite structured. We got off at Steam Engine House and walked back at a leisurely pace.The grounds are lovely! The rest of the grounds are self- guided. The docent in the Gibbons House (home of plant manager) was personable and knowledgeable. It was interesting to see a worker's home compared to duPont's. Best to wear closed toe shoes if you plan to walk the rest of the grounds. Otherwise the bus goes to some of the sites. It was a bit tricky walking from Workers Hill back to the Visitors Center because it's a gravel path (no vehicles) and not marked as such on the visitor map. So don't follow the paved road, look for path back to visitors center. The path is definitely not for anyone with mobility issues. It's steep in parts.
At Workers Hill there's a small cafe. We peeked in, not impressed. Just bring your own water with you. Overall a wonderful experience, clean facility and lovely guides!

We arrived two and half hours before closing and learned that it was not enough time to do all the organized activities. They have a half hour tour of the machine shop, which showed how the water power from the river was used to drive all the machines.

They have an hour-long tour of the house, which was interesting even though we had seen another duPont house (Nemours) just the same day.

What we missed was several other tours, including one showing how the gun powder was made (and exploded) and we did not have enough time for the museum.

Fantastic place to visit and explore new things , we could not believe all the exciting things that we encountered on our day trip o Wilmington Delaware.

Great experience of the use of water generated power. Demonstration of the Turbine and subsequent lathes was fascinating. Lovely volunteer tour of the house.

What a great place! Great for families, play dates, groups, couples....very nice indeed! I’ll be back when the kiddos get a little older.

Hagley Museum ;Gardens ,librery, Gunpowder building, Eleutherian Mlls etc...
Great for the family .... Decorativ arts.
My memories at Hagley Museum are sitting.Sitting in Sophie's room as the Sun set. Sitting along the banks of the Brandywine as the water that powered the mills long ago rushed by.
Rare experience that have always stayed with me.
Miroslava Mira Bihac
DELAWARE USA

We totally enjoyed our tour of the home with our tour guide. He was a retired DuPont engineer and totally made our tour wonderful. We enjoyed everything about the home and small garden.The history was very interesting and a great stop on our long weekend in the city. The visitor's center does have some interesting information as well, but is not large and one level was closed for remodeling. They do have a children's floor with crafts.

My friend and I thoroughly enjoyed our visit to the Hagley Museum. All the staff and tour guides were very knowledgeable and friendly. Highly recommend!

This is where it all began for the DuPont family. The production of black powder proved to be very profitable and the beginning of an empire. The grounds are beautiful and you are free to wander at will. The docents are well informed and helpful. It is a day that should not be missed.

We visited Hagley’s and we thoroughly enjoyed our tour of the DuPont house by a delightful gentleman retired from a career in investments. His added information made it most entertaining. We enjoyed the demonstrations and learning about the development of gun powder. So glad we went.

We had an extra day in the area due to Tropical Storm Barry cancelling flights home to New Orleans. In the morning we had a follow-up tour of Winterthur, after the introductory tour on Sat. 07/13. And we decided to also see this Hagley spot on Sunday afternoon, 07/14.

Although a beautiful spot on Brandywine Creek, not as impressive as Winterthur, but just as interesting. If we had it to do over, we would have visited Hagley 1st, then either Witerthur or Nemours ( we did not make it to the Nemours estate this trip). This would have provided a better evolution to the Ultra-rich descendancy of this family.

We particularly enjoyed the steam engine demo and the gunpowder mill & gunpowder detonation demo.

They have a nice picnic area under some trees close to the visitor center, we stopped for hoagies at Gaudiellos on the way and ate them under these trees.

We were up against their closing time or could have spent more than the 2-3 hours we were there, we missed the employee housing / school section.

I thought it was absolutely fasinating, wonderful to see the engineering to use water turbines, given it was 150 years ago. Amazing to see the large grinding wheels that crushed the raw ingredients.

I was in the area for work and had one afternoon free to visit some sites. I went to the Hagley Museum and am very glad I did. Especially glad i did this first before other DuPont Mansions in the area.

This is the start of the DuPont family story. Beautiful grounds on the River show case a nice Visitor Center with self-guided exhibits. The Powder Yard has gunpowder and steam engine demonstrations. The workers Hill shows the community for the workers along with a cafe. And then the DuPont family home, Eleutherian Mills. The home is beautiful and our tour guide was wonderful. The tour was complete with great historical facts not just about the family but the time period which spanned multiple generations living on the property.

I went in the fall with perfect weather and scenery. I would have enjoyed the summer to showcase the grounds and garden more.

I visited Hagley with my significant other a few days ago and we thoroughly enjoyed our experience at the multiple sites on the property. We spent about 4.5 hours visiting the inventors exhibit at the visitors center, the powder mill tour & demo, the black powder demo, the machine shop, the house, and the barn areas. Areas appeared well curated, and staff were knowledgeable, enthusiastic, and friendly throughout. Because the site is the foundation of the du Pont family's success in America, a visit here deepens your appreciation of other nearby related historical sites, as well as highlights a piece of American history you can't see anywhere else. Our visit duration reflects a slightly slower pace of exploration due to a mobility issue my traveling companion was experiencing, as well as our tendency to take our time enjoying exhibits in detail, reading signage, etc.

The emphasis of this review, though, is to express my traveling companion's and my deep appreciation for the entire staff, each one of whom we interacted with went above and beyond to provide an accessible experience at Hagley for us. My partner experienced a minor mobility issue resulting in them requiring a wheelchair to access the site. As Hagley is a smaller site, we thankfully arrived early enough in the day (around 11 AM on a Sunday) to borrow a wheelchair from the visitors center. Multiple staff courteously pointed out the elevator location in the visitors center, explained transportation accessibility within the property, and assisted us in opening/holding doors, etc. Please note that some areas of the property may not be accessible due to the geography and historical nature of the site (i.e., second floor of the house is stairs-only, powder mill involves a gravel path that includes steps), and some areas may be more challenging to access due to terrain (e.g., steeper hill near house/barn, workers' area). My partner was able to walk short distances at a time and so was still able to enjoy the powder mill and second floor of the house, and we managed to navigate hills with a little effort. (Please note this is not at all a criticism of the site, merely information for those who might find it useful.)

I also need to praise the transportation coordination on-site, specifically re: accessibility. There are shuttle buses that make stops at the visitors center, powder mill/machine shop, and house/barn, but not all of them are wheelchair-accessible. Staff at Hagley went above and beyond to ensure the one wheelchair-accessible shuttle running that day was available for timely pickups. We would have had no issue waiting longer, but staff routinely radioed each other to coordinate pickups without us even thinking to ask. I can't say enough good things about shuttle bus driver Peggie, who wound up being our chauffeur for the day - an incredibly kind and friendly human, super knowledgeable about the site, and overall a shining example of the professionalism and courtesy that characterized our visit to Hagley. While I had experience helping someone using a wheelchair to board a lift and get secured in a bus, it was a new experience for my partner, and Peggie made the entire boarding and exiting experience seamless and efficient. (Thank you Peggie!! Our visit would have been SO much less enjoyable without your involvement!!)

As a final note, though we were sure to bring lots of water with us as it was a very hot and humid day, it was great to see water stations throughout the property, with staff proactively drawing visitors' attention to them.

Even jaded teens might find Hagley interesting with demos of gunpowder, mill machinery, a steam engine and working workshop machinery. Right on the beautiful Brandywine Creek, learn the early story of the du Pont family in Delaware and how they became the most prominent family in the area through their gunpowder manufacturing business. Lots of interactive exhibits and see the first du Pont mansion. We expected to stay a couple hours, but stayed half a day.

After passing by this place on several trips, we decided to give this museum a try on our way back home from Philadelphia. Are we glad we made the time to try out this museum.
The tour with the guide is way worth the time. Excellently preserved furnishings in the house give you a picture of the DuPont family in a simpler time. The grounds of this historic property are beautiful. The bus is an excellent way to tour the property.
For family interest, there are attractions for the kids like the working steam engine and the working machine shop. When we were there they we running hay rides for the kids. For gear heads, the preservation of all of the working turn of the century technology will appeal to big kids and small alike.

I was impressed with the entire experience. The receptionists, guides, bus drivers, and demonstrators were all friendly, professional and knowledgeable. Don't miss the crab cakes at the organic cafe!

Arrived in later afternoon and with 1.5 hours remaining till closing was advised I could only visit one location - Mansion or Powder Grounds. The lady recommended the Powder grounds over the mansion. I walked along the trail and stopped at the different historical sight ruins but felt it was just ok, wonder if the mansion house would have been a better option. While coming back, also went into the Inventors museum again nothing special.

More than 200 acres, much of it gardens and woodlands.
Another one of the beautiful properties of the duPont family. (Also, Longwood Gardens, Mt.Cuba Center, Nemours Garden and Mansion and Children's hospital)
Many people know of the duPont family contributions to industrializing America but their dedication to horticulture and gardens goes back to France. It was amazing learning about the family and the workers here in the gunpowder mills but also learning about the formal gardens and miles of woodland trails. We plan to come back for many of the special nights of strolling the grounds and fireworks shows. You just can't see it all at once.
Interesting to find out it is one of the biggest libraries of documents on the industrialization of America, communications, automobiles, etc. Researchers come from all over to go through books, paper and personal documents.
Excellent guides and wonderful old buildings. Worth the trip and the time. Treat yourself to a great day.

Hagley Museum and Library is an amazing step back in history and Americana. “(It) is the site of the gunpowder works founded by E. I. du Pont in 1802. It is simply remarkable. It exceeded expectations, with each “guide” providing an entertaining story complemented by amazing things to see. The site includes restored mills, a workers' community, and the ancestral home and gardens of the du Pont family. E.I. DuPont was a man ahead of his time.

The on-site Belin House Organic Café provided a delicious array of lunch choices at a “reasonable price.”

This is a truly entertaining, photo friendly place to visit. Don’t miss it.

Hagley is the site of the gunpowder works founded by E. I. du Pont in 1802. The demonstrations were excellent and one I thing I really enjoyed was being able to walk around the site at my own pace and speaking with all the docents. This is something you want to do in good weather. You need to take a bus to get to the DuPont mansion where you will be given a guided tour. One thing to keep in mind, the shuttle takes a long circular route to get to and from the museum and it is probably best, unless walking long distances is a problem for you, is to only get on the bus when you need to (i.e. on at the last stop before the mansion and off at the first stop after the mansion). Due to long time we were on the bus, we didn't really have enough time to visit the "DuPont Science and Discovery" museum (which presents the history of the DuPont Company, post-explosives era) as they startin asking us to leave several minutes before closing. We did manage to see everything else on the grounds which was associated with the 19th century powder works and the Dupont house. I would recommend allotting 5 hours minimum to see everything (especially since some of the demonstrations start at different times, so unless you coordinate everything exactly, you will have some time where you are waiting for something, to include the shuttle).

Plan a visit to Hagley and make a day of it. This museum is great for couples, school trips, families and anyone who will enjoy a little history mixed with a lot of beauty. The clock stops there. You will go back in time to see how life on the Brandywine was lived by the powdermill workers who worked for the DuPont family. You'll learn about explosions that rocked them to the core, wealth, caring for others in a community. See a one room school house, a baker making cookies the old fashioned way, meander the paths to gardens or ride the little bus under beautiful tree lined paths while learning the history of what you see around you. The kids can see a gun powder demonstration in action. Take in the museum and learn about the inventions the DuPont family has been a part of through out the years. Tour the gorgeous mansion. There is a car barn with a beautiful collection and a car show to keep an eye out for. You can picnic, dine in the cafe and shop in the gift shop. A craft fair held every year, the bike and hike brew events and don't forget July fireworks. So much to see and do. Don't rush it.

My grandson and I visited on Veterans' Day 2025 and had a great experience. The U.S. Patent Model Collection exhibit was fascinating! Small scale models of patents applied for and their use. Beautifully presented in a first class exhibit! We then toured the Machine Shop with a knowledgeable guide who gave us an outside/inside explanation of the workings of the machinery. We toured the mansion and barn which were full of original furnishings and carriages. Just the outdoor setting alone is worth the price of admission with old growth trees along the Brandywine River. I would plan to spend about 3 hours there. Shuttles were great because it was so cold and windy, but walking the grounds would be a pleasure on a warmer day. This museum appealed to a 72 year old and a sixteen year old, so don't miss it.

Powder works tour was interesting and educational..the staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. It was a beautiful spring day for an outing with friends. We also enjoyed the house tour!

The plethora of volunteers there made an afternoon very enjoyable for our 6 and 11 year old grand children. The museum was suitable for them as was the hay ride.

This is a great place to visit for a relaxing walk around the beautiful grounds. The staff is very helpful and friendly and willing to stop and talk about the history.

The mansion was nice but what really made this place was the operation using water to run the manufacturing of black powder. When you go, go thru the museum and peruse it then jump on the shuttle to go to the mansion tour. The mansion tour takes about an hour. Get back on the shuttle and get off and take a tour of the machine shop and the area they made black powder. The machine shop was interesting as all the machinery was operated by the water mill. Also make sure you stop and see worker's hill, where the workers lived. They have a cafeteria there which is well worth the stop as the food is excellent. This is also a beautiful area near the river to stroll and take in the scenery.

The Hagley museum is such an amazing experience, from the very knowledgeable and accommodating staff, amazing architecture, warm atmosphere, it felt very welcoming. I proposed to my amazing wife-to-be and the staff here couldn’t have been more helpful and happy to help me make this experience all that I hoped for. We’re so glad this beautiful place was the perfect venue for our proposal. It’s even wheelchair accessible and they allowed our photographer. We can’t recommend this place enough! We will be back soon!

Very accessible, interesting, and well-laid out inside/outside museum with good services. We spent about 4 hours there and could have stayed for more.

Definitely, a place to get some fresh air and learn a little bit about our past. I must see in Delaware.

I really feel that you will get way more out of this experience if you visit it either before or after visiting Nemours.

If you don’t visit Nemours, it’s just ok. If you do though, it really means something!!!

We were in town over Martin Luther King Day and went to a family event called Invention Convention. It was a great way to spend a few hours with our 3 and 5 year old. They had hands on activities for the kids to learn about bugs, build crafts, and watch a 'bug' demonstration. We weren't able to visit the rest of the grounds, but hope to visit again one day!

Very well run visit - from the ticket seller, to the bus drivers, to all tour guides at every location. A shuttle bus drops you at each location where a tour guide greets you with demonstrations (in some locations) or with many facts/stories incorporating the locations history. Expect to spend at a minimum 3 to 4 hours. We enjoyed every minute!

In total, with walking, tours, demonstrations, and a brief snack at the cafe, we spent 4.5 hours in this wonderful and beautiful place. The history is exciting, and it's everywhere. It is an absolutely gorgeous destination

We love it every time we go. Pleasant place to walk by the river, interesting powder mill history and demonstrations. Great for those who like machines and gunpowder or even just awesome scenery. A great family place to see fireworks in the summer as well!

We went to see the Hagley Museum's DuPont family home all decorated for Christmas and made sure to spend time in the museum as well. The grounds are lovely but the gently falling snow made it magical. Hagley is a treasure trove of the DuPont's family and company's history. We stopped at the Museum shop which had a nice selection of items (jewelry, books, toys, decorations...etc.). It is well worth a visit!! It is close enough to Route 52 that it made it quite convenient for us to swing by Pizza by Elizabeth's for a late lunch.

Spent the morning here. Excellent demonstrations on use of water power and testing of black powder. Also includes a tour of the DuPont house.

We were originally on our way to the Dupont Nemours Mansion and Gardens when we stopped here for their organic restaurant that came highly recommended on TripAdvisor and we decided to spend the day touring this Dupont home instead!

Excellent helpful staff that really enjoy what their doing give the tours (small buses transport you to the various sites) that involve the original home, gardens, barn with old vehicles, machining shop run by water, gun powder demonstration, old school house and the excellent organic prepared on-site restaurant in a quaint small house with outdoor seating but you could also bring a picnic as they have tables by the restaurant.

We simply had a wonderful time!

This was the original location for the Du Pont gunpowder manufacturing facility. There are several buildings to look at on a self guided tour, as well as a guided tour that takes you up to the family farm. There is also a small cafe in an area with old buildings - school house, church, etc. Worth a stop is you are in the area. Only a few miles west of the Nemours mansion and a few miles south of Winterthur.

Being from the West Coast, I was surprised to learn the Duponts started their company making gunpowder. A large number of the original structures, including the mills and the house, are still intact and can be visited. The day we were there we took a tour of the machine shop, the powder mill and the house. The volunteers are so helpful and knowledgable. They were also very honest about some of the negatives--pollution and danger. The grounds are worth visiting even if you have no interest in history--lovely woods and streams.

This year, I attended the 2017 Hagley Museum, Hagley Car Show. This year was another record breaker for displayed cars. There were electric cars, steam powered cars, modified and stock cars, mass produced and limited production vehicles. So many cars and only 6 hours to see them all.

If you're not familiar with this car show, every year is a different show theme. This year the theme is Styling in the 1950's. As the theme may suggest, the show selects vehicles from the 1950's and display them in a special parking area. The cars are all beautiful examples of the styling from 1950 to 1959. Cars with fins, long flowing lines, lots of chrome and plush interior and some of the new and or vastly improved innovations being displayed, air conditioning, power steering, power brakes, automatic transmissions and the overhead valve V-8 engine. These were just some of the innovations on display from the 50's.

Don't let the show theme confuse you. Just because this years theme was Styling in the 1950's, that does not mean that only 1950's vintage cars were displayed. The "General Parking" area is where the real fun and interest resides for me. This is where you can see and reminisce over cars that you or your family may have owned, cars you have never heard of or have heard of but never seen first hand. The cars in the General parking, ranged from late 19th century through the 1980's, imports as well as domestic manufactured.

The Hagley Car show is a real social event. It is a chance to see old friends and make new ones. I displayed my car along with several friends and their cars. We caravanned in together, parked side by side in the General Parking area and spent the day talking amongst ourselves and answering any questions that were asked. I met many individuals that may have once owned a car similar to mine, or wanted to know some fun facts or information about the cars or car show activities.

If shopping hold more interest, there is an entire area set up for vendors to sell their wares, including delicious food.

In addition to the car show, the Museum and the grounds have many area open for tours and inspection. If your not familiar with the Hagley Museum in Wilmington Delaware, it is set along the beautify Brandywine River and is the first DuPont family estate and DuPont manufacturing location in Delaware. The DuPont family and their employees manufactured Gun Powder at this site. The site was selected because of the Brandywine River and the proximately to major cities, markets and transportation.

The car show is a very special event. The grounds are definitely a sight to be seen.
Together they are Spectacular. I am already looking forward to next years event.

We recently started a tour of the mid-Atlantic states at Williamsburg, VA. We visited half a dozen museums and gardens before going to Hagley. We found the Hagley Museum to be the best bargain of all. As seniors we only had to pay $11 each. The staff at Hagley is making good use of the money they receive. We found the grounds and the house and the displays to be in tip-top shape! The setting is beautiful--green and shady and delightful--along the Brandywine River. We were not able to see and do all that we wanted. We plan to return and stay nearby (as we did this time) and visit Hagley over a period of several days. It is pleasant just to be there and walk along the river under the shady trees and there are in addition a lot of activities to participate in.

This place gives insight into the history of gunpowder, manufacturing, and chemicals.
It was fascinating. The tour of the estate house was great. The grounds are very impressive, right along a beautiful river.. Don't miss the gunpowder explosion demonstration.

My husband and I had a great day at Hagley! It was so interesting to see the 19th century gunpowder factory along the river and learn about the early history of industrialization in the US. We were quite surprised to see that some elements of the factory were still operational- including the repair shop and the grinding/mixing machine. Our guide even set off some gunpowder! The History of Patents museum was fascinating; we just wish we had had more time to study the models and read the informational signs. Plan more time than you think you'll need!

Learned about black powder. This museum can handle crowds and is so interesting.
Did not know about black powder. Toured this and the Dupont House which is
beautiful. Nice decorations and the grounds were gorgeous and well kept. It was a
pleasure to visitt.

Must go if you are in Wilmington, DE. The historical place of the DuPont family is so beautiful, scenic and amazing. Is an eye opening experience to see that after over 200 years, equipment that are being created back then are still working! I truly recommend a visit to this museum.

This is a beautiful location on the Brandywine River in Wilmington, DE which is the start of the DuPont Company and its original black powder business.

Guests can first tour the history museum at the arrivals point, and then take a bus up to the original DuPont house (mansion) and gardens and spend time there looking around. After that visit, there are many stop by bus (our you can take a very nice walk on the same route) past ruins of the old powder mills, and stop at the operational Steam engine which powered a number of the machines -- and also see a restored/working mill shop that is fully powered by water!

A fantastic trip for those loving history and/or to see the way life was in the early 1800's!

This was where the DuPont started its business in gun powder 200 years ago, The Property is under good maintenance. The staff is friendly and helpful.

We specifically chose to stop at Hayley House to see the mansion decorated for Christmas.

When we arrived, we were told to take the shuttle to the barn and then do the 3:30 tour.

When we got to the barn waiting room, a greeter chatted our ear off for 10 minutes and then told us the tour was at 3:20.

We leisurely looked at the amateur gingerbread displays and the few wagons in the barn.

Then we walked down to the house and another greeter again told us to go down for the tour.

We got there at 3:18 and were told the tour was full. The woman asked if we lived close and could come back and we said no. She then apologized and said we could use our ticket for the next two days (again not helpful).

Then she said we could get a refund. We used our ASTC passport.I wish I could’ve gotten a refund on our time because we could have done something else.

Not one staffer told us there was a max capacity for the tour or said to arrive early or we could get shut out.

The office also sees how many people are coming in. You mean to tell me that you didn’t realize how many people would be wanting to tour the house?!

If you’re gonna shut people out, then you should have a reservation system.

This is incredibly poor customer service! At a minimum you could’ve offered to at least let us see the decorations in the house and forgo the full fledged tour.

Thanks for ruining our day!

The DuPont family became fabulously wealthy--and this powder works was the foundation of their success. Knowledgeable tour guides give a detailed account of the history of the powder works and the branch of the family who lived here. The demonstrations of the mechanical works and mill are interesting to even the non-engineering-minded! (Engineers and mechanics, of course, will be fascinated.) The grounds are spectacular--especially in fall color. Time constraints prohibited us from exploring all of the museum, but the first floor is worth your time. We did not tour the workers' section. Note: Younger children will be completely bored--older children may be interested--Maybe.

Excellent tour! Many of the machines are still working and are demonstrated. This includes the machine shop, powder-grinding shacks, the auxilary steam power house, the school, and the grounds in general.

The demonstrations and guides connected with the 1800s factory operation were excellent, especially the steam engine, gunpowder and machine shop. Patent models in the main library building were fascinating. Even the travel posters in the corridor to the restrooms were good. The site is beautifully maintained and landscaped. The “Roman garden ruins” were an unexpected bonus.

The Hagley museum, Library and powder mills is one of the properties of the Dupont family, dedicated to their main business: the gun powder and where the Dupont made their fortune, in particular Henry Dupont. The advanced technology for the 19th century is impressive. The mansion is small, compared to Winterthur and Nemours, but just as beautiful. Its surroundings are really beautiful, so it is worth walking and enjoying nature. The staff is super friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the history of the place and they enjoy sharing it with people. It is an educational and fun visit really worth it. We highly recommended it!

We had planned on making a tour of the most important DuPont mansions an integral part of our vacation. And I decided that it would be best to start at Hagley because it's were it all began when E. I. DuPont set up his gun powder works in 1802 shortly after fleeing France. We found the mechanical workings of the mill very interesting,made especially so by dedicated guides who explained the different working parts of the mills. Particularly interesting was the gun powder demonstration so don't miss that.
There are several ruins of the original mill works that make for great pictures and it's surprising how many of the mechanical parts are still in working order.
The grounds themselves are very pleasant with the rushing Brandywine River and beautiful wooded areas. Visitors can also tour Elutherian Mills the first homesite of the DuPonts and the relatively tiny office that served as the DuPont's first office. Amazing to think that what is now a multibillion dollar biochemical company started out of this tiny office! The home which was added on to and restructured throughout the years is furnished and guides will point out interesting pieces and tidbits about the family's history here.
A visit to Hagley is comprised of both the gunpowder works and the DuPont home, Elutherian Mills and visiting both is essential in understanding the DuPonts and their beginnings in America. There's also a small collection of DuPont cars that will interest antique car buffs. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit.

The DuPont family began their gun power business here. So if you are visiting the DuPont estates and Longwood Garden, this is the place to start. The tour guides were very informative and knowledgeable of the time period.

We did the Christmas Candlelight tour and it was fantastic. Our docent was wonderful and extremely knowledgeable. It was well worth the trip.

This is a fun and historical place to visit to learn about the history of the area. Don't miss the museum of the DuPont artifacts.

It was completely enjoyable: the grounds, the mansion, the history of the house and the people who worked there. We walked through the grounds which was an easy peaceful walk.

Always one of our favorite places to visit. The docents do a great job of explaining the history - family and business. Even though it's not as eccentric as Longwood or the other local mansions, the museum and site tell a different story. And the exhibit of patent models in the museum building is pretty cool. All in all, it's a good way to spend half a day.

The Hagley Museum, a Smithsonian Affiliate, is a fascinating collection of U.S. Patent Models and stories about the Women and Men who cleverly created and improved upon highly useful items. All of this is very well exhibited, and also fun inter-active displays.

There was only one exhibition open and, consequently, tickets were half price. It was a rainy day and we had just over an hour to spare before a meal date. The exhibition, which consisted of periodic inventions, was interesting and well-displayed on two floor of the building. We will probably return in warmer weather when more exhibits are available. The gift shop looked really interesting, even though we only had time to dash through it.

The history of the DuPont family is fascinating! Very friendly staff every where we went. Lovely gift shop with reasonable prices, featuring local artisans. Highly recommend.

The site is beautiful and the history fascinating. Small lunch place that is pleasant but not gourmet dining. Museum has a terrific display which appeal to the adults and teenagers.

We had a great time here. All the volunteers were very informative and friendly. We had a house tour with Susan and she did a great job explaining the history and keeping it interesting for my kids (10 and 7). She was very knowledgeable about the history of the family and house. We enjoyed this tour. We walked down the path down to where they made the black powder. Again, the volunteers were very happy to tell us everything they knew about the process. They do have a bus shuttle, for those who don't want to walk. We took the shuttle back up and Terry did a great job filling in any history we missed. This was a great experience for all of us and we learned so much about the family and gun powder process. If we lived closer we would come here more regularly.

I highly recommend the 3rd floor of the visitor's center it is very hands-on cool things. I also liked the limited edition for Spring Break activities. They were really fun!

It’s a beautiful place with something for everyone to enjoy ....large house to explore and beautiful village and Machine shops a water wheel demos of many cool things and even the tiny restaurant was delicious...loved walking around and talking to the staff about the history...it’s a don’t miss museum village....we will definitely go back soon ! Best enjoyed on a non rainy day to enjoy walking the village area ...

We had seen the Hagley Museum featured on the Travel Channel and wanted to visit on our trip to Maryland. It was quite interesting. Seeing how inventors presented models of their inventions was pretty neat. Learning about the DuPont family and the manufacture of gun powder in the US was enlightening.

Hagley is a gunpowder factory, in operation from 1802 to 1920, sited to utilize water power from the Brandywine River; actually, a factory town, with worker housing and school and the fancy home of the owner. The facility fell into disuse and disrepair, and has been incrementally rescued from the forest and refurbished. Established by French emigrée E.I. du Pont, Hagley is the start of that chemical empire. The exhibits are interesting because: U.S. post-colonial history, monumental stone architecture, history of technology (mechanisms that are comprehensible at a glance), industrialist-employee relations (the fringe benefits were generous) and gardening (i.e., after two years of pandemic-induced interest in home gardening, you can tour the French-style kitchen garden and say "I know that vegetable"), and the early history of the du Pont family in America, whose legacies are all over the region.

The atmosphere is low-key and relaxing: overhanging trees on both sides of the splashing river, grey stone buildings, crunchy gravel road. There's a lot of walking between the sites, and you'll need to wait for the bus that cycles between the lower and upper sections. You may encounter wedding guests who drive up to the visitor center instead of the Soda House event center. Printed maps are provided. There are restrooms at the ticket-window and gift shop, and at three other locations.

When you arrive, check for times of demos and docent-led tours, which greatly augment the placards outside each site. There's a demo of tools in the machine shop and the water turbine that drive them; the steam engine; upon arrival by bus at Eleutherian Mills, an interpretive center with du Pont family tree.

As of my visit (late June 2021), several sections were closed: the visitor center (with patent models), Belin House Café, the family home (Eleutherian Mills) and First Office. The official website does not have an explicit status checklist.

In the vicinity: Nemours Estate and Winterthur (more du Pont homes), Delaware Art Museum, Brandywine Park and Zoo.

We visited on a Saturday afternoon, the staff were VERY friendly and helpful, with information about the family, their business, their home, and also about the area in general. $10 admission fee was more than reasonable, great value. We saw the founder's home, what was left of their gardens, and some of the original factory works by the Brandywine River. There were a brief tour and demonstration at the old factory site. We plan on going to Winterthur tomorrow, and I think this gave us some perspective going in to that visit. A shuttle bus helped us a lot, so we did not have to walk down to the river and back. Overall, a very pleasant visit and very informative. Be aware there no longer is a restaurant there, so food is scarcely available. There are plenty of restrooms. It is a beautiful property.

We did this on a whim and it was the highlight of the weekend. While my wife loved visiting the estate house, I enjoyed hiking the old ruins. Our 9 year old daughters enjoyed the all the interactives that they did not get bored with their "teacher-parents" taking them to another historica site. Fall or early winter is the perfect time to visit.

Hagley is worth checking out! Great tours with lots of Delaware History! Lots of tour guides full of knowledge. Beautiful!

The history of the black powder works was interesting, and the docent did a great job on the tour of giving us a lot of good history, and making it all interesting. You get to see the factory, the DuPont house, the workers quarters, and learn how they lived and worked. Seeing a factory running entirely on water power coming from the river was fascinating. There are also events in the summer that sound great.

Nice folks provided informative talks on the early workings of the DuPont's Gunpowder Company. Takes a few hours to cover all the areas and walks are hilly. The original gardens are being excavated and restored, the house tour gives a brief glimpse of the life but doesn't allow enough time to absorb the true lifestyle since tours are rushed.
Regardless, the property has been well maintained and is worth the time.

My husband and I really enjoyed visiting! We enjoyed the house tour. We enjoyed walking to the historic buildings. It was nice and shady. The river was beautiful. I'm glad there was a tram to take around the grounds. We didn't have time to explore the huge museum. We will return to do this. This was a very different experience than going to Winterthur.

My friend and I visited the Hagley Museum today (we went to the Nemours Museum last year). We had a guided tour of the house from Laura; she was incredibly well informed and was a real expert on the DuPont family. Count yourself lucky if you get her for a guide. Other guides were equally informative and enjoyable to learn from.
The whole museum is well worth visiting, especially if you are more technically oriented.
I hope to visit the museum again.

It’s not self guided, so you have to listen the complete history of the Dupon Family, on each step you take.
we’re from spain and my friend doesn’t understand english so much, so imagine to be on a tour for hours with the obligation of listening a history class of a family almost unknown and not understanding a word..
awful experience.
we finally snicked ourselves out of the tour after 2 hours of boring , so we couldn’t see the rest of the place

We had visited Wintherthur before, but didn't know about Hagley Museum. It was truly worth a visit. We went in February, and found the place was not crowded. We had a super guide, Rodney, who showed us the house, and then we enjoyed demonstrations in the machine shop and the powder mill. A great day out.

Great easy to follow, informative narratives. Great explanation of how the steam engine works. Also enjoyed the explanation of the elaborate stairs

Hagley is a bargain for the $14 entrance fee. This is start of the DuPont company from about 1800 to about 1921 when they got out of the dynamite business. The admission includes a small museum at the visitor center on the physical geography and the history of the area. There are many building on the grounds; there’s a tour of the Millwright machine shop and one of how black powder was manufactured at the same place. There’s also other places to see- the Steam Engine House, the Gison house where the Foreman lived, the schoolhouse where the children were schooled, the mills by the river where most of the explosions took place. There were 288 explosions that killed 228 people in the 120 years the DuPont company produced dynamite, it’s surprising the place isn’t haunted. The biggest and most interesting place was the DuPont Family house, Eleutherian Millls where Christmas tours were given. There are a few places to see near the house- the gardens, the barn, the first office and other places. The house isn’t on the same luxury scale as the Nemours mansion (near the Experimental station) because it’s a century earlier, although it is very interesting and pretty nice. There is a lot to see so plan on spending the day here. We spent 5 hours there and didn’t get to see everything, it was so cold we didn’t really walk around like we would had it been warmer. You can easily spend the entire day here if you’re into history. It’s well worth the $14. They say there’s an excellent antique car show in September.

We want to go back because we had to leave before being able to see everything. This was a wonderful spot for history, the scenery, getting to see all sorts of things you wouldn't normally get a chance to from the machinery shop to a gunpowder demonstration. The house tour was fantastic. Everyone of the people working that we interacted with seemed to love what they do and were helpful. This is absolutely a place that any age could enjoy.

Very interesaría and worthy to visit specially the powder Mills and the family House. You can spend 3 hours easily

See where the early DuPont family struck it rich, making gunpowder along the banks of the Brandywine river in Wilmington, DE. Ride the jitney along pretty riverside paths and see the original stone buildings where they ground up the ingredients with wooden implements to prevent sparks. They even had wooden roofs to focus the explosion upwards to protect the men who ground the saltpeter, sulphur and charcoal for revolutionary guns.

Brandywine Powder Works and Mills (Hagley Museum)

A popular place for tourists and better visited in the shoulder season. Hubby and I went to the Hagley and spent most of the day there. We walked and omitted the shuttle bus. The lady at the desk cautioned us that we would be walking .7 mile twice but did not know we are avid hikers. A quick orientation and background explanation in the museum had us set and we had a most enjoyable day. When you walk, you can explore all the attractions you drive by and by reading the information signs, you better understand what went on at the site. Two exhibits really caught our eye – the water powered machine shop and the steam plant. The volunteer at the machine shop demonstrated the machinery in action and produced an object with very close tolerances. It was all done with waterpower from the mill pond. The second attraction of interest to us was the steam powered power plant. Fascinating to see the hot and belching steam piston in action and warm in the shed as well. The volunteer there was knowledgeable and very approachable when we had questions.
Just about every building is marked with informational signage and by taking one’s time, you can get a good feel for what work and life was like during the heyday of its operation.
Plan to spend about 4 hours, especially if you are curious. We brought a lunch and ate near the gift shop. And, there are plenty of rest rooms along the paths which eliminates returns to the main entrance. Gift shop was small but attendants were friendly and helpful.

Visting on a Nov mid week means you could have the place pretty much to yourself, as we did. There's a good museum setting the context and story of the mills, then a bus takes you around the duPont's black powder (aka gunpowder) manufacturing mills site with stops to watch demonstrations of the machinery/engineering processes & the workers' village.
We were more interested in the first duPont family home, Eleutherian Mills, which is an example of Federal/Colonial architecture. We had a guided tour of the whole house and heard the history of the family & the development of black powder production. It must have been a smelly, dirty spot to live, as well as very dangerous. In fact the house was abandoned in 1890 after a very big explosion in the mills below.
I am only awarding a 4 & not a 5 star review because our guide wasn't the best.

Learned about the DuPont family's contribution to the manufacturing of gunpowder along with family life of both the DuPont's and the workers at Hagley

Such an interesting museum. Fantastic collection of patent models from the 1800's with lively stories and film clips about American inventors. It's part of the Smithsonian.

Wonderful museum re unique DuPont family that was a tour de force in the history of Delaware. Hike on the grounds on the Brandywine River..beautiful. Family mansion well worth the tour. A real gem.

You need to allow a lot of time to visit even though the house/first office tour is only just over an hour. This is the third time I have tried to visit, but they make it take so long I didn’t have time the first two trips.You can’t drive or walk to the house. You can only take a shuttle. The shuttle runs every 20 minutes, except when I visited at lunch time, there was a shuttle at 1140, and the next one wasn’t until 1250. They told me it was at 1230. It wasn’t. I had reserved the 1 tour, but when I got to the orientation center, another time suck, they tried to tell me I would need to take the 130. I firmly declined.
It is a big estate, but I’m not sure know interesting most of it is to see or, more importantly, why they assume everyone wants to spend hours here. The house is where the family that started DuPont lived for most of the 19th century, but it is not an especially fancy house (although it is nice).
The saving Grace was the tour guides who were super nice, knowledgeable, and informative.

Interesting and informative way to learn about the history of the DuPont family. They have guided and self paced your options

Great experience, great customer service and the history of the house and the land was amazing and explained.

Great to see how the DuPont Company got stated. You drive through the huge black gates and then your on you way to see so many wonderful things, Plan to spend three or more hours there. You name it and they have everything there from about the family how they got started and how they continued to grow. The building ae so full of displays and information. Take a nice walk along the Brandywine River, as you travel to see all that they have to see you will not be disappointed. We go quite a lot because we always see something we missed. The house E.I.DuPont lived in is open to the public.

Give yourself at least 3-4 hours here. We took the tour of the house and powder works which will take about 2 1/2 hrs, and there was still more we could have seen if we had the time. The guides were absolutely terrific! And it's amazing to see how some of the machinery stills works to this day. They are planning a restoration of the gardens someday. We will be sure to return for that.

We visited the Hagley Museum yesterday, not sure how much time to allow for our visit. We ended up spending the entire day. To fully appreciate everything this site has to offer, you need a minimum of half a day, in my opinion. This “museum” is a treasure. We learned way more about the du Ponts, the family and the company, than we thought we wanted to know. It was interesting and enjoyable. The exhibits on two floors of the Visitor Center were well done. Our guided tour of the first office and du Pont family home was great (thank you, Olga). The machine shop and gunpowder demonstrations were amazing (thank you Jim and Rodney). Other parts of the Powder Yard and Workers’ Hill we explored independently, and we stopped for a nice lunch at the Belin House Café. We can’t recommend this place enough.

I went here only because my mother wanted to. Had seen nice photos on trip advisor that were clearly photoshopped. It’s actually not that great. The geese are gross.

Fascinating museum around this DuPont family and their black powder factory / production along the Brandywine river. The exhibits and tours of the machine shop and black powder production are incredibly well put together and showcased - loved the working water power and docents who led the tours.
Would highly recommend this as a place to visit.

Very interesting experience. Besides the beautiful house and its garden, they have a working museum. The waterpower is demonstrated to run a machine shop, run turbines and turn the grinding wheels for the manufacture of gunpowder. All this work without electricity!

Nicely presented information about something that was totally unfamiliar to us. We went on a Monday in September, and a few building are closed except for the summer, and there was only one floor of exhibits in the visitor's center, rather than three floors mentioned on their website site. In light of that, perhaps there should be a slightly lower entrance price for off-season visitors.

Our guide for the house was knowledgeable, but didn't seem to like his monologue interrupted with questions.

One caveat for disabled travelers: one member of our party doesn't use a wheelchair, but can't stand in one spot for more than a few minutes. There were no benches in the exhibits in the visitor's center, nor was there anywhere to sit or lean during demonstrations. The house, obviously, is accessible only on the first floor, but there was nothing to show what was on the second floor for those who couldn't do the stairs. This is the first such place we've been to where photos or a presentation of some sort wasn't available.

I can see why this museum is #1. We had some wheelchairs and they were completely accommodating to them. While there is a large campus, we found that the shuttles took us where we needed to go. The gentlemen John and Rodney were very nice and knowledgeable, and Steve took extra time to demonstrate the gunpowder for us when we were unable to make it to the bottom to see it with everyone else. The cafe had delicious food, and it was very reasonably priced. I highly recommend the turkey chili!
This is probably one of the best places I have ever been to because of the atmosphere and the friendly people. It was very handicapped accommodating, and was a great way to end our wonderful trip to a brand new state. It made Delaware one of the best states I have visited.

Very fun and educational place for kids and adults. When you visit there you really find out how Dupont made their fortune and it's a most fascinating story. As a bonus they were really good decent people.

Hagley is a gem of a museum. There are several elements that make up the entire visitor experience. There are interactive exhibits at the visitors’ center. At the powder yard, well-informed employees give demonstrations involving steam engines, old machines and the process of making gunpowder. A tour of the ancestral home and office of E.I. du Pont is another area of interest. At Workers’ Hill you can see a foreman’s home and a school. There is also a cafe in this area for lunch or a snack. The entire area is a photographer’s paradise with beautiful grounds and brick ruins along the Brandywine River. A shuttle bus moves around the area or you can enjoy walking at your own pace. There are plenty of areas for picnics and clean bathrooms. Allow four to six hours to see everything. Although younger children may find the house tour a bit long, the demonstrations and a hands on “Easy Does It” building featuring simple machines will fascinate them. Admission at $15.00 per adult and $11.00 for seniors is incredibly reasonable. I can not say enough about the friendly, helpful, well versed staff. Someone was always available to make suggestions for touring or answer questions. There are many special programs throughout the year. Check the website.

This is a beautiful property! So well maintained. The staff and volunteers are very knowledgable. There is a lot to see :)

My husband especially enjoyed touring this facility and learning about the manufacture of black powder and some of the history of the du Pont family in America. We particularly enjoyed the demonstrations of early power tools--powered by water, that is. It's clear 5he guides and interpreters enjoy their work! The setting along the Brandywine River is serene and lovely; it was pleasant to stroll around the areas open to pedestrians. We then boarded the bus for the tour of the du Pont home. Richard was our guide. He was delightful, friendly and informative about the house and the grounds. We very much enjoyed our time there and would recommend it to others.

We thoroughly enjoyed visiting the different areas on this 225 acre Estate and gunpowder mill. So much history and great demonstrations that really helped me understand how things worked during the time the mill was operational. I was amazed that everything works and looks great and was used from 1803 to 1958. We did a walking tour with Susan which included the powder yards. So much interesting information and it was great being able to ask questions. Take the tour. The docents in the house were all so helpful and friendly. We were there 4 hours so you know we really liked our visit to Hagley.

We went to the Hagley Museum on a Friday afternoon with friends, and were pleasantly surprised to have the place pretty much to ourselves. Hagley is a beautiful property alongside the Brandywine River. In the past it was a gunpowder works founded by E.I. Dupont in 1802. Now it has a Visitor Center, with the Powder Yard, Workers' Hill, and DuPont home all restored and available for touring.

Since it was a beautiful day, we walked to the buildings where demonstrations were being held, and then caught the bus to the house. The tour guide was very engaging, and we learned not only about the house and its furnishings, but also about the business in general. There were many explosions here, and many people lost their lives. It definitely wasn't an easy life for the workers.

This is one of those places that you can see quickly, or spend the day exploring all that it has to offer, so it is up to you and the amount of time you have available. If it is a nice day, the grounds and gardens are very nice for walking. If you want an educational experience, definitely see the exhibits in the Visitor Center, watch the demonstrations, and take the house tour.

No matter what you do it will be worth your time.

This is the original home of the du Pont family on Brandywine Creek. The old powder works are on the grounds. The du Pont home and original office are open to the public as are an operating powder mill, operating water powered central shaft machine shop, operating steam engine and workers quarters. We were there on a Monday and there were few visitors. If you go at the right tie you can see this museum in one-half day. We toured everything but the grounds where the workers lived. I highly recommend this museum. believe tickets were $12 for adults and $10 for seniors. If you arrive after 1 pm they give you admission on a second day.

When I was a schoolgirl in Wilmington, my class took a field trip to Hagley Museum. That visit lodged itself into my memory so firmly that I thought it imperative to take my own three boys to see how a mill works and to see the beginnings of the DuPont family empire (perhaps to inspire them) even though we live across the country.

We came later in the afternoon – perhaps around 3pm, so our ticket purchase entitled us to another return visit sometime in the next seven days. The lady who sold us our tickets recommended that we go directly to the machine shop to see the demonstrations, but since it was so late, and we knew we would probably return, we chose to go directly to see Eleutherian Mills, the home of the DuPont family.

Dave, the bus driver, was friendly, and even though there was a recording to tell us about what we were seeing, he would help us understand better by pointing out what it was referring to and supplementing the information with an interesting anecdote.

When we got to the house, we were fortunate to have Richard as a guide. He was so knowledgeable, but since he knew that the docent of a museum can make or break how my boys would perceive the entire place, he made it fun! He explained how the wallpaper in the dining room was made by French craftsmen who had never seen the United States, and my boys are still laughing about their imagination! There was so much to convey about the house and grounds, but I feel as if Richard filled that 55-minute tour with tons, yet left the boys wanting to learn more. (If you ask me, that’s a gift!)

We did end up going back a few days later, and both times, we relished the dioramas in the visitors’ center. They are indeed, something I remembered from my school field trip, and I loved seeing my boys enjoy seeing the various scenes “come to life” to make the history and the operation of the mill make sense in a way that hit all the learning styles (Visual, Auditory, and Kinesthetic). I am saddened to hear that the museum intends to take this vital section out. The children of today will be missing out on the beauty and simplicity of these teaching tools if they are replaced with the “screen” that is ubiquitous in their lives already. I hope that management will rethink this course of action because studies show that “Old School” learning opportunities are those that “stick.”

Our visit to the machine shop of 1857(?) was fascinating because Art showed us how the different machines worked using only the technology they had back then. Funny, how methods might change, but the science stays the same.

We also got to see the black powder demonstration (which, as the ticket lady predicted, really ‘wowed’ the boys, ages 16, 13, and 11.) Then we wandered around the powder yard, the boys exploring, me taking photos of my family by the Brandywine River. We meandered up to Workers’ Hill where we got to see the John Gibbons House and the Sunday School – both worthy of our time.
Then we had lunch at the Belin House Organic Café. I have to say that I didn’t have high hopes, but not only the food (especially the crab cakes) was very good, but the service was gracious, as well.

If you were to ask my boys what one of the highlights of our summer back East was, they would undoubtedly answer the Hagley Museum! And… I would have to agree. If I lived closer, I would join. But since I don’t, I will recommend that you visit this lovely place. I’m sure it will find its way into one of your treasured memories if you enjoy history, gardens, or engineering.

Hagley Museum is a wonderful place to visit especially if you love history or Delaware history.
So much of how the state of Delaware grew came from this historical site.
This is a wonderful Museum to visit with your children once they get to about 8 or 9 years old. Younger than that they might not be able to handle all the walking.

We had a great evening. Parking in/out for this event was easy. Lots of food available for purchase but we enjoyed our own picnic dinner before the fireworks. The kids area is a great addition. Our grandson loved the banner w/ fabric paints and the "AquaPod". The fireworks were spectacular. Our grandson is 7 and not a fan of loud noises. The explanation of each design helped ease into the display. He was so interested in the display and the narrative he forgot about his "fear" of loud noises. He also told us he really liked that they talked about history before each display. Thank you to Hagley and everyone involved. Great family event!

Beautiful fall day on the Brandywune River, learned a lot about the production of Black powder and life in a blackpowder mill.

What a pleasant surprise! Gorgeous grounds, informative tour, and historical exhibits. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and accommodating. (There was one employee in the main entrance building who may have been having an off day, but I guess I can overlook that. Crank.) There's so much to see here, and so much to learn about one of America's first industrialist families, the DuPonts. They were well loved in the area for their generosity and philanthropy, which I did not know and was gratified to learn. Creating gunpowder was a dangerous business, and the process is described and demonstrated. House tour was great. Lovely grounds.

This is a beautiful site, with many different things to see. We were somewhat limited on time and so we couldn't do everything. We enjoyed the house tour and our guide, Angelica, was absolutely wonderful. The old industrial sites along the river were very interesting, showing how water power was used to power the production. The gunpowder display was also interesting.

The grounds are so green and beautiful, it is hard to believe that this was once an industrial site producing gunpowder. We were very impressed by the folks who work there. Everyone was very friendly and helpful.

Well worth the visit!

First, let me say that all of the staff at Hagley are really great. From the shuttle driver to the tour guides, everyone was so kind. As stated, this was the beginning for the Duponts in America. Manufacturing gun power was their first venture in the New World. We were told that the family was very generous. If a woman lost her spouse, she was cared for as long as needed. Housing was provided, along with food and money. The home was gorgeous, both inside and out and the interesting part was that Mr. Dupont built it so that he may watch the work that was being done. He wanted to be close and show that he would not put them in harm's way without suffering the consequences himself. The grounds are gorgeous and the history is unmatched. We will visit again when time permits.

Definitely a Wilmington Area treasure for all ages - lovely setting along the Brandywine River. Suggest coming at 10 am when they open. So much to see and do! Best to plan your day with the reception person so you can catch the Machine Shop Tour given on the hour and the Gunpowder Tour given on the half hour and take the bus up the hill to the cafe (best crab cakes in Delaware by Chef Roy) and to the DuPont family house and garden tour (an hour long). The guides are extremely knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Note that the DuPont family house Tour involves some walking up and down steps (handrails are very helpful) but no elevator. Nonetheless even the family home ground floor Tour is worth it. Be sure to plan time for lunch (note food Service stops at 2:30).

Terrific walking tour highlighting immigrant workers and their life intersection with the duPont family in the black powder works.

I recently visited the Hagley Museum while spending the weekend in Brandywine Delaware. This was a very educational and insightful experience for my wife and myself. We got to see a demonstration of how gunpowder was made and the entrepreneurial sprit of the Dupont family who founded the Dupont company. Touring of the homes gives you that sense of how things were in the past. Lunch at the cafe was great as well. Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area.

One of the best historical museums we have visited. The opportunity to see a working water powered machine shop and gunpowder mill. Good exhibits of mill technology. Each docent we spoke to was knowledgeable and interesting. The grounds are pretty, and it was not crowded, despite being summer. You do need to follow the tour in the prescribed order as things are a little spread out. We started with the house tour and worked our way back. Lunch was on the hill above the mill workings; it was good but not spectacular. There were a number of picnic table options but we didn't bring a lunch.

Gunpowder, Power, History, live machinery and a beautiful setting. Whether it's Christmas or the summer time, Hagley is worth the time to visit.

This is the original DuPont plant where the family got its start making black powder in the early 1800's. 180 explosions in 100 years some large enough to shake windows in Philadelphia.

The original Dupont Mansion and first corporate offices and working water wheels, machine shop, steam engines and black powder demonstrations. The Belin House ready to serve lunch and you are all set for this visit.

This and Nemurs are the best combo to gain an understanding of the DuPont family that created the huge corporate giant. Fascinating!

Disappointed that an attraction or two was not accessible but made the best of a very nice day. Our intention was just to get the 3 year old grand-daughter out of the house. She enjoys being out in large fields. Packed a picnic lunch and roamed around.
The highlight of her day was Terry on the shuttle. It was her first time on anything that resembled a bus. You would have thought it was an amusement ride. Terry was very kind and we went for an extra trip around the grounds for no reason.
All the staff were extremely friendly and very thoughtful on our intentions to just have our little one enjoy the day and a very good experience. As this was not our first trip the grounds was great and the atmosphere of all was friendly and welcoming.

Everyone we encountered at Hagley was pleasant. The tour itself was quite good. Ask for Elton for your guide.

Property is extensive with old buildings, millraces, and foundations to explore. There is a bus system that takes visitors to the home/gardens/barn. The cafe is not open but the gift shop has high end quality items. There are very good educational demos on machine shop, gunpowder, and steam. House has docents in many of the rooms-not as opulent as winterthur.

I took a day trip from NYC to Wilmington, DE, just to get out of the city. Since this place is the #1 attraction in Wilmington according to Tripadvisor, I decided to take an Uber from downtown and check it out. The photos don't do it justice - the grounds are spectacular. The history of the DuPont family and their contribution to the state of Delaware is very interesting. The tour guides were knowledgable and friendly. I loved the tour of the DuPoint family home, and was able to walk the grounds along river. My only regret is that I didn't book this trip during fall foliage season which means I'll need to go back.

Set in the splendor of the Brandywine Valley, the E.I. DuPonte family home is a marvel of life in a earlier time. Go during the holiday season and view the natural decor, multiple trees and 12th Night Dinner setting in the expansive dining room. This is an in-door as well as out-door experience, with multiple buildings, with demonstrations. A shuttle bus will get you from place to place, the house has several floors with steep winding steps but more demonstrations (machine shop and steam engine) were accessible. Fun for the whole family!

I've been there a long time ago when my son was in elementary school...so the date listed is wrong...but nice place for a visit

My husband and I toured the Hagley Museum. Hagley is the former residence of a DuPont cousin.
This is the location of the Dupont’s first Gunpowder Factory and DuPont’s office. The tour was wonderful and we both really enjoyed it. The first stop is the Visitors center. The Center has unique displays explaining the history of the DuPont Family and Company. The Center is interesting and educational. The upstairs includes a special area of interest for children. We took our time and explored everything the site offered. My suggestion is to go early. The bus will drop you off at the residence for a guided tour. The guide explained everything about the home’s history. The tour includes visiting the machine shop, Workers Hill, the Gunpowder Yard
beautiful gardens, and their antique automobiles. They also offer demonstrations at various sites. You can take a walking tour if you prefer. The grounds are wooded and beautiful. However if you prefer less walking let the bus drop you off and pick you up at each tour site. The bus runs every thirty minutes and will pick you up and take where you want to tour next. The geology of the Brandywine Valley was beautiful and very peaceful. A great day trip.

This is where the Dupont Family began to earn their fortune. Get a tour of the house and grounds. See how they harnessed the river to manufacture their gunpower factory. It is a fascinating place. The grounds are beautiful.

The staff were very knowledgeable and informative.
A special mention to Lenny in the Sunday School for going the extra mile with his explanation and information.

The only low point of the day was the rude and uninterested girl in the cafe who was only interested in putting on her makeup and doing her hair. She was surly and quite rude ...poor show for out of town visitors

Lovely Christmas decorations in the family home. Very informative tour director. Sadly not handicapped accessible except for the grounds.

A fantastic insight to life and manufacturing in the 1800’s. Think it would have some level of interest to visitors of all ages.

There was so much to see and do here, that we ended up going back and spending another full day at Hagley. The history, the buildings, and all the working equipment gave us a true picture of what life must have been like when the family was living here and started their black gun powder operation. The gardens were beautiful and we were pleasantly surprised because we had only heard about Winterthur and Nemours and didn't know anything about this place until we arrived in Wilmington.

Great insight into duPont history in Delaware. Demonstrations of gun powder mills and machinery, interesting science and research behind duPont, and also a beautiful setting.

Besides the location along the beautiful Brandywine Hayley Museum gives an enlightening look at the beginning of the DuPont Powder Mills. From the first diorama of the development of industry along the Brandywine to the steps involved in making black powder you become immersed in history. Touring the house and office let’s you travel back in time. You will need 3 or 4 hours to see and read everything.

My husband and I visited the Hagley Museum and enjoyed it so much! It is the original home and gun powder factory of the DuPont family from around 1800. It was such a gorgeous setting along the Brandywine Creek especially in the fall with all the trees changing colors. You tour their original home which was added on to. It has super thick walls—explosions happened! The home is filled with early American furniture and family artifacts. You walk through with a guide. It sits on a hill right above where they made their fortune producing gun powder and you can go to that area of the property and see how it was made and the water powered tools etc. There is also a museum of patent models that were submitted by people applying for a patent which was very interesting! I guess it’s called Hagley because the previous owners of the property were well known in the area so the DuPonts kept the name there. There are so many interesting stories to hear!

This was a fantastic, lovely place. Started our visit at the mansion, deciding to do the museum on the way back. Well, the tour was so fantastic we will have to make another trip & I can't wait. Our tour guide Olga was wonderful & the mansion & grounds are awesome. You will not be disappointed with Hagley Museum.

The Hagley Museum on the bank of the Brandywine is simply beautiful. An indoor museum explains the DuPont history making gunpowder. Our historic outdoor exhibits are fascinating and there are many knowledgable docents to demonstrate and explain the processes. The historic home is lovely and our docent there was excellent. Great way to spend a day. We were 2 adult couples. Teens may also enjoy. Not sure for small kids. Fyi. . . Staff in small cafe for lunch were not very friendly but that was an aberration. The museum staff and docents were terrific.

Our Group of 35 seniors were treated like royalty. The tour was excellent, and we learned a lot about the founding of the DuPont Company. They took the tour at an excellent pace. We used the catering services of the restaurant and ate in the picnic area under the trees. A wonderful day!

Great site to see. The property is easy to walk on. Transportation is provided, but it needs to be walked. A lot of things to see on the way.

My husband and I and friends visited the Hagley Museum this week. The weather was perfect , sunny ,cool, and low humidity. We were told a hot humid day is not a good time to visit the prosperity since it is surrounded by the Brandy Wine River.
The staff is well trained and couldn’t have been nicer. Each exhibit the guides were very informative. They have a cafe on sight with a limited menu with very good food prepared by the traveling chef. Highly recommend when you are in the area to stop in and visit the grounds are beautiful.....

The volunteers at the house tour and machine shop and the steam engine were outstanding. They were both informative and friendly. We did not feel rushed and enjoyed the stories they shared. Also kudo's to all the staff who have made the best of the worst of the flooding in terms of opening and operating the complex post-flood. This was our first time and won't be our last. Definitely should be on everyone's bucket list.

It was a beautiful day to wander the grounds of the Hagley Museum. I enjoyed it so much that I became a member.

Visited Hagley and was impressed by all the different areas you can visit. House tours, demonstrations, knowledge tour guides made the visit very interesting. It is the factory and home of E.I. DuPont Definitely worth the visit. There is also a library that has the history of a thousand different companies.

My cousin and I went to the library annex and found what we were searching for quickly because of the super helpful staff. Can't say enough good things about how knowledgeable and cooperative they were.

We have visited Hagley Museum several times. You can hike through the grounds and stop at various sites for presentations that are professional and informative. Military friendly

Not only is this one of Delaware’s natural treasures, it’s full of the states history. Each season brings its own natural beauty and walking the guounds is always a nature lovers treat. Like visiting several times a year

We go here at least once a year...usually for the Hagley Car Show in September. At the car show, you will see all kinds of classic cars...from steamers to muscle cars to unique garage creations. You never know what you will find there. It just depends on WHO enters their cars and what they decide to bring! This year we loved the TV show cars: Kitt from Knight Rider and the A-Team van. What creativity! While there we usually check out all the classic cars, watch the car parade, take a tour of the mansion, stroll through the gardens, check out the juke box display, play with the pedal cars and grab a bite to eat from a few of the vendors/food trucks. All of this takes place on the estate, which has beautiful grounds. IF you are into classic cars, this show is a must! I would highly recommend.

The Hagley Museum has gorgeous walking paths--through natural woods and man made gardens, past historical DuPont mills and buildings, and alongside beautiful and calming water mill runs that once played a major role in DuPont's production of gunpowder.
Every Wednesday night in the sumner, the entrance fee is reduced to $2/person for a chance to walk or bike the paths and visit the various museum buildings where the history of DuPont's gunpowder operation is presented in various entertaining ways. It's a great place to bring the kids, to throw in some learning, her some fresh air, and use up some of that youthful energy. 😋

Great place to walk the grounds. Educational programs for children are amazing. A lot of fun well run

This is wonderful living museum that has so much to offer, from the amazing dioramas in the museum building, to the lovely main home and surrounding homes as well as the machine shed and powder yard. You can spend hours here. There's a shuttle that takes you to the beautiful mansion known as Eleutherian Mills and includes an informative recorded guide. You can also enjoy a delicious and reasonable meal in the Belin cafe.

Loved touring hagley at Christmas. A must see
If you are in Delaware during the holidays. The mansion on the Brandywine is beautiful

Went on a raining day but that didn't stop the tour guides from giving us a great experience. All guides were knowledgeable and interested in our curiosity and engaged us in the house, family and grounds.

Worth the trip.

This is where the DuPont family began the saga that became one of the great family dynasties in American history. It also happens to be one of the most beautiful and tranquil stretches of the Brandywine. Come see where men occasionally “took a trip across the creek”.

Demonstrations of gun powder mills and machinery, interesting science and research behind DuPont Company in a beautiful setting. Knowledgeable staff. DuPont family history is intertwined with the history of Delaware. Walk the grounds along the beautiful and historic Brandywine River. Family mansion well worth the tour.

a dreary misty/rainy day, but the walk thru the grounds was beautiful. visit the early DuPont home, learn about the French immigrant family and their contributions to America. see the sunday school/classroom. lots of interesting history facts given by the docents.

Hagley has so much to offer - you don't have to be a history buff to be fascinated by this gorgeous gem of a place! The grounds are beautiful, the tour guides phenomenal and you really get to know the history of the Brandywine through the eyes of those who lived at this great estate and manufacturing spot. They have a gift shop and many things going on all summer too - truly a super time here. Will come back again in summer to see more in bloom and enjoy the Brandywine river.

We went to the Hagley Museum for the first time and were absolutely delighted that we went. We spent about 3 hours there but easily could have spent more time. The volunteers were very informative and made the day for us. We took the tour if the mansion and we're so glad we went. It is a wonderful monument to it's time and the docent was able to tell us do much about the history of the property. We also saw the machine house demonstration and the steam house demonstration. Both were well worth the time. We missed the gun powder demo but it gives us a reason to return. This museum is definitely worth the time!

The Hagley Museum highlights the early work of the duPont powder mills. The Museum is largely outdoors and located along the beautiful Brandywine Creek, which provided the power for the mills.

Excellent group tour. Totally unique place. Check website for special events in advance. Canon firing was cool. Belt driven tool building fascinating. Creek-side setting is lovely.

Loved the tour of the home and powder mills. The gal who gave us the tour of the home did an amazing job. Pete did a great job down at the powder mills and Terry did a great job explaining the history of the grounds as he drove us to and from the powder mills

The tour of the house was fantastic, the guides know their history. Enjoyed the grounds and gardens. We only had few hours so we did not get to visit all the outbuildings but the house tour is worth the price.

If you like green scenery along with historical and vintage houses, you’d like this one! Randomly pick this among some other interesting places due to limited time, i will regret if i dont pick this beauty at that time. They have vintage house, historical buildings, fresh green views along with peacefull river... and it will be even more perfect, if you’re a DuPonters !! 🙆🏻‍♀️🙆‍♀️ You will feel belong to...
Only one thing need to be improved, they dont give you enough time to listening to the history, while admiring as well as taking enough photo... how can i do all those three if we’re running from one place to other places all the time? They should tell the story, then give you some time to enjoying (including take picture]. Or probably, you should come more than once then 😅😅 Really want to get back if I get other chance in the future.

Went here because one of the other DuPont sites was closed. Glad we did it was a good choice for us. Very interesting look at the early history of the DuPont company. The docents were very knowledgeable. Enjoyed our walk around the property. Many original structures still exist. Probably spent 3 hours here.

My wife and I are members at Hagley. You can visit the early DuPont house, you can tour the powder mill making operation, learn the history of the site. There are lots of kids activities and they do special presentations. Overall, it has something for everyone, go to the website and look at the choices. For a first trip, take the bus up to the DuPont home, do the tour and then walk along the creek and look at the powder milll area. Educational and fun at the same time.

Known as "Where the DuPont story began" this is a great place to learn about the origins of DuPont...making gunpowder! Great tour, small gift shop with good selection, nice grounds. Worth a trip!

We drove into the parking lot and thought we were in the wrong place you can't see the yellow estate that's in all the pictures at all from the parking. Enter the visitors center and purchase $15 tickets which bring you into the small museum and dioramas that are so well done puts other museums to shame. From there a BUS drives you up the hill to the estate and first office ~ during the trip a tour guide (Tim ~ amazing) tells you all about the many things to see. The 'soda' building where sodium used to be held ~ now documents are studied there, old mills, steam house, hand dug canal, railroad tracks, DuPont brother-in-laws house (wool) Roman Gardens (ruins) etc...
Once your at the house you tour a barn for over view of the family and estate history, then visit a separate office, then enter the main house and good through 3 levels of it and able to see some damage from the 288 explosions that happen in the 1800's. then back to the bus for a steam and gunpowder demos.
Definitely can make a whole day of this beautiful estate~ history at its best!

Understand the history in the welcome centre. See the history on the ground as you walk and travel the museum. This is a place where attention to original detail is foremost. The grounds and trees form perfect shade in the hot sun. The staff are very freindly and most informative. A delightful day. Highly recommended.

A must see if in the area. The home is more simple, but holds so much history. The is more of a walking museum as well. The shuttle will take you to all locations. Easy to catch every 20 mins & move on to an another location on the grounds. Great staff either giving you a tour or giving demonstrations in other areas. We started with the Historic Home & Gardens & worked our way forward. They give you a map so you can decide were to go. It’s your choice. Even the visitors center when arriving has interesting patens to look after. We enjoyed this stop and wish we had had a little more time. We spent 3 hours here.

We took a guided tour of this early American home (1803). There were several very knowledgeable guides (in different rooms) who explained the history of the DuPont family, why they came to the US and failed at 6 businesses before succeeding spectacularly in gunpowder manufacturing, and many personal details of the family that made the mansion visit extremely interesting. There was also a jitney trip, around 30 minutes, around the grounds, powder works, workers' area, etc. The driver, Terry, was excellent. Probably not for young children, but highly recommended.

Some times it pays up to just go for it. Due to the rain we had Olga all to ourselves. Such an interesting family history. Interesting property on the context of the other 2.

The Hagley museum focuses on the history of the du Pont Family and the making of black powder on the property you will explore. We arrived at about 11:30am and stayed til closing at 5pm and I would say we rushed a bit to fit it all in as we are the kind of people who want to read everything in all exhibits. The weather was a bit warm, we started in the visitors center where this is a good history exhibit about mills and the du Pont Family. To get to the family's house, you have to take a bus- you are not allowed to walk past a certain point to get up to the house. We started with a 1 hr tour of the house and our guide was excellent and knowledgeable. After touring the families grounds we took the bus back and stopped for a short demonstration before getting off at the workers hill area to go have lunch. There were ample options for vegetarians and pescatarians at the cafe. Our guides at the machine shop and powder houses were very knowledgeable and helped us to see what the workers actually did in the area to make black powder and then we had a demonstration with the black powder. We were not able to see a cannon being shot since they were not doing that demonstration on the day we went (Tuesday). Our daughter is 3 and loved all the machines in the shop and the guides were kind in making sure she felt included. We returned to explore the 3rd floor of the visitors center where you can learn about the modern du Pont inventions. There is a space suit and a race car that your kids can take pictures in/with. I highly recommend visiting- and make it a whole day.