Delaware Museum of Nature and Science
Introduction
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The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, located in Wilmington, was founded in 1957 by John Eleuthere du Pont near Greenville and opened to the public in 1972. Formerly the Delaware Museum of Natural History, it was renovated in 2022 with new exhibits featuring ecosystems from the region and around the world, as well as the Mid-Atlantic during the Cretaceous. The museum offers a variety of educational programs, including summer camps, community outreach visits, and school tours. The museum also holds internationally renowned scientific collections, including mollusks, birds, and the second-largest collection of bird eggs in North America.
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The Delaware Museum of Natural History

Backstory and Context
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John du Pont collected one million seashells and 100,000 bird eggs along with additional bird specimens, all of which served as the foundation for the museum's scientific collection. The Du Pont family also donated land adjacent to Winterthur in the late 1960s. The new museum opened to the public in 1972 and was renovated in 2005 to provide additional educational and exhibit space. The organization's programs and galleries explore how nature connects humans through the exploration of dynamic and diverse ecosystems, including educational programs such as summer camps, school tours, and community outreach initiatives.
Another expansion in 2022 allowed the galleries to offer more exhibits, all drawn from the institution's collection of scientific specimens. Together, the museum galleries serve as a record of the Earth's biodiversity and as a resource for researchers and educators. The museum's staff includes scientists and museum professionals who curate and maintain collections and conduct research.
Sources
"About Us." Delaware Museum of Nature and Science. Accessed April 28, 2025. https://delmns.org/about-us/
Janson, Donald. "New Museum in Delaware Stress Ecology of Birds and Sea Life." The New York Times. May 7, 1972. https://timesmachine.nytimes.com/timesmachine/1972/05/07/91328594.pdf.