Delaware Museum of Natural History, Greenville, DE - Greenville, Delaware - Wilmington Area Museum Among National Leaders in Birds And Shells

The Delaware Museum of Natural History, Greenville, DE, is located at 4840 Kennett Pike (Route 52). It is across from the Winterthur between Greenville and Centreville. It is within the Greater Wilmington area.

Among its artifacts and holdings, this museum boasts the second largest collection of bird's eggs in the United States as well as one of the top ten shell collections in the country.

Several visiting exhibits are hosted each year, accompanied by special educational programs at the museum.

Visitors to the museum are met by a giant squid replica suspended from the ceiling reminiscent of something stepping out of a Jules Verne's tale. Other gargantuan specimens here include the only dinosaur fossil skeletons on display in the state, in the Dinosaur Gallery. There are interactive paleontology activities in this hall.

Additional hands-on activities are found in the Discovery Room at the Delaware Museum of Natural History, Greenville, DE.

More traditional areas include an exhibit dedicated to Darwin and Evolution and the 118,000 bird specimens and nests that make up the bird collection. Only a part of this collection can be on display at any one time in the Hall of Birds due to its size.

The more modest Hall of Mammals displays a cross section of hairy creatures from around the globe. There is a particular emphasis on those living within the small State of Delaware.

One of the museum's innovations, aside from the vast shell collection of over 2 million specimens, is the mile-long Nature Trail which has two loops. One of the loops includes a bird house along the way while the other moves through woodlands and wetlands on the expansive museum property.

A Butterfly Garden is also part of the permanent and innovative areas of the museum.

The Delaware Museum of Natural History, Greenville, DE, is open 7 days a week. From Monday through Saturday its hours are from 9:30 AM to 4:30 PM and on Sunday the hours are reduced, opening at noon. The museum closes for New Year's, Easter, Independence, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Days annually.

The museum was founded by John E. du Pont who had a particular fascination for mollusks and birds, which explains the particular emphasis at the museum to date. These are also specialized research and study areas for the museum.

More than 75,000 people have annually visited this museum since it opened in 1972.

Its educational programs include community outreach visits by the museum speakers' bureau, encouraging home school visits, school tours and a summer camp program.

Annual and special events occur throughout the year at the museum.

Restoration of the museum's facilities were completed in 2005.

A museum store sells educational and souvenir items during the regular hours of museum operation.

Spaces are available for private event rentals.