- Delaware Museum of Natural History
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Coordinates: 39°47′54″N 75°36′35″W / 39.798307°N 75.609804°W
Delaware Museum of Natural History 
Museum in 2010
Location in DelawareEstablished 1957 (open to public May 13, 1972) Location 4840 Kennett Pike, Wilmington, Delaware, 19807 USA
302.658.9111Type Natural history Visitor figures 77,444 (2007)[1] Public transit access - 10 DART bus
Website http://www.delmnh.org The Delaware Museum of Natural History was founded in 1957 by John Eleuthere du Pont near Greenville, Delaware and opened in 1972. It is known for its extensive collections of seashells, birds, and bird eggs. It is the oldest natural history museum in Delaware.
History
John duPont built a personal collection of seashells, birds and bird eggs starting in childhood. He authored several books on birds and became interested in developing a natural history museum. Henry Francis du Pont provided land across from Winterthur for the museum at John duPont's request. The museum opening was attended by 200 duPont family members, and representatives of other Northeastern natural history museums.[2]
Since 1993, the museum has hosted a Dino Days event near Christmas.[3] The museum had a major expansion in 2005 to add educational and exhibit space.
The museum began with a collection of 1,000,000 sea shells and 100,000 bird eggs. These were used by scientists to measure pesticide contamination of wild species in early ecological studies.[4]
The museum has expanded to include a exhibits on dinosaurs, mammals, and Charles Darwin.[5]
References
- ^ "Media Overview". Delaware Museum of Natural History. http://www.delmnh.org/mediainfo_overview.php. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
- ^ Janson, Donald (May 13, 1972). "DuPonts Toast a New Museum". New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F10715F83455127B93C1A8178ED85F468785F9. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
- ^ "Dig deeper into the world of dinosaurs". Delaware Museum of Natural History. http://www.delmnh.org/DMNHDinoDays.php. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
- ^ Janson, Donald (May 7, 1972). "New Museum in Delaware Stresses Ecology of Birds and Sea Life". New York Times. http://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F70613F63F5E127A93C5A9178ED85F468785F9. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
- ^ "Permanent Exhibits". Delaware Museum of Natural History. http://www.delmnh.org/permanent_exhibits.php. Retrieved 2009-07-12.
External links
Categories:- Natural history museums in Delaware
- Museums in New Castle County, Delaware
- Brandywine Museums & Gardens Alliance
- DuPont
- Museums established in 1972
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