What to Do in Delaware This Year

A pair of mile-long stretches of golden sand at Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach are reason enough for family travelers to choose southern Delaware for summer travel. At Rehoboth, a boardwalk lines the entire beach, with a holiday atmosphere of amusements, eateries and bandstand.

Traditional old-time games fill Funland Arcade and, along with souvenirs and beach toys, the stands lining the boardwalk sell soft ice cream, salt-water taffy, fries and more favorite beach treats. Stroll and browse, or watch kids play in the sand from one of the reversable benches lining the boardwalk.

Also at Rehoboth Beach, Clear Space Theatre entertains with 13 productions this summer, a repertoire spanning genres from mystery thrillers to Broadway musical favorites Annie and Oklahoma!

Bethany Beach is the place for watersports, including surfing, parasailing, windsurfing, kiteboarding and fishing, or kayaking in the ocean or the quieter waters of the sound. In Lewes, Quest Adventures added new float rentals to its kayak and paddleboard rentals, and will offer sunset floats. Or let them plan a family beach party with kayaks, SUPs, floating mats, fire pits, beach chairs, umbrellas and beach games.

Along with comprehensive hotel listings, the Southern Delaware Tourism website includes a link to vacation rental companies.

Elsewhere in the state, the Brandywine Valley offers a different sort of family vacation, with beautiful gardens to visit, and a pair of museums designed to pique kids’ interest in science, nature and creative play. At the outstanding Delaware Children’s Museum in Wilmington, kids can design their own buildings, create paintings, discover bugs and insects, and climb a 300-year-old tree.

The highlight of Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, reopened after extensive renovations, is the Global Journey Gallery, where kids can travel a giant floor map to explore the planet’s ecosystems. Surrounding the map are recreations of tropical rainforest, Arctic tundra and African savanna ecosystems, as well as three different ocean environments.

A great value for families spending more than a day in the region is the 2025 Brandywine Treasure Trail Passport, a one-price ticket to 12 of Greater Wilmington’s top attractions. These include art museums (kids love seeing how the modern image of pirate dress originated in the illustrations for Treasure Island at Delaware Art Museum), and beautiful Longwood Gardens, where an entire section is devoted to young visitors.

A family passport, covering two adults and up to three children ages 17 and under, is $99 and valid from May 24 to Oct. 31.