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Rockwood Park & Museum

From its Washington Street Extension entrance, Rockwood is a picturesque 74-acre public park just two miles from Wilmington, Delaware’s city center. Features include a picnic grove, festival grounds, urban wildlife habitat, pet-friendly parkland, and some of Delaware’s best walking paths - linking to the Northern Delaware Greenway.

Pass the entrance gates and the park transforms into one of the area’s oldest and grandest country estates. This collection of historic farmlands, now a forested retreat, is crowned with a six-acre fantasy garden and one of America’s finest Gothic Revival mansions. Conceived and built by Joseph Shipley in the 1850s, Rockwood Park & Museum was designed to reflect his love of exotic horticulture, fine arts and antiques, fashionable architecture, and English gardens and has changed very little in 170 years.

Today, the museum and heritage garden reveal highlights of Rockwood’s storied past through guided and self-guided tours of its glamorous owners, historic house design, multi-generational art collections from around the globe, diverse workforce, botanical collections, and even its paranormal activity! In addition, Rockwood offers signature festivals as well as wellness, family, fine art, nature, and performing art programs year-round. The Carriage House at Rockwood Park now hosts one of the area’s premier private event venues.

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Events

Rockwood Game Night

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • September 18, 2025 – January 22, 2026

Rockwood Painting Dutch Tiles-Kids

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Saturday, September 20

Painting Dutch Tiles at Rockwood-adult workshop

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Saturday, September 20

Fairy Fest

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Presented by New Castle County
  • Sunday, September 21

Rockwood Movie Club

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • September 26 – November 14

Seasonal Hike at Rockwood

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Saturday, September 27

Poetry in the Mansion: Music and Poetry

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Saturday, September 27

Music & Poetry

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Saturday, September 27

Goth Ball at Rockwood

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Friday, October 3

Goth Ball

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Friday, October 3

Rockwood Conservatory Watercolor-Kids

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Saturday, October 4

Rockwood Conservatory Watercolor-Adult

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Saturday, October 4

Growing at Rockwood: The Grand Garden Tour

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • October 4 – November 1

Rockwood Paranormal Experience

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • October 5–19

Free First Sundays at Rockwood Museum

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • October 5 – November 2

Fall Salve Workshop

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • October 9–16

Rockwood on the Rocks

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Saturday, October 11

Rockwood Outdoor Watercolors-Adult

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Saturday, October 18

Rockwood Outdoor Watercolors-Kids

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Saturday, October 18

Rockwood Paranormal Reveal

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Sunday, October 26

Poetry in the Mansion: Haunted Words

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Thursday, October 30

Rockwood Collage Craft-Adult

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Saturday, November 1

Rockwood Collage Craft-Kids

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Saturday, November 1

Bespoke Tours at Rockwood Museum

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • November 2 – December 14

Curator Presents: Rockwood’s Own in WWI: George Kennedy Smith

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Sunday, November 9

If Kids Ran the Museum-SEEKING NEW JUNIOR GUIDES!

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • November 16–30

Abandoned Mansion

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Through November 2

From Candlelight to Electrical Current: A Century of Lighting at Rockwood

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Through January 4, 2026

Rockwood Book Club

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Through November 12

Mayhem and Murder at Rockwood

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Through September 20

Below the Stairs and In the Attics: The Servants’ Tour

  • Rockwood Park & Museum
  • Through November 2

Plan Your Visit

Address

Rockwood Park & Museum
4651 Washington St. Extension
Wilmington, DE 19805

Admission

House Tours: $10

Discounted rates:
$8 New Castle County residents
Free with Delaware Libraries Museum Pass
Free for Museum Members
Free for children under six
Free First Sundays of every month
Free in December

Transportation

DART First State Route 11

Parking

Enter Rockwood from the Washington Street Extension entrance, not Shipley Road. Upon entering, visitors will drive through the first of three parking lots. Continue up the hill to find the Carriage House event space (link), entry to the Northern Delaware Greenways Trail (link), and the Rockwood Museum (link to page 19) with their associated parking options.

From I 95 Northbound
• From I-95 take Exit 9 / Marsh Road Exit
• Turn left at the bottom of the ramp, go under I-95 overpass then immediately turn right onto Carr Road
• At stop sign, turn right onto Washington Street Extension
• Go past Shipley Road; Rockwood Park is on the right at 4651 Washington Street Extension

From I 95 Southbound
• From I-95 take Exit 9 / Marsh Road Exit
• From the ramp, turn right onto Carr Road
• At stop sign, turn right onto Washington Street Extension
• Go past Shipley Road; Rockwood Park is on the right at 4651 Washington Street Extension

From I 495
• From I-495, take Exit 4A Governor Printz Boulevard
• From the ramp, turn west onto Edgemoor Road and cross Governor Printz Boulevard
• Follow Edgemoor Road and cross Philadelphia Pike
• Edgemoor becomes Shipley Road after Philadelphia Pike, continue to follow to Washington Street Extension
• Turn left on Washington Street Extension; Rockwood Park is on the left at 4651 Washington Street Extension

From Route 202
• From 202/Concord Ave turn east on Miller Road
• At the end of Miller Road, turn right on Rockwood Road
• Turn left on Washington Street Extension
• Rockwood Park is on the right at 4651 Washington Street Extension

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31 Events Plan Your Visit