rockwood museum

Visited this lovely estate with my husband and in-laws. We visited on a very cold, snowy day and were the only guests at the mansion/museum. The tour was wonderful! Our guides went above and beyond to tell us about the history of the estate and its occupants. They gave us an extra-long tour since no one was waiting. The cost was very reasonable and I would absolutely go again.

We added the tour at Rockwood literally at the last minute, depending on the time we arrived in Wilmington! Lovely tour (that was free for the month of December, but we made a "donation"). The house is set in a beautiful park.

This would be your typical tour of an estate otherwise, walking through the rooms and learning a little history regarding the previous occupants and traditions. However, during the holiday season, they have the surrounding landscape dressed up with colorful lights and it's very lovely to stroll through. It would even be a nice experience if you weren't going to the museum.This was a self guided tour but there were informative volunteers stationed in every room and you spent as much or little time as you liked. The museum is set up with outfits laid out in the bedrooms and holiday decor and "preparations for the feast" throughout the entire house. There are no candles in use for the "candlelight tour"; it is lit warmly by many lamps and lights. At the end, just past the gift shop, was Santa, waiting in a small warmly decorated room for all the kids and some parents too. ;) This was much better than your mall experience since it wasn't too busy. Santa had time to really chat and it was very sweet.We bought a green glass pickle ornament to start a tradition of finding it in the tree on Christmas morning.

Despite having lived in this area for years this was my first visit to the Rockwood Museum and it was very enjoyable.

Walking through the museum and gardens is truly like walking back in time. The grounds, main house, and carriage are beautifully maintained and definitely worth a visit. Whether your trip is on a regular day or during a special event, you won't be disappointed.

but it operates on donations, and gets no help from the state. Parts of the house could benefit from repair. I hope this changes in the future.

Beautiful nature setting with historic buildings, pretty nature trails, & a small babbling stream. A gem in the middle of the mean streets!

Gorgeous Victorian estate in Delaware that is NOT one of the DuPont estates. Beautiful mansion, garden and grounds with a very interesting back story. Well worth a visit when in the Wilmington DE/Philadelphia PA area!

Lovely inviting home with an interesting family history. Outdoor gardens well kept and beautiful. Many large and unusual trees. Tour guide was very knowledgeable, gracious and allowed us the time to look around and ask questions.

Rockwood Museum and park is owned by Newcastle County. Unfortunatly a long running dispute between an organization called the Friends of Rockwood and the county has diminished the experience of the house. However, the park has very nice walking trails, including a stretch of the Delaware Greenway, which links the park to Belleview State Park to the west and the Blue Ball barn and Alapocus to the east. The gardens are very pleasant, particularly the walled garden when the roses and peonies are blooming in spring.

I love rockwood especially the first weekend in July before the 4th, why you ask the ice cream festival !! I was able to meet Anthony Anderson this year and was excited about it. It only comes once a year for 3 days it's a must for those who live in or around delaware

Just finished visiting Wilmington Delaware and visited four different house museums including Rockwood. Unfortunately, Rockwood came out at the bottom of the list. I say unfortunately because this house has a ton of potential as a beautiful museum but it is not well-maintained or managed. When we got there we walked around the outside of the house and noticed that the conservatory had a lot of damage to it. Then on the inside of the house the ceiling is badly peeling and needs a lot of restoration. Our tour guide was not at all knowledgeable or enthusiastic. She could not answer any of our questions about the house or the family. In the gift shop, items were not priced and when we asked the person there about the price, she did not know. It's a nice place to visit and as others have said the grounds are beautiful but the house needs to be managed better.

Never toured the mansion but would like to. The grounds are lovely, well manicured and maintained. There is a paved path behind the mansion that walks through the wooded area. Walkers have told me they love walking the trails. Best of all, there is no fee to get in.

Two friends and I returned to the Wilmington area to visit Wintertur and the Rockwood museums. Despite all the hype given to the DuPont mansion and museum, we were pleasantly surprised that we preferred Rockwood. The exterior with all the stone is beautiful especially the back of the house with its expansive lawn. We were lucky to have the museum curator as our guide as the usual guide for that day was off. The rooms are not overly filled with exhibits unlike those at Wintertur. Visitors get a greater feel of what life with the Shipleys and Bringhursts was like. At Rockwood, 80% of the items, including the clothes, are from the family. You will see beautiful pieces! There are also many family portraits. There is just a warmer more authentic feel at Rockwood. The grounds are available for visitors to walk and enjoy. Don't miss Rockwood!

I have had the regular tour of the house and it was great. The guide was knowledgeable and friendly and the tour was fascinating and informative. The paranormal experience was the exact opposite and costs a lot more than the daytime tour. It is simply not worth the price. Our group was way too large for the spaces we were in and although it was advertised that we would be investigating nothing of the sort happened. It was basically the guide telling us all of his experiences there and then using the dowsing rods for 10 minutes. he wasn't getting anything in the basement so we tried our rods and when we started getting results the guide got angry and stomped over to turn the light on and end it. I felt like it was a show and he was the star, so when the spotlight went off him the show was over. They even made us watch this cheesy video ad for the tour before we could start, There is very little equipment available. We brought our own equipment and I will be honest - I didn't even get to use it, there wasn't an opportunity between story after story. I would not do the paranormal tour. Just take the regular daytime tour if you want to see this museum.