Brandywine River Museum of Art
Date/Time: Thursday, October 11th; 2:00-4:15 p.m.
Fee: $22

Hop over to the bucolic Brandywine River Valley for an afternoon exploring one of the foremost collections of American art celebrating the Brandywine region and three generations of the Wyeth family. The visit begins with an hour-long guided tour of highlights from the Museum collection. Following the gallery tour, participants can choose between three specialty tours: behind-the-scenes tour of the Research Center showcasing highlights from the illustrated rare book collection; Andrew Wyeth Studio Tour; or tour of Kuerner Farm, a 19th century farmhouse and major source of inspiration for Andrew Wyeth. At the conclusion of the specialty tours, participants may explore the Museum on their own until the galleries close at 4:45 p.m.

Old Swede’s Church
Date/Time: Thursday, October 11th
Fee: $5

Holy Trinity Church, commonly called Old Swedes Church, was constructed of Brandywine granite in 1698-1699. The only remaining structure of the early Swedish settlement along the banks of the Christina River, it is the oldest church in the nation now standing as built and still in use for regular worship. The churchyard/burial grounds pre-date the church building by 60 years.  In 2015, the Church and burial grounds become part of the First State National Historic Park, a unit of the National Park Service.  This tour will highlight church architecture and early history, including some items discovered during 2015 archaeological excavations. The cemetery tour highlights more than four centuries of graves and 1,300 grave markers that tell the stories of many Delaware residents who shaped the history of the state and the nation.

Twin Lakes Brewing Company
Fee: Free

The relatively young (founded in nearby Greenville, DE in 2006) Twin Lakes Brewing Company describes its beers as being “produced according to historic methods and truly, fresh, local, delicious!”  This complete tour of the brewery includes tasting samples of six beers and concludes in the tasting room where you can purchase additional beers (including a house-made, non-alcoholic root beer) and snacks. The perfect, laid back happy hour to ease you into the rest of the MARAC meeting with a warm welcome to Delaware.

Auburn Heights and the Marshall Steam Museum
Date/Time: TBD
Fee: $14

Situated within a 390-acre nature preserve near the old industrial village of Yorklyn, Delaware sits Auburn Heights, the beautiful Queen-Anne style mansion of local industrialist Israel Marshall and his wife, Elizabeth, built in 1897 overlooking the family’s milling operations. Also on the site is the Marshall Steam Museum, showcasing the antique automobile collection of T. Clarence Marshall, youngest son of Israel and Elizabeth. The collection preserves some of the earliest examples of the automotive age and features the world’s largest operating collection of Stanley steam cars. Visitors to the site will enjoy guided tours of both the mansion and the Marshall Steam Museum as well as a sneak peak into the conservation shop where they care for these beautiful vehicles.

Please note: The Steam Museum is ADA-Accessible, but the mansion is not.

Mt. Cuba Center
Date/Time: Thursday, October 11th
Fee: $12

On the grounds surrounding their stately, 1936 colonial-revival home, Lammot and Pamela DuPont Copeland established an extensive botanical garden in the 1980s dedicated to the preservation and conservation of native plants and the natural habitats that sustain them. Focusing on plant species from the Eastern Temperate Forests of the United States, with a particular emphasis on examples from the Appalachian Piedmont, Mt. Cuba’s living collection has received national recognition for several of its special collections.  Opened to the general public in 2002, the Mt. Cuba Center continues the Copelands’ legacy of conservation through research, education, and the propagation of native plants. Visitors to the Mt. Cuba Center will enjoy a docent-led tour of the gardens and a behind the scenes look at the Center’s archives.

Delaware History Museum
Date/Time: Thursday, October 11
Fee: Free!

Take a short walk from the Hotel du Pont and spend some time exploring the history of the First State! Housed in a former Woolworth’s Department Store, the Delaware History Museum features permanent and rotating exhibitions that introduce visitors to the state’s rich history through the overarching theme of Delaware: One State, Many Stories. The museum is also home to the Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage, which presents compelling perspectives of African Americans’ struggles for human rights, freedom and dignity. Join the Head of the Mitchell Center for a guided tour of the groundbreaking Journey to Freedom exhibition, chronicling the African American experience in Delaware and the nation. Once the tour concludes, participants are welcome to explore the galleries at their leisure, including a new exhibition commemorating the centennial of World War I.

Nemours Mansion & Gardens
Date/Time: Thursday, October 11 12:00 p.m.
Fee: $15

Just a short drive from downtown Wilmington, enjoy an afternoon at the gorgeous Nemours estate, owned by Alfred I. du Pont. Named for a town represented by du Pont’s great-great-grandfather when he served in the French Estates General, Nemours includes a stunning, 77-room mansion and the largest formal French gardens in North America. The visit begins with a short movie and a docent-led tour of the mansion. Participants are then treated to a 30-minute scenic drive through the gardens, including stories of life on the estate. Afterward, linger as long as you like on the grounds, or take a self-guided tour of the Chauffeur’s Garage, which houses Nemours’ collection of vintage automobiles.