The Old State House

10/16/2026

In case you missed last weekend's opening of the new John Dickinson Plantation Visitor Center, here are some photos!

10/15/2026

Congratulations to Jessica Liu from Christina School District's Wilson Elementary School for being named Delaware's Teacher of the Year 2027!

A multilingual learner teacher from the Christina School District is Delaware’s 2027 State Teacher of the Year. Dr. Jessica Liu of Etta J. Wilson Elementary School now is Delaware’s nominee for National Teacher of the Year. Secretary of Education Cindy Marten made the announcement tonight during...

10/14/2026

In case you missed our first Delaware Friends of Folk concert last Friday, here's the lineup for the rest of the season. All shows start at 7:30pm

10/10/2026

For our first Friends of Folk concert of the season the audience was treated to a performance by Kate Mills including a sing along!

10/07/2026

It'll be a busy Saturday in Downtown Dover this week with both the Amish Bike Tour and the DSU Homecoming Parade in the morning. Hopefully everyone has a good, safe time!

🚨 BUSY WEEK AHEAD: DOVER TRAFFIC & PARKING ADVISORY

It’s DSU Homecoming week! With events happening throughout the week, expect increased vehicle and pedestrian traffic, especially near campus throughout the entire week.

🚨Saturday, October 10, will be particularly busy with multiple major events occurring throughout Dover:

🚴 Amish Country Bike Tour — Starting at 7 a.m.
Cyclists will depart from Legislative Mall and travel throughout the greater Dover area, including roads outside city limits, for several hours. Use EXTREME CAUTION near riders, slow down, and give them plenty of room.
Info and Routes: https://www.bikede.org/amish-country-bike-tour/

🥁 DSU Homecoming Parade — 10 a.m.
Parade lineup begins at 9 a.m., with the parade traveling through downtown Dover and ending at DSU Downtown. Expect street closures, crowds, and delays as parade activities may overlap with the bike tour road closures.

🏈 DSU Homecoming Football — 1 p.m.
The Hornets take on Franklin Pierce University at Alumni Stadium, with gates opening at 11 a.m. Homecoming activities will bring additional traffic around campus and along Route 13. Expect congestion throughout the day and into the evening hours.

🅿️ ABOUT THAT “PERFECT” PARKING SPOT…
Some property managers in the area of DSU have notified Dover Police that they will tow vehicles parked for DSU events instead of visits to their businesses.

Those parking restrictions and towing decisions are controlled by the property managers, not Dover Police. Read and follow posted signs and regulations before parking on any private property and use authorized event parking only! An empty parking space at a business is not a permission slip-they can restrict parking and can have your vehicle towed!

Please plan ahead, allow extra travel time, follow officers’ directions, and watch carefully for pedestrians and cyclists. Enjoy the festivities, pack some patience, and help everyone get home safely!

10/06/2026

This Saturday visit the John Dickinson Plantation to see their new visitor center and take part in all the activities for Revolutionary Trades Day!

SAVE THE DATE!

The Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs (HCA) cordially invites you to the John Dickinson Plantation Visitor Center Opening and Ribbon Cutting.

When: Saturday, October 10, 2026, at 10:00 AM

Where: 250 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover, DE 19901

We are thrilled to open this new facility, which features dedicated community meeting space and exciting educational opportunities. The grand opening will mark the debut of our new exhibition, “One Land Many Voices.”

Following the ceremony, we invite you to stay and enjoy Revolutionary Trades Day, running from 10:30 AM to 4:00 PM.

This event is free and open to the public. We look forward to celebrating with you!

10/02/2026

We're a week away from the start of another season of concerts with Delaware Friends of Folk!

The first concert begins on Friday October 9th at 7:30pm

On Friday, October 9, Delaware Friends of Folk will present the first event in their 2026-27 Old State House concert series, inside the Old State House on The Green in Dover. This is the thirteenth season in the series which is produced in cooperation with the Delaware Division of Historical and Cul...

09/25/2026

An update on our open position posting:

If you're looking to apply for the part-time historic site interpreter job at the Old State House and Johnson Victrola Museum, the posting has been extended until Wednesday October 7th!

For more information on the position visit our division's employment page

https://history.delaware.gov/about-agency/employment/

09/24/2026

Today would be Jim Henson's 90th birthday!

Henson was born in Greenville, Mississippi and spent his childhood in Mississippi and Maryland. He was always interested in arts and puppetry, and got his first break with a show called Sam and Friends on the Washington D.C. NBC affiliate in 1955. He and his future wife Jane designed a series of puppets for the program. Among his creations for this series was a green frog named Kermit. Henson would later say that Kermit was his alter ego being gregarious while Henson himself was often reserved.

He later helped revolutionize children's television with his work on Sesame Street developing favorites like Oscar the Grouch and Bert and Ernie. Much of this work was done in conjunction with a talented group of collaborators who worked to manipulate and inhabit characters like Big Bird.

In the late 1970s The Muppet Show became an international hit which led to numerous films starring some of his most popular creations. During the following decade, his creative genius remained on display as the Jim Henson Company put out shows including Fraggle Rock and the Muppet Babies.

Following a short illness, Henson died on May 16, 1990. His legacy lives on in the shows and movies he helped create and the advances in robotics and animation that the company he co-founded pushed forward.

Image description: a color photograph of a man smiling wearing a blue and brown checkered shirt. He has a brown beard and has his right index finger pointing toward his temple