Discover DelMNS

The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science (DelMNS) houses an expansive bird collection in itsRead More New Bird Species Discovered in Collections: A Tawi-Tawi Tale of Mismatched Specimens

Making Waves for Change Julia Wingate, a rising high school senior studying natural resources, hasRead More Addressing a “Sea-rious” Situation: Julia Wingate’s Take on Why Beach Restoration Matters.

Delaware’s state symbols are more than emblems on a flag or a page in aRead More Revolutionary Stories & Evolutionary Specimens

Dr. Liz Shea talks about the importance of the oceans on World Ocean Day

May 19, 2027: Breaking into STEAM aims to ignite a passion for careers in the STEAM fields for underserved middle and high school students.

Opening June 5, 2026. In this panel exhibit, Wendy Hollender combines careful observation with artistic expression to explore the beauty, diversity, and interconnectedness of the plant world.

OmniPotential Energy Partners and the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science announce the deployment ofRead More OmniPotential Energy partnership brings EV charger to DelMNS

Bird songs tell rich stories of territory, courtship, and identity. Explore these stories in threeRead More On Exhibit: Voices in Flight

Career paths aren’t always linear, and that’s exactly what makes them meaningful. Just ask ExecutiveRead More Magical Moments at the Museum: Breaking Into STEAM

STEM education doesn’t just happen in classrooms.

Weekend Program: Step inside Star Lab and journey through the cosmos

How is Earth changing? What is it like on other planets? Does life exist beyond Earth? What’s happening on the Sun, and how does it affect us?

Hidden right in Wilmington, Delaware, the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science houses a trueRead More A World of Shells

Explore a vibrant art exhibit created in collaboration with the Howard Pyle Studio Group.

In support of our mission to ignite a life-long passion for exploring, discovering, and valuingRead More Career Experiences & Education

Hidden in the drawers of the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science (DelMNS) are treasuresRead More New subspecies from the Philippines uncovered in the DelMNS bird collection

Thank you for joining us for a wonderful afternoon. Special thanks to our sponsors, foodRead More Wine & Dinosaurs 2025 presented by M&T Bank

Museum scientist Liz Shea, Ph.D. is at sea on the NOAA Ship Nancy Foster onRead More Expedition at Sea

A new exhibit in the Bill & Denise Spence Discovery Gallery features birds and marineRead More Explore the Scientific Collections in Our Newest Museum Display

With the help of volunteers and their countless hours of work preserving and researching specimens,Read More Behind Every Wing – DelMNS Bird Collection Volunteers

The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science is partnering with the University of Delaware toRead More Preserving the Past, One Shell at a Time

With the help of donors and the grant’s reinstatement, work on transferring more than 10,500Read More DelMNS Interns Preserve Songbird Eggs and History 

The Christina REACH Program (Reaching, Exploring and Cultivating our Heads, Hearts and Hands), supports and empowers students with intellectual disabilities by connecting them with education and activities that integrate them into the community and assist their development.

At the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science, our collections help tell the story ofRead More Preserving the Past, Protecting the Future — But Facing New Challenges

A new exhibit from the Delaware Photographic Society captures various animal behaviors through photography, illustratingRead More Through the Lens: Framing Wild Behaviors with the Delaware Photographic Society

Mandy Santiago will join the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science as its new ExecutiveRead More Mandy Santiago joins DelMNS as Executive Director

Katie Woland volunteers at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science because she loves talkingRead More Volunteer Spotlight: Fostering Fascination for Engineering and Beyond

There are many wildlife rehabilitation centers across the United States that care for sick, orphaned,Read More 6,000 Birds to the Scientific Collections from Tri-State Bird Rescue & Research

The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science is an active, growing, mid-Atlantic repository for specimensRead More Explore the Collections

You may be familiar with the Giant Clam (Tridacna gigas) in the lobby of theRead More Dimming Giants

As an interactive, hands-on activity led by a museum educator, the Augmented Reality Sandbox sponsoredRead More Augmented Reality Sandbox

In 2025, we again join local libraries and community partners for the eleventh year ofRead More Community Read

Delaware Museum of Nature and Science Executive Director Halsey Spruance will step down in earlyRead More Executive Director Halsey Spruance to step down after 17 years

Dr. Liz Shea, Director of Collections and Curator of Mollusks at the Delaware Museum ofRead More Science at Sea!

Thanks to the hard work of our facilities team and a grant from the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) for new trees, interpretive signage, and seating areas, our outdoor spaces have been refreshed.

ARTsisters is an organization of visual artists who work in a variety of media and styles.Read More ARTsisters: The Art of Nature, The Nature of Art

Binomial nomenclature is the primary system that scientists use to name, group, and differentiate organismsRead More Evolutionary Breakthrough of Hawks and Eagles (Accipitridae)

The DelMNS Bird Department has recently started a “carcass club” with wildlife ecology and environmental science student volunteers from the University of Delaware.

On exhibit through May 29, 2024: Continuing their artistic collaboration with the museum, Howard Pyle Studio Group members explored the Public Engagement Division’s educational collection to gather specimens for creating still lifes.

In May 1811, the Scottish-born American ornithologist, Alexander Wilson (1766-1813), collected specimens of three supposedlyRead More Great Pine Swamp, 200 Years Later

Our extensive scientific collections are used by scientists and researchers all around the world. Use of these collections needs to be balanced with conservation efforts to ensure they exist for future generations.

New program for ages 10+ All aboard for scientific discovery focused on STEAM Innovation designedRead More Full STEAM Ahead

Mollusk collections often stem from exploration, whether on a global or local scale. Personal collections frequently find their way to museums, especially when accompanied by available data. Our holdings have recently expanded with two significant acquisitions.

Dr. Matthew Halley, Assistant Curator of Birds, is the lead author of a recently-published paper that splits the Slaty-backed Nightingale-Thrush (Catharus fuscater) into seven different species and four subspecies — including a newly-described species from eastern Panamá: the Darién Nightingale-thrush.

The World of Discovery series is back at the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science.Read More World of Discovery series returns

Enter the wonderfully puzzling world of Mindbender Mansion, an eclectic place full of brainteasers and interactive challenges guaranteed to test the brain power and problem-solving skills of even the most experienced puzzlers.

In February 2023, The Dodo, an online publisher of positive animal-related videos, shared social mediaRead More Dude the Museum Cat

Connecting art with science: the du Pont Trophy original paintings by artist Lauren J. Sweeney

Sound is a distinct part of an ecosystem. The soundscapes in the galleries are designedRead More Soundscapes

We’ve joined Museums for All, a signature access program of the Institute of Museum andRead More Discount program for guests using EBT cards

Introducing Bourciera ovata In the summer of 2020 — the first year of the pandemicRead More New species discovered using museum’s online collection data

A bird species that migrates through our area — a Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) —Read More MOTUS detects Lesser Yellowlegs

Join us for storytime We offer storytime every day, but Thursdays are particularly special! ThroughRead More Thanks to Thursday’s storytime sponsor

A heartfelt thank you to all who celebrated the museum’s 50th anniversary — and theRead More Gala & Glow

How we know what we know: In the Research Headquarters, sponsored by DuPont, explore storiesRead More Research Headquarters

Vast moving waters give life to our blue planet. Oceans cover two-thirds of our planetRead More Oceans

After an extensive $10.8 million, 17-month renovation project, the Delaware Museum of Nature and ScienceRead More Delaware Museum of Nature and Science opens to the public May 23

One of the most frequent questions asked about our exhibits: “Is the coral reef staying?”Read More Coral Reef

Look up into the trees in the Regional Journey Gallery, and you’ll see birds andRead More A flock of new specimens

Tucked into the Regional Journey Gallery is the new Respite Room, a dedicated, calming spaceRead More Delaware Community Foundation supports new Respite Room with capital grant

Take a look at some of the new exhibit components and other changes happening atRead More Metamorphosis in Progress

For the last decade, museum educators have partnered with PNC Grow Up Great to develop,Read More Thank you PNC Grow Up Great

Among the dramatic taxidermy appearing in the new Museum galleries is a Polar Bear (UrsusRead More Asbestos Abatement: Preparing Taxidermy