Read House & Gardens

05/27/2026

If you're planning to visit the Read House & Gardens this week, please note our modified hours:

Thursday, May 28 -- We will open to the public for tours at 2 p.m.
Friday, May 29 -- Regular hours, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Saturday, May 30 -- The last tour will begin at 2 p.m.
Sunday, May 31 -- Regular hours, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

05/20/2026

We had a beautiful day for A Day in Old New Castle on Saturday! It's always wonderful to welcome first-time visitors and long-time friends to explore and learn about the Read House, and we loved seeing so many people getting into the spirit of the day in costume!

If you didn't make it last weekend, we'd love to see you soon! We will open for public tours at 2 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday, May 21. We will return to regular operating hours this weekend, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

05/20/2026

Visiting the Read House this week? Please be advised that we will open to the public for tours at 2 p.m. this Thursday, May 21 and next Thursday, May 28.
We are open regular hours Friday through Sunday, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

05/16/2026

Surprise! Our peonies are a little late blooming this year, but some of them made an appearance just in time for A Day in Old New Castle! We are able to offer a very limited number of peony bouquets for purchase today, $25 each.

We are open until 4 p.m. today, but peonies are only available while supplies last.

05/15/2026

A Day in Old New Castle is tomorrow, and we hope to see you at the Read House & Gardens, where you'll be able to see some of the progress on our renovated gardens, participate in family-friendly crafts, and take a self-guided tour!

In these photographs from our archives, you'll see familiar sites, such as Court House and Immanuel Episcopal Church on the Green, as well as a glimpse into the Read House Gardens in the early 1900s. Our garden renovation project will bring the vibrant gardens in these old photographs to life!

📸: DHS General Photograph Collection, Delaware Historical Society, Wilmington, Del.

05/13/2026

Looking forward to seeing everyone this Saturday during A Day in Old New Castle! We are excited to celebrate 50 years of stewardship, and we hope you'll join us for a great weekend!

Follow the Day In Old New Castle page as we profile each of the days activities and participants.

Celebrate 50 years of A Day in Old New Castle with us! Since 1976, the Delaware Historical Society has operated the Read House & Gardens as a museum. Enjoy a self-guided tour of the first floor of the house, make a garden-themed craft, and check out the progress on our garden revitalization project!”

The photo below was provided by the Reed House and gardens. This photo was taken in 1934 and shows Philip and Lydia Laird in the garden.

The Read House and Gardens
42 The Strand

Visit https://www.historicnewcastle.com for additional information and to purchase tickets for the home and garden tour.

05/05/2026

On May 16, visit the Read House as part of A Day in Old New Castle! Check out our garden construction progress, enjoy a display commemorating our 50th year as a museum, take a self-guided tour of the first floor of the house, and make a family-friendly crafts inspired by our historic interiors and gardens!

A Day in Old New Castle (ADIONC) is America’s oldest private home and garden tour, held in Historic New Castle, Delaware. Home and garden tours are ticketed, and tickets are available at https://www.historicnewcastle.com/. Your ADIONC ticket includes Read House admission!

The town-wide event also features free activities for kids and art contests, Revolutionary War reenactors, performers and music and costumes, markets for food and crafts, and special offers in our unique shops and restaurants.

Note: The Delaware History Museum & Mitchell Center for African American Heritage and Research Library & Archives in Wilmington will be closed on May 16.

05/01/2026

It’s First Friday! On the First Friday of each month, we share a favorite from the Read House & Gardens. This month’s favorite thing is researched and written by Read House ambassador Rebecca Bechtel:

In the nursery of the George Read II House hangs the portrait of a mystery woman. It is said that the framed pastel, c. 1835, was found in the attic of the Read House in 1997. A label on the back reads "Mary Thompson, wife of George Read 2nd." However, due to her dress and hair style, it is unlikely to be Mary, but possibly her granddaughter, Caroline Read. Even that is uncertain.

What is certain is that the medium of this portrait is pastel. Pastels are chalk infused with color pigments known for vibrant colors, soft textures and "luminous bloom." They "bridge the gap between drawing and painting, allowing for rapid application while producing rich, layered effects."

Pastels originated in the 15th century during the Italian Renaissance. They were used by Leonardo da Vinci and others, most commonly for academic preparatory studies. By the 18th and 19th centuries, pastels became fashionable for portrait and impressionist paintings by French, British and American artists. Names include Delacroix, Manet, Degas, Monet, Whistler, Cassatt and Copley.

It is the nature of history that more will be revealed in the future, and perhaps one day we will learn her true identity.

04/17/2026

Each month, we bring you behind the scenes of the Read House & Gardens with “From the Director” insights from Dr. Laura Earls. Today we're looking forward to A Day in Old New Castle by looking back at five decades of stewardship at the Read House:

2026 marks our 50th year of A Day in Old New Castle! Since becoming part of the Delaware Historical Society, the Read House & Gardens has celebrated this beloved New Castle event every year since 1976. After Lydia Laird passed away in September 1975 and donated her home to the Delaware Historical Society, staff quickly went to work to open the house as a museum for the bicentennial.

Rick Stryker, the first curator of the Read House, led efforts to turn the house into an operational museum for A Day in Old New Castle by May 1, 1976. He and his team worked tirelessly to accomplish this enormous feat in just a few months! To mark the occasion, Rick sewed a historically inspired gown for his wife, Cathy. He took a photo of her in this dress while she stood in the back doorway of the Read House for the museum’s first A Day in Old New Castle. The photo still sits on his desk today!

Much has changed during our 50 years as a museum. Thanks to the work of Rick and the other Delaware Historical Society staff members who came before us, we can continue their legacy of stewardship inside the house as well as outdoors in our gardens.

When you visit us for A Day in Old New Castle on May 16, please check out the progress on our garden renovations and learn more about this project – we still need your support to make our gardens an enjoyable, accessible space for all visitors!

04/13/2026

Our "From the Vault" series offers a one-time-only opportunity for participants to view and learn about some of the three million pieces from the Delaware Historical Society collections that aren't regularly on display.

This Thursday, April 16, join us for a close look at a recent addition to our collections: a rare document signed by George Washington showing George Read II's commission to become the first U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware.

This is the second (and final) chance to see this document in person and learn more about where it came from and why it's important. Don't miss it!

Register today: https://dhs.givecloud.co/vault-george-read-washington