Iron Hill Museum

Iron Hill Museum We are the oldest Natural History Museum in the State of Delaware. We offer the visitor a glimpses of the natural world that surrounds them on a daily basis.

Come visit our museum where big learning happens in small places! Iron Hill Museum , an African-American school house from the days of segregation was built in 1923 by Pierre S. duPont.

Last week, May 8th, 2026, we were fortunate to have a volunteer group from Bank of America come spend the day with us! T...
05/15/2026

Last week, May 8th, 2026, we were fortunate to have a volunteer group from Bank of America come spend the day with us! They did so much clean up to prepare us for the warmer months ahead.

Thanks everyone!

On Saturday, May 2, 2026, fifteen UD students participated in a day of service at Iron Hill Science Center. They helped ...
05/05/2026

On Saturday, May 2, 2026, fifteen UD students participated in a day of service at Iron Hill Science Center. They helped spread mulch, w**d the pollinator garden, cleanup from the winter and wash signage. Thank you, UD volunteers!

With them is our board president, Robin Broomall. Picture by Dr. James Broomall.

Do you have anything planned for Earth Day today? Let's do something wonderful for the earth today. You can plant a tree...
04/22/2026

Do you have anything planned for Earth Day today?

Let's do something wonderful for the earth today. You can plant a tree or flowers, clean up litter, visit nature and see how beautiful it is, and maybe drop in at the Iron HillMuseum to learn a cool nature fact and get a nature themed craft to take home with you. We are here until 5pm today.

Bee season is upon us! Friendly reminder, bees only use their stinger if they feel like they are in danger. Once they st...
04/17/2026

Bee season is upon us! Friendly reminder, bees only use their stinger if they feel like they are in danger. Once they sting, they are no longer able to survive. The best thing to do when seeing a bee near you, is to freeze and wait until they fly away.

We need bees to help pollinate our flowers, food, and other plants. 1 out of every 4 bites of food we eat is helped by a pollinator.

Photo by Maureen Zieber in 20023.

Flowers are on our minds today. The weather is finally warming up, the insects are active, and some of the flowers are f...
04/10/2026

Flowers are on our minds today. The weather is finally warming up, the insects are active, and some of the flowers are finally showing up in the garden beds. But there are some flowers that are early bloomers and have been active for almost a month already.

Take a look in your yards, at the park, here at the museum in our fields and woods to see what types of flowers are blooming. Can you identify these wild flowers? We know the yellow one is an easy guess.

Photo by Maureen Zieber 4/10/2026. Flowers in the field.

What is the first thing you are planning to do outside now that the weather is finally getting warmer? The Iron Hill Mus...
03/27/2026

What is the first thing you are planning to do outside now that the weather is finally getting warmer?

The Iron Hill Museum & Science Center is a great place to take the time to explore. Nature is all around us, and the diversity of open field and wooded areas changes throughout the seasons. Being outdoors is a great way to support creativity, reduce stress, and increase your connection with nature.​

Everyone is welcome to spend the day or a few hours. Every season is a great time to learn about rocks and minerals, mammals, birds, insects and the human interaction of Iron Hill.

We are excited to see you! More information about how to visit us can be found here: https://www.ironhillsciencecenter.org/hours-and-rates

Photo is of Canada Geese flying over the museum.

Spring is in the air! We are now starting to see nicer weather, and with that comes ticks. Our state is home to over 15 ...
03/22/2026

Spring is in the air! We are now starting to see nicer weather, and with that comes ticks. Our state is home to over 15 different types of ticks. So far, we have seen American Dog Ticks, Deer Ticks, and Lone Star Ticks this week alone.

Please keep yourself safe now and throughout the warmer months with preventive care.

1. Use repellent
2. Wear light-colored clothing
3. Check for ticks immediately after outdoor activity.
4. Take a shower as soon as you can and conduct a full body check upon return from potentially tick-infested areas, including your own backyard, or the woods here at Iron Hill.

To make sure you inspect the best you can, if you have one, use a hand-held or full-length mirror to view all parts of your body. Check these parts of your body for ticks (help others too if they ask):
-Under the arms
-In and around the ears
-Inside belly button
-Back of the knees
-In and around the hair
-Between the legs
-Around the waist

Remember to be safe, but also have fun in the great outdoors.

March is a transitioning period for nature especially in the bird world. During this time, birds are super focused on th...
03/14/2026

March is a transitioning period for nature especially in the bird world.

During this time, birds are super focused on the spring breeding season, which means: nesting preparations. Hopefully by now you have your bird houses prepped already with them cleaned out and hung up.

If you want to watch birds this spring as they gear up for their busiest part of the season, there are things you can look and listen for. Those behaviors include establishing territories (sometimes birds are aggressive), singing to attract mates (dawn chorus), building nests, and returning from migration. Just know, some birds don’t migrate, so they are competing with ones that have come back.

If you need a bird house, we have you covered! Stop in and get a bird house in time for the nest building race. See you on Tuesday from 10am until 5pm. All the money from sales goes towards the upkeep of our museum.

Spring is in the air, and we are loving it. ❤️

It’s that time of year again!! The Rock and Gem show that Delaware Mineralogical Society puts on every year. Come see ou...
03/06/2026

It’s that time of year again!! The Rock and Gem show that Delaware Mineralogical Society puts on every year. Come see our info display for the 2026 year. In celebration of America 250, we brought back a classic history of Iron Hill geology display.

As we gear up for what might be the last significant snow storm this winter, let's think about how long it takes for sto...
02/21/2026

As we gear up for what might be the last significant snow storm this winter, let's think about how long it takes for storms to build.

On the average, it takes around 9 days for a storm to fully form and take affect. It takes time for water to evaporate from the earth, either from the ocean or from the land, condense and become part of a cloud, and then to fall to the earth again as either rain or snow. This is all connected to our water cycle. It's not complex, but it does take time.

As a reminder, snowflakes are stuck together tiny ice crystals that are formed when the water in the air gets really cold. What's really interesting is that the life of an ice crystal happens miles up in the air. The shape depends on the temperature of the air and the amount of water in the sky. As the ice crystals fall to earth, they change shape, stick together, break apart, and that happens over and over again.

Snow storms can be beautiful, but they can be dangerous if you're out in them and not ready. Make sure you are wearing the proper gear and have fun.

Photo from Maureen Zieber of Iron Hill woods in winter.

Address

1115 Robert L. Melson Lane
Newark, DE
19702

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+13023685703

Website

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