A good place to begin exploring Dover is the Delaware State Visitor Center on Federal Street in the downtown area, which offers maps, brochures, and information. The center also features changing exhibits about the area. Many historic structures are clustered downtown around the Green, with buildings ranging from those built in Colonial times to the Victorian period. Once the site of early fairs and markets, today the Green hosts political rallies, public events, and civic celebrations. Although the building itself was demolished in 1830, visitors can still visit the Golden Fleece Tavern site where Delaware representatives ratified the U.S. Constitution.
At one end of the Green stands the Old State House, where the General Assembly met from 1777 until 1934, which was restored in 1976. That body now meets in the Legislative Hall, which displays paintings of former governors and war heroes. Nearby are the Colonel John Haslett Armory and the refurbished Richardson & Robbins canning plant, which now houses the Department of Natural Resources and other state offices. At Christ's Church there is a monument to Caesar Rodney (1729–84), signer of the Declaration of Independence, an esteemed patriot and local leader. Perhaps the quaintest building on the Green is the tiny Old Post Office, believed to be the city's first.
Thousands of people each year travel to the Air Mobility Command Museum at Dover Air Force Base, which houses a growing collection of vintage planes and artifacts that reflect the evolution, history, and varied missions of military airlift and tanker aircraft. Special emphasis is placed on the history of Dover AFB since its beginnings in 1941. Housed in a restored World War II hangar that was once the home of the Army Air Force Rocket Test Center, the museum is a registered National Historic Site. There is a large outside airpark, a commemorative garden, and an excellent spot to watch airfield operations.
The history of 200 years of farm life is exhibited at the Delaware Agricultural Museum and Village, which opened in 1980 and features 10,000 objects, and a re-created nineteenth-century village.
Nipper, the famous RCA Victor canine symbol, is the star of the Johnson Victrola Museum, which traces the history of the Victor Talking Machine Company, now known as RCA. The museum is a replica of a 1920s Victrola dealer's store.
Dover has a number of interesting historical and art museums. The Hall of Records, which houses the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, contains the Royal Charter that Charles II gave to the Duke of York for the land that is now Delaware. The Meeting House Galleries I (also known as the Delaware Archaeology Museum) and II (Delaware Museum of Small Town Life) offer an archaeological exhibit, especially focusing on Native Americans, and a Main Street exhibit on typical small town life.
Originally founded in 1904, the 600-seat Schwartz Center for the Arts is the home of the Dover Symphony and presents comedy shows, music, dance, live theater, and film festivals. Originally named The Dover Opera House, the building was renamed The Capital Theater in 1923. After decades of success, it fell into disrepair and the building was closed in 1982. Spurred on by a statewide fundraising effort, the dilapidated facility was revived in October 2001 after an $8.3 million restoration. In 2004 a community partnership was formed with nearby Wilmington's Grand Opera House, local universities, and other arts organizations to maximize usage of the center.
Theater and dance troupes are among the entertainment at the Delaware State University Education and Humanities Theatre along with an art gallery on the campus grounds. On a smaller scale, the Wesley College Chapel plays host to a wide array of performances.
The Sewell Biggs Museum of Art, which opened in 1993 and was founded by Sewell C. Biggs, features 14 galleries of decorative arts. The Dover Art League's Art Center offers classes, a series of exhibits, and a children's summer arts camp.
Arts and Culture Information: Greater Dover Arts Council, PO Box 475, Dover, DE 19903-0475; telephone (302)736-7050
A festive parade and dancing around the maypole mark the opening of the Old Dover Days, a celebration with music, arts and crafts, and a showcase of local homes and gardens that takes place over the first weekend in May. June brings a variety of music at the June Jam and the Annual Spring and Summer Performing Arts Series on the Green along with the African American Heritage Festival at Mirror Lake. A fireworks display at the Capitol Square tops off the annual Fourth of July Celebration, and later in the month the Delaware State Fair spotlights top-name music stars, auto racing, a rodeo, and demolition derbies. Fairgoers flock to the animal and agricultural exhibits and the gigantic midway offering amusement rides and name entertainment.
Each October the Dover Arts Council sponsors Capitol City Arts Tour and Pumpkin Glow. The month is further enlivened by the Governor's Annual Fall Festival at Woodburn. The holiday season is welcomed by the Delaware Hospice Festival of Trees, the Caroling on the Green event, and the Governor's Annual Christmas Open House at Woodburn. Downtown Dover's First Night New Year's Eve Celebration rings in the new year. February's Winter Festival takes place at the Delaware State University and March brings the Governor's Annual Easter Egg Hunt.
Dover does not field any teams in major league sports but it does offer the excitement of racing. Dover Downs is said to be the only facility in the country that accommodates both horse racing and auto racing, on two separate tracks. Each sport attracts nearly a third of a million fans to the track annually. The first weekend in June is the time for the MBNA 200 NASCAR Busch Series and MBNA 400 Nextel Cup Series. September brings the Dover 200 NASCAR Busch Series and MBNA 400 NASCAR Nextel Cup races. Live harness racing is presented during the winter months.
Dover's Silver Lake, one of four lakes in Kent County, offers picnicking, boating, and fishing on 182 acres. The city has 25 other parks that provide a variety of features including historic monuments, children's playground equipment, and fishing piers. Short drives to Delaware Bay and the Atlantic Ocean provide opportunities for swimming, water skiing, and other water-related activities. Public golf courses are available and tennis courts can be found at school and college grounds.
Schutte Park, one of the city's more recently opened parks, is located on the west side of town and takes up 57 acres to house its softball/baseball and hockey/soccer fields along with ample space for picnic pavilion rentals. The Parks and Recreation Department is seeking to expand next to this land with a site proposed in 2004 named "Westside Recreation Center" on more than 19,000 square feet and at a projected cost exceeding $2.3 million.
About 10 miles north of Dover is the Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge in Smyrna where visitors can view migratory shorebirds and waterfowl via hiking and driving tours of the 16,000 acres of marshes, ponds, fields, and forest.
Sports Information: Parks and Recreation Office, PO Box 475, Dover, DE 19903-0475; telephone (302)736-7050; email parks@cityofdover.com
Tax-free shopping attracts people from all over the region to Dover's stores. Main Street Dover boasts many specialty shops located in unique buildings. Curbside horses and buggies from nearby Amish towns are a common site at the legendary Spence's Bazaar on New Street, where bargain hunters peruse everything from housewares to antique furniture. The Dover Mall, with nearly 100 stores, is anchored by Boscov's, Sears, Strawbridge's, and JC Penney.
With approximately 220 eateries, Kent County has claimed to have the highest amount of restaurants per capita in the United States. Dover and the surrounding area boast a wide variety of dining establishments, featuring everything from traditional Southern fare to foods of many nations including Thai, Chinese, Indian, Mongolian, Mexican, and Italian. Seafood places and casual American eateries also abound. A variety of fine dining can be found as well.
Visitor Information: Kent County Convention & Visitors Bureau, 435 N. DuPont Hwy., Dover, DE 19901; telephone (302)734-1736 or (800)233-KENT; fax (302)734-0167.