Remember when the hidden Burger King inside Concord Mall went viral back in 2022?
Let’s just say that wasn’t Delaware’s only secret.
Spread across the state are other intriguing spots that not everyone knows exist. In some cases, they aren’t even accessible to the public.
Here are seven special Delaware gems to explore or at least learn about.
Delaware Shoppes, Dover
This is a cozy little spot for buying Delaware-themed souvenirs that include clothing, paintings of local scenes and horseshoe crabs to license plates and pottery with the names of Delaware communities emblazoned on them (such as Hockessin, Magnolia, Dover, etc.). The Delaware Shoppes isn’t just an average store because the building is the place where the U.S. Constitution was ratified.
325 S. State St., Dover; visit delawareshoppes.com or call (302) 674-1787.
Granogue, Centreville
The gorgeous 505-acre Granogue estate is nothing to sneeze at, even at the height of pollen season. Formerly owned by the late Irénée du Pont Jr., Longwood acquired Granogue in 2024. The estate includes a 38,218-square-foot home built in 1923, barns, small homes and a greenhouse, according to Longwood. While Longwood didn’t disclose how much Granogue estate costs, realtors estimated it’s $50 million or more. Granogue currently isn’t open to the public.
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Air Mobility Command Museum, Dover
Did you know Dover has the largest airplane the U.S. military has ever built? The C-5 airplane is so big it can fit six full-size buses or 25,844,746 ping pong balls. This gigantic bird is on display at the Air Mobility Command Museum on Dover Air Force Base, a year-round museum that features dozens of military planes. The AMC Museum is the only place in the world with a C-5 on display to the public. Although it’s located on DAFB, guests don’t need a military ID to access the free museum.
1301 Heritage Road, Dover Air Force Base; free admission. Visit amcmuseum.org or call (302) 677-5938.
Delaware near Pennsville, New Jersey
Right when you thought Delaware couldn’t get any weirder, you discover it owns land in New Jersey. Well, sort of.
Not only does Delaware own a small chunk of Artificial Island, where the Hope Creek Nuclear Power Plant is, but there’s a strange patch of land just outside Pennsville, New Jersey, that belongs to the Diamond State.
The entire thing is only about 580 acres, but the rights to the nearby Delaware River have been the subject of not one, but three U.S. Supreme Court cases, the most recent of which concluded in 2008.
Local residents call it “The Point” or “The Baja.” But why does this land exist in the first place? Its existence dates from a deed to William Penn from the Duke of York on Aug. 24, 1682, which granted Penn all the land west of the Delaware River within a 12-mile compass circle beginning at the courthouse in New Castle.
Unlike other territorial boundaries, however, where rivers are essentially split in half between two states, the deed gave Penn rights to the entire waterway up to the low-tide mark on the east side.
While you can see the area from certain points, such as from within Finn’s Point National Veterans Cemetery, you cannot legally go there.
Brittingham Farms, Millsboro
Britting Farms offers guests the chance to stroll through their lavender fields and feel like you’re a character in a Disney movie or a dramatic anime. The farm is open year-round and also available to folks that want to learn about their copper still distillery or sustainable farming. But the vibrant lavender fields might be the most charming part.
22518 Phillips Hill Road, Millsboro; visit brittinghamfarms.com.
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Port Mahon, near Dover
One of Kent County’s best hidden gems is outside of Dover at Port Mahon. This is a low-key getaway where you can enjoy a nice jog or catch some fish on the pier. It is a section of Little Creek Wildlife Area.
Johnson Victrola Museum, Dover
Music lovers will appreciate the Johnson Victrola Museum that honors Dover’s own Eldridge Reeves Johnson, founder of the Victor Talking Machine Company in 1901. The Victor Talking Machine Company grossed millions yearly and produced some of the most popular recording artists in the world, according to the museum. Visitors will find recordings, phonographs and other items that pay tribute to Johnson’s legacy.
375 S. New St., Dover; visit facebook.com/JohnsonVictrolaMuseum or call or (302) 739-3262.
News Journal reporter Jessica Bies contributed to this report.