New Castle Court House Museum
New Castle, Delaware, USA
211 Delaware Street, New Castle, Delaware 19720
MUSEUM
VISITOR INFORMATION
Use the Court House Museum address and tour information. The Master's New Castle Historic District/Fort Casimir Site is a broader and different entry; it does not replace this specific legislative building. Map point reviewed October 3, 2026: Historic Court House Museum building. Visitor information reviewed October 3, 2026: Parking is nearby downtown street parking; a dedicated museum lot is not confirmed. Restrooms are available at the courthouse. Visits use scheduled guided tours, with larger groups requiring reservations. Accessible entrance assistance is available from museum staff.
Admission free, by guided tour. Wednesday–Saturday tours at 10 am, 11 am, 1 pm, 2 pm and 3 pm; Sunday tours at 1:30 pm, 2:30 pm and 3:30 pm. Groups of 10 or more should reserve. Confirm holiday closures.
Peak visitation season unconfirmed. No reliable site-specific annual monthly attendance pattern was established.
May-June or September-October for a confirmed guided courthouse tour paired with town walks. Check the actual tour times and public day before arriving.
OFFICIAL WEBSITE
TICKET INFORMATION
HISTORIC SITES NEARBY
Nearby Historic Sites
miles
Landmark
WHO WAS HERE
0
PEOPLE WHO LIVED HERE
About New Castle Court House Museum
New Castle Court House served as Delaware’s colonial and early state legislative center. Its Assembly Room was the setting for separation from Pennsylvania and Britain and adoption of Delaware’s first constitution in 1776. The surviving courthouse operates as a museum interpreting government, courts, and the Underground Railroad.
Delaware operates it as a museum with historic furnishings, objects, and exhibits. Its preservation includes both Revolutionary government history and later legal events associated with slavery and the Underground Railroad.
History happened here at New Castle Court House Museum
The courthouse brought judicial and legislative functions together in colonial New Castle. On June 15, 1776, the Assembly meeting here approved separation from Pennsylvania and Great Britain. Delaware’s first state constitution was adopted on September 20. These decisions transformed the political status of the Three Lower Counties during the movement toward American independence.
The capital moved to Dover in 1777, but the courthouse continued as an important legal venue. Later proceedings included the trials of abolitionists Thomas Garrett and John Hunn, linking its court history with resistance to slavery. Museum interpretation presents these successive uses together. The surviving building preserves a setting where the creation of government and the enforcement and contesting of law unfolded across different generations.
PEOPLE WHO DIED HERE
PEOPLE AT REST HERE
EXTERNAL LINKS
Research reviewed October 2, 2026. Event IDs 13b6a3d8-a707-40f0-bb56-6e6022d34fc6; Events Latest 10PM.csv rows 58.
https://history.delaware.gov/new-castle-court-house-museum/ncch_history/
https://history.delaware.gov/complete-tour-directory/
https://history.delaware.gov/2026/08/24/special-programs-at-new-castle-court-house-museum/
Map location reviewed October 3, 2026. Historic Court House Museum building. Map geometry © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL.
https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/254766563
https://www.openstreetmap.org/copyright
Visitor classification and amenities reviewed October 3, 2026. Destination: New Castle Court House Museum.
https://history.delaware.gov/new-castle-court-house-museum/
Prose batch 2 researched October 3, 2026. Fast pass; proofing pending. Later additions distinguished from 1732 core. Government and enslavement-related history both included.
Visitor admission and access fields reviewed October 3, 2026. Destination: New Castle Court House Museum.