
On March 28th, 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm DNREC will share the latest news on the Bancroft Bridge.
Please click here for more details and meeting information.
Enjoy a leisure 0.7-mile-long hike through mature woodlands in the middle of the city. Look for native pawpaw trees and take in the sights and sounds of nature.
The cliffs, made of blue rock gneiss, offer a glimpse into the park’s quarrying past. These rocks were once used to help build the city of Wilmington!
Step back in time at the Blue Ball Barn. Learn about the rich history of the area while touring The Delaware Folk Art Collection.
 Hike or bike through the natural and cultural history of Wilmington! Stop at historic overlooks to learn about the textile mills that once thrived throughout the region.
Kids of all abilities can go for a swing, or play in the sand at Delaware's first "boundless playground." You can also read a new story on the Storybook Trail.
Climb Delaware’s only natural rock climbing wall! Our staff offer top-rope climbing programs — with some basic tips and equipment, rock climbing can be a unique way to experience the park.
Around Delaware’s beautiful Blue Rock cliff, formerly quarried and now home to the state’s only natural rock-climbing wall, natural resources like mature woodlands and the Brandywine River meet a rich industrial and cultural history at Alapocas Run State Park. The Blue Ball Barn, now a popular event space named for the Blue Ball Tavern that once served travelers in the area, was built in the 1900s as a dairy barn that supported A.I. DuPont’s Nemours estate. It now houses the Delaware Folk Art Collection and tells the park’s history in story form. Pawpaw trees, North America’s largest native fruit-bearing tree, grows in the forest understory. Delaware’s only venomous snake, the non-aggressive Northern Copperhead, occurs here. A Storybook Trail winds around the Can-do Playground, designed to be accessible to every child. Alapocas Run is also home to the Northern Delaware Greenway Trail, a National Recreation Trail.
The land that became Alapocas Run State Park was donated to the city of Wilmington in the early 1900s by local industrialist William Bancroft. It eventually came to include the Blue Ball Barn, built in 1914 by Bancroft's neighbor, Alfred I. DuPont, who named the barn after an inn and meeting house that was once located near the property. Alapocas Run became a state park in 2002.
This extraordinary barn, progressive in its environmental design, is the current home of the Delaware Folk Art Collection. Renovations have created a multifunctional conference, special event and gallery space for events, weddings and conferences, featuring meeting rooms, a large banquet room and a secluded courtyard. The Blue Ball Barn was the first public building in Delaware to become a LEED-certified building, meaning it meets stringent environmentally-friendly building design standards.
Learn more about the Blue Ball Barn, including how to host your event here.
After historic floods from the remnants of Hurricane Ida during the last week of August in 2021, the Bancroft Bridge was struct with high flood water and heavy debris causing severe damage. The Division closed the bridge and performed structural analysis to determine the impact of the damage. The Division has a written report and recorded a presentation of the findings and alternative solutions evaluated to fix or replace the bridge.
View the video presentation from the March 28, 2023 meeting.
View the video presentation from the October 27, 2022 meeting.
View the video presentation from the February 10, 2022 meeting.
Available are also the follwoing presentations:
The collection currently contains over 120 works from Delaware artists, reflecting the diverse cultural backgrounds that make up the First State. Visitors are able to tour the exhibits in person at the Barn or take a virtual tour. The Blue Ball Barn is a Frommer’s recommended attraction.
The 27,000 square foot Can-Do Playground, is the first Boundless Playground™ in Delaware. Designed to be accessible to every child, regardless of physical, mental and sensory abilities, the playground was made possible with the help of six Wilmington-area Rotary Clubs. For more information about boundless playgrounds, visit the Can-Do Playground website.
Is your club, league, or group looking for a well-maintained area for games or other activities? Three versatile fields in the East Park section of Alapocas Run State Park offer a variety of opportunities for organized sports.
Fields 1 and 2: Soccer, lacrosse, field hockey, flag football, Ultimate Frisbee®, kickball
Field 3: Field hockey, flag football, Ultimate Frisbee®, rugby, youth soccer, youth lacrosse
The athletic field permit application available under Maps + Downloads on this page contains field reservation information and rates.
Alapocas Run State Park offers top-rope climbing and rappelling. In top roping, the rope is run from the climber through an anchor at the top of the climb, then back down to attach to the belayer. The belayer is able to stop a falling climber immediately, which makes top-rope climbing one of the safest forms of climbing. Rappelling is a controlled descent on a rope from an anchor on the top of a rock or cliff face. Like top-rope climbing, rappelling requires a mechanical device that can lock the rope, preventing an uncontrolled descent. The park offers climbing programs and camps.
More info can be found on our Rock Climbing page
A climbing permit is required to use the park’s rock wall; the application is available on this page under Maps + Downloads.
Wednesday, June 7, 2023
6:00 PM
Join Miranda Blas to create sculptures using the Chilean Folk Art tradition of Chanchitos. Chanchito means little piggy and gatitos is little kitties in Spanish. Each chanchito has three legs and owning one is considered good luck! Both chanchitos and gatitos are Miranda’s interpretation of the traditional Chilean craft. Bring home some buena suerte and lots of cuteness with one of these chanchitos!
Thursday, June 8, 2023
8:00 AM
Kiara Florez's collection of abstract paintings explores spiritual thinking and imaginative worlds, using bold colors and wavy lines to express those concepts. She bases her paintings on her thoughts and feelings in the moment. This exhibit is on display June 1-June 24 during business hours from 8-4pm. Call the park office for more information, 302-577-7020.
Tuesday, June 13, 2023
10:00 AM
Nature on the Go is a weekly program in which we explore the different aspects of our natural world, and provide take-home experiences that encourage further investigation of what's around us. This year's theme is Things with Wings. Tuesday programs meet at Can Do Playground.
Thursday, June 15, 2023
8:00 AM
Kiara Florez's collection of abstract paintings explores spiritual thinking and imaginative worlds, using bold colors and wavy lines to express those concepts. She bases her paintings on her thoughts and feelings in the moment. This exhibit is on display June 1-June 24 during business hours from 8-4pm. Call the park office for more information, 302-577-7020.
Tuesday, June 20, 2023
10:00 AM
Nature on the Go is a weekly program in which we explore the different aspects of our natural world, and provide take-home experiences that encourage further investigation of what's around us. This year's theme is Things with Wings. Tuesday programs meet at Can Do Playground.
Wednesday, June 21, 2023
10:00 AM
Drop by the Storybook Trail as the naturalist explores stories and nature with hands-on activities based on the month’s story.
Thursday, June 22, 2023
8:00 AM
Kiara Florez's collection of abstract paintings explores spiritual thinking and imaginative worlds, using bold colors and wavy lines to express those concepts. She bases her paintings on her thoughts and feelings in the moment. This exhibit is on display June 1-June 24 during business hours from 8-4pm. Call the park office for more information, 302-577-7020.
Saturday, June 24, 2023
8:00 AM
Kiara Florez's collection of abstract paintings explores spiritual thinking and imaginative worlds, using bold colors and wavy lines to express those concepts. She bases her paintings on her thoughts and feelings in the moment. This exhibit is on display June 1-June 24 during business hours from 8-4pm. Call the park office for more information, 302-577-7020.
Tuesday, June 27, 2023
10:00 AM
Nature on the Go is a weekly program in which we explore the different aspects of our natural world, and provide take-home experiences that encourage further investigation of what's around us. This year's theme is Things with Wings. Tuesday programs meet at Can Do Playground.
Saturday, July 1, 2023
8:00 AM
Robert Bruce Weston's love of wood comes from his 30-year career as a cabinet maker. He now makes wood inlay "paintings" that range from representational to abstract or surreal. This exhibit is on display July 1-July 31 during business hours from 8-4pm. Call the park office for more information, 302-577-7020.
Saturday, July 8, 2023
8:00 AM
Robert Bruce Weston's love of wood comes from his 30-year career as a cabinet maker. He now makes wood inlay "paintings" that range from representational to abstract or surreal. This exhibit is on display July 1-July 31 during business hours from 8-4pm. Call the park office for more information, 302-577-7020.
Tuesday, July 11, 2023
10:00 AM
Nature on the Go is a weekly program in which we explore the different aspects of our natural world, and provide take-home experiences that encourage further investigation of what's around us. This year's theme is Things with Wings. Tuesday programs meet at Can Do Playground.
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
10:00 AM
Drop by the Storybook Trail as the naturalist explores stories and nature with hands-on activities based on the month’s story.
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
6:00 PM
In this workshop we'll use waste materials and objects from nature as a means of expression. Participants will learn to create papier-mâché three-dimensional representations that invite the use of different resources — most of them within our reach and at very low cost. So, while we enjoy creating beautiful objects; we contribute to improving our environment.
Saturday, July 15, 2023
8:00 AM
Robert Bruce Weston's love of wood comes from his 30-year career as a cabinet maker. He now makes wood inlay "paintings" that range from representational to abstract or surreal. This exhibit is on display July 1-July 31 during business hours from 8-4pm. Call the park office for more information, 302-577-7020.
Tuesday, July 18, 2023
10:00 AM
Nature on the Go is a weekly program in which we explore the different aspects of our natural world, and provide take-home experiences that encourage further investigation of what's around us. This year's theme is Things with Wings. Tuesday programs meet at Can Do Playground.
Saturday, July 22, 2023
8:00 AM
Robert Bruce Weston's love of wood comes from his 30-year career as a cabinet maker. He now makes wood inlay "paintings" that range from representational to abstract or surreal. This exhibit is on display July 1-July 31 during business hours from 8-4pm. Call the park office for more information, 302-577-7020.
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
10:00 AM
Nature on the Go is a weekly program in which we explore the different aspects of our natural world, and provide take-home experiences that encourage further investigation of what's around us. This year's theme is Things with Wings. Tuesday programs meet at Can Do Playground.
Thursday, July 27, 2023
10:00 AM
Nature on the Go is a weekly program in which we explore the different aspects of our natural world, and provide take-home experiences that encourage further investigation of what's around us. This year's theme is Things with Wings. Tuesday programs meet at Can Do Playground.
Saturday, July 29, 2023
8:00 AM
Robert Bruce Weston's love of wood comes from his 30-year career as a cabinet maker. He now makes wood inlay "paintings" that range from representational to abstract or surreal. This exhibit is on display July 1-July 31 during business hours from 8-4pm. Call the park office for more information, 302-577-7020.
Monday, July 31, 2023
8:00 AM
Robert Bruce Weston's love of wood comes from his 30-year career as a cabinet maker. He now makes wood inlay "paintings" that range from representational to abstract or surreal. This exhibit is on display July 1-July 31 during business hours from 8-4pm. Call the park office for more information, 302-577-7020.
Wednesday, August 2, 2023
10:00 AM
Join us at the Can-Do Playground to see and touch the machines and vehicles that the Delaware State Parks maintenance team uses to keep our parks beautiful.
Tuesday, August 8, 2023
10:00 AM
Nature on the Go is a weekly program in which we explore the different aspects of our natural world, and provide take-home experiences that encourage further investigation of what's around us. This year's theme is Things with Wings. Tuesday programs meet at Can Do Playground.
Wednesday, August 9, 2023
6:00 PM
Join artist, Lauren Muney as she demonstrates traditional silhouette portraiture. With only a pair of scissors and her paper, she creates a museum-worthy silhouette profile — without drawing first, tracing any shadows, or using any machine — using just her eye and scissors. Participants of this program will have a customized portrait created by Lauren. Limit 20 people.
Tuesday, August 15, 2023
10:00 AM
Nature on the Go is a weekly program in which we explore the different aspects of our natural world, and provide take-home experiences that encourage further investigation of what's around us. This year's theme is Things with Wings. Tuesday programs meet at Can Do Playground.