• Explore the museums, galleries and port of Wilmington, then take a steam train ride through the Red Clay Valley (website: www.wwrr.com).

• Visit Delaware's first permanent settlement, Fort Christina Historic Park (website: www.oldswedes.org), originally called New Sweden.

• View the permanent collection of 19th- and 20th-century American art and Pre-Raphaelite English art of the 19th century at the Delaware Art Museum (website: www.delart.org), including works by Edward Hopper, Howard Pyle and Andrew Wyeth.

• Head to nearby Brandywine Valley, home to the Du Pont mansions and the the Hagley Museum (website: www.hagley.org), which explains how this powerful family's fortune was made.

• Explore the capital, Dover, home to numerous museums, including the Air Mobility Command Museum (website: www.amcmuseum.org), with a fascinating collection of planes and military artifacts. Visitors are invited to test their flying skills in the flight simulator.

• Relax on the beaches in the historic seaside town of Lewes, and learn of Delaware's seafaring past that dates back to the 1600s. East of Lewes go hiking and biking in the Cape Henlopen State Park (website: www.destateparks.com), Delaware's largest state park.

• Enjoy a family day out at Rehoboth Beach (website: www.beach-fun.com), a seaside resort popular for its amusement park (website: www.funlandrehoboth.com), 1.6km- (1-mile-) long boardwalk, gourmet restaurants and boutique shops. Bargain hunters will be enticed by the retail outlet shopping that is available.

• Go clubbing in Dewey Beach (website: www.beach-fun.com), a lively holiday spot with plenty of bars and clubs to keep youthful holidaymakers happy, as well as opportunities for watersports.

• Sightsee in historic New Castle (website: www.newcastlecity.net). There are some wonderfully preserved buildings, such as the 1732 Old Court House, which served as the first state capital, and the colonial-style George Read II House. Enjoy guided historical tours along original cobblestone streets.

See Contact Addresses for further tourist information.