Travel Themes for Family and Group Vacations in US Main Streets and Historic Districts

Consider spending your next vacation in Small Town USA Main Streets and Historic Districts.

Knowledge Tourism brings together local customs, values and traditions with travel management expertise to increase your knowledge of the places you visit, with:

Itineraries especially designed for your vacationing family or group and visits to:

Museums that disclose the archaeological and historic heritage of a community, leverage conservation and the rediscovery of local culture through the arts, history, literature and architecture, preserve biodiversity and the cultures associated with agricultural, coastal and river communities.

Local Food Wineries and Breweries with local, quality food, wine and beer production. This, in turn, has spawned a demand for nightlife and weekend amenities for local citizens and out of town visitors.

experience a unique local atmosphere in historic and sustainable settings

Public Transport Initiatives itineraries that include major cities with established commuter and regional service as well as communities that are implementing new transit programs; an opportunity to meet with local planners and travel efficiently, safely and affordably across the United States.

Resources and the Environment study the efforts of communities in the forefront of water conservation and other environmentally sustainable practices; meet local stewards of the environment who will explain their policies, programs and best management practices in wastewater and watershed management, land conservation, recycling and energy efficient systems.

Industry and Commerce Itineraries from agriculture and Industry to services and sustainability.

Visit communities transitioning from traditional industrial and commercial activities to technologically innovative ones.

Knowledge Tourism subscribes to the notion that the best way to travel is in the company of people who live and work in the places you visit. So, if you are planning a trip, reach out for a no obligation travel plan.

We look forward to being of service

Wilmington and New Castle Delaware Culture Trails

family entertainment underground railroad house museum wineries and breweries

Wilmington is strategically positioned to reach other points of interest in the middle Atlantic region of the United States. Located midway between New York City and Washington, D.C., this city is:
30 minutes from Philadelphia
90 minutes to downtown Baltimore, Maryland
60 minutes from Lancaster, South Central Pennsylvania and Amish Country
less than 2 hours away from Delaware's Atlantic Ocean beaches

Founded by the Swedes and Finns in 1638, and later acquired by the Dutch in 1655 and the British in 1739, today Wilmington offers a rich performing arts scene including theater, symphony, opera, ballet, rock, jazz, folk and family entertainment. It is also home to many celebrated ethnic events, music festivals and special performances at local wineries and breweries.

The Christina Riverfront is one of many reasons for making Wilmington your home away from home while exploring the culture trail; cruise in a water taxis or stroll the landscaped Riverwalk. Wilmington was the last stop to freedom on the Underground Railroad; the Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park is named for Railroad Conductor Harriett Tubman and Stationmaster Thomas Garrett. The Riverfront Market offers delicious specialty foods, fresh produce, flowers and much more from a variety of vendors.

shopping, dining and entertainment are tax free here!

The First Stop along the Culture Trail focuses on the History of the First State!

The Delaware History Museum is located in a renovated art-deco Woolworth store in the historic district and features three galleries of changing interactive exhibits on Delaware history, including displays of rare items of everyday life, costumes, children's toys, regional decorative arts, and paintings.

Old Town Hall built in 1798-1800, it functioned as a center of political and social activities in Wilmington's mercantile-milling economy. Today it is owned by the Delaware Historical Society and is used for exhibits and special events. The Delaware Historical Society is celebrating its 150^th Anniversary in 2014.

Visit
 Wilmington, New Castle 
and the Delaware Culture Trails

Knowledge Tourism

travel@arezza.net

Willingtown Square consists of six historic houses relocated into an urban park in 1976.Not far away are the Tubman-Garrett Riverfront Park, the First USA Riverfront Arts Center, and the Wilmington train station.

The Research Library is tasked with collecting and preserving Delaware materials for over 135 years, the Society has a rich and varied collection of books, ephemera, newspapers, serials, maps, manuscripts and photographs relating to the history of Delaware and its people. 

Read House is in nearby historic New Castle, one of the oldest towns and a National Historic Landmark District. The 22 room, 14,000 square-foot, mansion features new technologies of the time including elaborate hot-air roasting ovens and steam tables in the kitchen. Carefully restored and furnished in 1986 using extensive documentation, Read House ranks among the best house museums in the country. In addition, a tour may include: costumed interpreters, open-hearth cooking demonstrations, walking tours of New Castle. Read House & Gardens was named an American Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the National Park Service.

Colonial America Heritage and the Industrial Revolution

Museums and Educational Travel

One of the Largest Historical Societies in America, LCHS comprises the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, a state-of-the-art historical research library, as well as 6 galleries with 13,000 square feet of exhibits. The Society administers 7 museum sites that date from Colonial America through the Industrial Revolution along with 35,000 historical artifacts, 80,000 vintage photographs, and over 3-million documents.

Books Maps Photographs and Other Resources for Historians and Genealogists

Educational Tours and outreach programs designed by Museum Educators that tell stories and enlighten adults, schoolchildren, scouts and others about local heritage with visits to historic sites and the Heritage Museum with its exhibits, research library and archival collection.

Your
Delaware Lehigh and Hudson River Valley Travel Plan
with 
Knowledge Tourism
travel@arezza.net 

A Coal Burning Iron Furnace that Looks Like a Medieval Castle

Lockridge Furnace was built in 1868 and produced some of the iron that helped transform America from a nation of farms into an industrial giant. The Museum comprises several buildings in a park setting.

The Saylor Park Cement Kilns were erected in 1893 to power the industrial revolution and produce cement. Learn about this industry and the people that worked in it.

Haines Mill has stood on the banks of Cedar Creek since colonial times.

The Early Technology that Supported Farm Life

Troxell-Steckel Farm Museum is an authentic Pennsylvania-German farm house that provides a unique perspective on farming in the Lehigh Valley.