Hagley Museum

Located on 235 acres along the banks of the Brandywine River, Hagley is the site of the gunpowder
works founded by E. I. du Pont in 1802. With a historic home, gardens, early industrial history, and more in a stunning, natural setting, Hagley Museum has something for everyone.

Exhibits

Eleutherian Mills Residence:
High on a bank of the Brandywine River overlooking the original black powder mills, E.I. du Pont, founder of the DuPont Company, built his home. For almost a century the Georgian-style home and surrounding complex of buildings and gardens served as the center of family and business life.

E. I. du Pont Garden:
Located in front of the Eleutherian Mills residence, this garden, filled with charm and character, is easy to view and comfortable to walk. The garden is restored on its original site and reflects the period of cultivation during the life of E. I. du Pont, 1803-1834.

Hagley Barn:
The Eleutherian Mills area also features a 19th-century barn with displays of tools, weathervanes, and vehicles. Included among the vehicles is a Conestoga wagon like the ones used by DuPont to transport black powder from the powder yards to the port of Wilmington.

Historic Powder Yards:
See mill buildings including the restored, wooden Birkenhead waterwheel, a working 19th-century machine shop and steam engine with daily demonstrations, a partially restored workers' community, and more. You'll learn about the process of manufacturing gunpowder, innovations in early industry, and the people who made the powder yards run for more than two centuries.

Models of Invention:
Located inside the Hagley Library are displays of patent models from Hagley’s unique collection that tell stories of innovation across a wide range of industries in 19th-century America.

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