{{Short description|Natural history museum in Delaware}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox museum |name = Delaware Museum of Nature and Science |logo = Delaware Museum of Nature & Science logo.svg |logo_alt = Chambered nautilus shell outline in a blue "D" and reading "Delaware Museum of Nature & Science" |image = Delaware Museum of Natural History.png |image_size = |caption = The museum in 2010 |map_type = Delaware#USA |map_caption = <small>Location in Delaware</small> |coordinates = {{coord|39.798307|-75.609804|display=inline}} |established = 1957 (open to public May 13, 1972) |dissolved = |location = 4840 Kennett Pike, [[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington]], [[Delaware]], 19807 [[United States|USA]]<br> [[Area code 302|302]].658.9111 |type = [[Natural history]] |visitors = Over 65,000<ref name="about">{{cite web|url=http://www.delmnh.org/about-us-2/|title=About Us|publisher=Delaware Museum of Natural History|accessdate=December 19, 2015}}</ref> |director = |curator = |public_transit = {{bus icon|12px}} [[DART First State]] bus: 52 |website = {{URL|http://www.delmnh.org}} }}

The '''Delaware Museum of Nature & Science''' (DMNH, formerly Delaware Museum of Natural History) is a museum located in [[Wilmington, Delaware|Wilmington]], Delaware. The museum was founded in 1957 by [[John Eleuthere du Pont]] near [[Greenville, Delaware]]; it opened in 1972 on a site near [[Winterthur, Delaware]]. It was re-opened on January 1, 2022, after being closed for two years. It is known for its extensive collections of seashells, birds, and bird eggs. The latter is the second largest collection in North America. It is the oldest [[natural history]] museum in Delaware.

==History== The museum's core collection was started in childhood by the naturalist, philanthropist and high-profile convicted murderer<ref>{{cite news |first=Jeré |last=Longman |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/10/sports/olympics/10dupont.html?_r=0 |title=John E. du Pont, Heir Who Killed an Olympian, Dies at 72 |work=The New York Times |date=December 10, 2010 |access-date=February 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Jacqui |last=Goddard |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/11322341/Foxcatcher-the-true-story.html |title=Foxcatcher: the true story |work=The Telegraph |date=January 4, 2015 |access-date=February 9, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |first=Ryan |last=Cormier |url=http://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2014/11/28/foxcatcher-book-mark-schultz-du-pont-murder/19622227/ |title='Foxcatcher' book details du Pont murder plot |work=The News Journal |location=Wilmington, DE |date=November 29, 2014 |access-date=February 9, 2020}}</ref> John E. ("Golden Eagle") du Pont. Du Pont built a personal collection of seashells, birds and bird eggs. Even before getting a doctorate in natural science in 1965 and writing several books on birds, he became interested in developing a natural history museum. During and after graduate school, du Pont took part in several scientific expeditions to the [[Australasia|South Pacific]] and the [[Philippines]], and is credited with the discovery of two dozen subspecies of birds.

At his request, his uncle [[Henry Francis du Pont]] provided land across from the [[Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library|Winterthur estate]] in the Brandywine Valley of Delaware for the museum. The museum opened in 1972 under the name of Delaware Museum of Natural History, attended by 200 du Pont family members and representatives of other Northeastern natural history museums.<ref name="nyt1972-2">{{cite web|url=https://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F10715F83455127B93C1A8178ED85F468785F9|title=DuPonts Toast a New Museum|last=Janson|first=Donald|date=May 13, 1972|work=The New York Times|accessdate=July 12, 2009}}</ref> It was the first major museum of natural history opened since 1910.<ref name="nyt1972-1"/>

The museum originally was based on du Pont's collection of 1,000,000 sea shells and 100,000 bird eggs. The museum emphasizes the ecology of birds and sea life. In early studies, these were used by scientists to measure pesticide contamination of wild species.<ref name="nyt1972-1">{{cite web|url=https://select.nytimes.com/mem/archive/pdf?res=F70613F63F5E127A93C5A9178ED85F468785F9|title=New Museum in Delaware Stresses Ecology of Birds and Sea Life|last=Janson|first=Donald|date=May 7, 1972|work=The New York Times|accessdate=July 12, 2009}}</ref> DMNH is ranked in the top fifteen in the United States for its collections of mollusks and birds, with the second largest collection of birds' eggs in North America.<ref name="DMNH">{{cite web |url=http://www.delmnh.org/collections-research/ |title=Collections and Research |publisher=Delaware Museum of Natural History}}</ref>

In 1999, the museum held a contest to name the star designated [[TYC 3429-697-1]]. The winning nickname, "The Delaware Diamond", entered in the contest by 12-year-old Wilmington resident Amy Nerlinger, was later recognized by the [[Delaware General Assembly]] and the star became an [[List of Delaware state symbols|official state symbol]] in 2000.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Bittle |first=Matt |title=Delaware Diamond shines as state’s official star |work=[[Delaware State News]] |url=https://delawarestatenews.net/news/delaware-diamond-shines-states-official-star/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190823174757/https://delawarestatenews.net/news/delaware-diamond-shines-states-official-star/ |archive-date=2019-08-23}}</ref> However, the star was nicknamed through the [[International Star Registry]], making it unofficial and unrecognized by any astronomical authority.<ref name=":0" />

The museum had a major expansion in 2005 to add educational and exhibit space. It has been expanded to include exhibits on dinosaurs, mammals, and [[Charles Darwin]].<ref name="perm">{{cite web|url=http://www.delmnh.org/permanent-exhibits/|title=Permanent Exhibits|publisher=Delaware Museum of Natural History|accessdate=July 12, 2009}}</ref>

In 2020, it was announced the museum would be closing down to renovate. It reopened in 2022<ref>{{Cite web|last=admin|title=Delmnh|url=https://www.delmnh.org/|access-date=2021-07-08|website=Delaware Museum of Natural History|language=en-US}}</ref> under the current name of the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021|title=Delaware Museum of Natural History launches public phase of $9.8 million capital campaign|url=https://www.delmnh.org/delaware-museum-of-natural-history-launches-public-phase-of-9-8-million-capital-campaign/|url-status=live|access-date=April 28, 2021|website=Delaware Museum of Natural History|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210418173212/https://www.delmnh.org/delaware-museum-of-natural-history-launches-public-phase-of-9-8-million-capital-campaign/ |archive-date=April 18, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|last=Izarry|first=Joe|date=February 5, 2020|title=Delaware Museum of Natural History set to begin major makeover|work=Delaware Public Media|url=https://www.delawarepublic.org/post/delaware-museum-natural-history-set-begin-major-makeover|access-date=April 28, 2021}}</ref> The new museum bears a focus more on state ecology and geology.

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== {{commons category|Delaware Museum of Natural History}} * {{official website|https://delmns.org}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090129095625/http://www.brandywinetreasures.org/ Brandywine Museums & Gardens Alliance]

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[[Category:Natural history museums in Delaware]] [[Category:Museums in Wilmington, Delaware]] [[Category:Places associated with the Du Pont family]] [[Category:Museums established in 1957]] [[Category:1957 establishments in Delaware]] [[Category:Paleontology in Delaware]] [[Category:Science museums in Delaware]] [[Category:Dinosaur museums in the United States]] {{DEFAULTSORT:Delaware Museum of Nature and Science}}