Fort Delaware State Park, located on Pea Patch Island, in Delaware City (tel. 302/834-7941; www.destateparks.com and www.visitthefort.com), is about 16 miles south of Wilmington, in the Delaware River. Take Route 13 or I-95 south from Wilmington to Route 9 (turn left), which will take you to Delaware City. The park surrounds a five-sided granite fortress that served as a detention center during the Civil War. Inside, there's a museum, 19th-century cells and armaments, and an audiovisual presentation on the history of the island. Other facilities include an observation tower for bird-watchers (the island is a popular nesting spot for egrets, herons, and other marsh fowl) and an assortment of nature trails and picnic sites. To visit, take the ferry from Delaware City; it departs every hour from Battery Park at the end of Clinton Road. Once you arrive on the island, a tractor-pulled tram will take you from the dock to the fort, where, if you're visiting during a living-history weekend, you'll be greeted by a costumed interpreter playing the part of a Confederate prisoner.
The ferry fare, which includes admission to the park, is $10 for adults and $6 for children 12 and under. The site is open on weekends April through October, plus Wednesday through Friday from mid-June to Labor Day; call for exact hours, the ferry schedule, and the schedule of events. Reenactments and living-history demonstrations are held throughout the summer. The guided tours by Confederate and Union reenactors -- and the musket, artillery, and cannon demonstrations -- are great (though a bit loud) for both children and adults.
