The New Castle Historical Society offers a variety of tours for individuals, students and groups.

Audio Tours

Historic New Castle AudioWalk

Click here to download a .pdf map to guide you through our AudioWalk.

Click here to download ourcomplete AudioWalk Tour .mp3 file for your mobile device
     LISTEN ONLINE: please click the link above and listen with your mobile device
     SAVE FILE TO YOUR DEVICE: To save the .MP3 file to your computer or mobile device, RIGHT-CLICK the above link and choose "Save Target As" and save the file to a folder / location on your device.

A perfect way for individuals to learn about New Castle's 360+ history while exploring this National Historic Landmark District at their own pace, the New Castle AudioWalk is available for download from our website. 

With over 40 stops included on the tour, visitors can spend up to 2 hours enjoying a personal, private tour through the Historic District. 

For a shorter tour experience, we've designed a 30-minute tour using the most popular sites in New Castle - or you can create your own experience by selecting which tour stops you are interested in. 

The tour is available online as a simple MP3 file. You can use your own device and headphones to enjoy this tour while you're in Historic New Castle. 

 

School Tours

NCHS offers two hands-on student tours at the Amstel House and Dutch House:

At the Amstel House, you'll experience "Social Networking" in Colonial New Castle, which compares social networking in colonial times to the social media of our time. Students participate in the ritual of "taking tea" socially, as hosted by Governor Van Dyke's wife, explore civility and manners and delve into the world of servants.

At the Dutch House, "At The Artisan's Home" introduces students to three generations of one family of craftsmen, the Silsbee family, who were blacksmiths and carpenters. Students will explore the house, discovering objects made by hand and then handle the carpenter tools up close, identifying jobs that each performed.

Pricing:
1 1/2 hours, $3.00 per student. Can be combined with a tour of other sites in New Castle. Addl. fees for other sites may apply.

 


In addition, you can combine the Amstel House & Dutch House programs WITH a guided walking tour of Historic New Castle for a full history of our town. 2 hours, $4.50 per student.

  • Encounter the authentic setting of a historic town on the lovely Delaware River.
  • Learn on a walking tour around the town green and view its civic buildings: the 1799 Academy, 1809 Arsenal, 1703 Immanuel Church on the Green, the Sheriff's Office and Court House.
  • Explore the alleys and experience the allure of early cobblestone streetscapes.
  • Examine how the early settlers in the New World lived at this diminutive Dutch House.
  • Learn about the early period of settlement when this craftsman's house was young.
  • Imagine the lifestyle and traditions from early America.

    • Also available is our standard tour of four museums in New Castle (see below New Castle Tour of the Town). The student activities, Social Networking in Colonial New Castle and At The Artisan's Home, are also included in this on-going tour.

    Our school tours are designed to meet the latest standards and curriculum requirements, programs support New Directions Content Standards for Social Studies and English in Delaware.
  • Student tours are available Monday-Friday, 9:30-3:30, throughout the year. 
  • Guided tours must be reserved in advance and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

  • Please call early for spring school tours as they are very popular and we fill up fast!
  • Teachers are free and chaperones are complimentary at a ratio of 1-8.  Additional adults are $3.00.
  • Minimum number of students is 15 for a group tour.  School may pay for 15 students when the minimum is not reached.     

Elementary Age Tours



Then and Now Tours: 2nd - 4th Graders

  • This program is designed for the youngest visitors, generally second graders. Students visit the historic houses and gardens (in season) where students compare and contrast life in olden times with modern life. 

  • Fee is $3.00 per student, minimum of 15 students (or $45 for up to 15 students.)

  • Reproduction artifacts are passed around for the group to investigate.

  • Student skills that are developed:  comparing and contrasting, sharpening observation skills.

 
Colonial Adventure Tours: 4th – 6th Graders

  • This program is designed for students to step back in time as they learn about the lives of men, women, and children living in colonial New Castle. The tour is one hour in length, with visits to the Amstel House and the Dutch House.

  • Fee is $3.00 per student, minimum of 15 students (or $45 for up to 15 students)

  • Students are able to investigate reproduction artifacts.

  • We focus on enhancing the following: developing inquiry skills, sharpening observation skills, making inferences, problem solving, comparing and contrasting.


New Castle Tour of the Town Tours: 4th – 6th Graders

  • The program is designed for 4-6th graders to learn about the history of Delaware's early capital and premier colonial town.

  • The program includes visits to Amstel and Dutch House, the New Castle Courthouse, and the Read House, and is three hours in length.; One call to the New Castle Historical Society will set up this tour.

  • Lunch at Battery Park may be included in the tour day, adding 30-60 minutes to the tour.

  • Fee is $3.00 for Amstel and Dutch Houses; Fee also charged by the Read House; The Court House is free.

Middle and High School Tours

Walking Tour of Haunted New Castle: 6th-9th Graders
This tour includes ghost stories told throughout the town and at the Amstel House. It intertwines ghost stories of historical figures with mourning customs, grisly stories of the pillory and whipping post in New Castle, the lives of sailors and mariners, the impact of fire and war on townspeople, to provide a fun and informative experience in October. 1 1/2 hr. at AH and walking tour, $6.



All Grade Levels



Holiday Houses in New Castle is a student tour which can be elaborated for all grade levels, in which students learn about holiday customs and traditions in colonial times, while touring the historic houses which are decorated in December for a traditional feast during Governor Nicholas Van Dyke’s residency at the Amstel House. At the Dutch House, students learn about the Dutch tradition of St. Nicholas’ Eve celebration. 1 1/2 hours at AH/DH, $3.00.




Home school programming is available in the topics above.
  • Fee is $3.00 per student, with one free adult chaperone per 8 students.  For additional adults on tour, fee is $3.00 per adult.  Minimum charge is $45.

  • Tours are available 11-3 p.m. throughout the year

Adult Group Tours 

 

Historic House Tours   

  • Visit two remarkable historic sites in historic New Castle.
    A tour of the Amstel House and Dutch House can be a memorable experience for your group. 

  • See important architectural landmarks of the region, admire beautiful and unique antiques, and learn fascinating stories about the people who lived here.

  • The histories of the houses are intertwined with prominent families, stretching from the origins of the town in the 17th century through Revolutionary times and to the twentieth century's important early preservationists.
    •




Hauntings In History Tours

  • Perfect for bus, corporate, and other groups, our Hauntings In History tours explore the darker side of New Castle's history through history, folklore, legends, and ghost stories.


  • Hauntings In History tours begin with a tour of the Amstel House - one of New Castle's most well-documented "haunted" houses, and continue with a walking tour around the New Castle historic area. 


  • Tours can be scheduled during the daytime or evening. 


  • Tours are available throughout the year, but are particularly popular around Halloween. 


Guided Walking Tours

  • Guided walking tours of the New Castle Historic District are available throughout the year. 


  • Highlights of the tour include the New Castle Court House, The Green, Immanuel Church, The Arsenal, New Castle Presbyterian Church, and Delaware Street.


  • Tours are either 30 or 60 minutes in length and may be combined with tours of the Amstel and Dutch Houses. Allow 2 hours if adding both houses. 


Group Tour Pricing

  • Historic House Tours  for both Amstel and Dutch Houses are $10 per person. The minimum number for a group is 10 visitors.

  • Hauntings In History Tours are 1 hour and 15 minutes in length. Reserved times available for private groups. Call for pricing.


  • Guided Walking Tours:

    • 30 Minute Tour - $7 per person


    • 60 Minute Tour - $10 per person


    • 30 Minute Tour with Amstel & Dutch Houses - $13 per person   



  • Group tours are available throughout the year and may be combined with visits to the New Castle Courthouse and Read House & Gardens, by request.

  • Other tours of New Castle, which include additional historic sites, are available on request and are priced accordingly.
Group Tour Information
Buses drop off visitors at the bus-unloading zone on Second Street, across from the Arsenal, just past the New Castle Presbyterian Church. Drop-off zone signs are posted.  Buses then park at the bus parking zone at Fourth and Chestnut Street for the duration of the visit and pick up guests at the same unloading zone at the end of the tour time.
Adult groups may make luncheon arrangements at Jessop's Tavern, Nora Lee's French Quarter Bistro or Traders Cove at Penns Place which may be available for hosting group luncheons.

Make Historic New Castle your first stop in Delaware!  Spend the day experiencing the town's history, and then consider extending your stay in Delaware to visit another exciting locale. For an overview of  all Delaware has to offer, view the Delaware Loves Buses video produced by the Delaware Tourism Office (below.)  As an added incentive, the Delaware Tourism office offers participation in their Motorcoach Rewards program, rewarding groups for visiting any attraction in Delaware. See their site for details!