By Ken Mammarella
Looking to add some pizzazz to your baby shower, birthday celebration, anniversary dinner, retirement party, wedding, club meeting or similar gathering? Look beyond your favorite restaurants, go-to bars and nightclubs, and nearby fire halls and country clubs.
Unconventional venues can deliver glimpses of history, encounters with animals alive and preserved, appreciation of art, and Instagram-ready backdrops — often with stunning views of the adjacent landscape.
Here are quick looks at a dozen nontraditional locations in the Wilmington area. Make sure to right-size your choice of a space: The maximum number on the guest list for any space varies by use, say dining and dancing at a wedding; dining and schmoozing at a retirement; food and fun at a children’s birthday party; sitting and listening at a meeting.
Avoid booking a spot that’s too big: the emptiness can be a downer.
Reach out to the venues for costs (even base rates can vary by day and use, and there often many add-ons to consider), plus rules on catering, alcohol, decorations, insurance, permits, parking and equipment rentals.
ARDEN GILD HALL
2126 The Highway, Arden; ArdenClub.org
Ceiling beams with 1100 white lights, a huge stone fireplace, wooden walls and an oak floor give a magical ambiance to Upper Gild Hall, the main space in Gild Hall, built as a barn dating back to the 1850s. The Upper Gild Hall holds up to 120 for a seated dinner and dancing, plus a raised stage for a band or presentations. The hall is best known for shows by traveling musicians, organized by the Arden Concert Gild; theatrical performances by Ardensingers; and a variety of participatory dances by the Folk Gild. Downstairs, the Lower Hall and the Bratten Room are best for events where being seated is the primary activity (up to 40-45 people), but with games for a birthday party, the capacity is half that.
“I don’t know of another venue with the location, size, history and ambiance of Gild Hall that allows the renter to select and hire its own caterer, buy and bring alcohol to serve to guests, provide its own decorations and entertainment, and not have to clean up when the event is over,” says Janet Cosgrove, a veteran of scheduling Gild Hall for the Arden Club. “You want a food truck? Sure! Your caterer wants to barbecue outside? Sure! You want a live band on stage? Sure! You want your two dogs by your side during the ceremony? Of course it’s OK!”
BLUE BALL BARN
1914 W. Park Drive, near Wilmington; DeStateParks.com
The dairy barn was built around 1914 by Alfred I. du Pont and named for a nearby tavern that raised a blue ball on a large pole to tell stagecoach drivers to pick up a passenger. The tavern building is long-gone, and the state-owned barn in Alapocas Run State Park was renovated in 2007 as a home for Delaware’s folk art collection and as an event space. Plus, there is an evergreen historical display and a rotating monthly local artist exhibition. The barn’s rough stone walls retain its historical charm, and the modernization made it Delaware’s first public building to be LEED-certified, for following stringent environmentally friendly practices. The Hay and Straw rooms on the second floor hold up to 125, and the Calving Room on the first floor hosts up to 40.
“People select the Blue Ball Barn because of its unique, local vibe.” says Michael Globetti, media relations manager for the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control, also praising its “artfully integrated historical and modern aesthetic.”
BRANDYWINE ZOO
1001 N. Park Drive, Wilmington; BrandywineZoo.org
The whole 4.7-acre zoo can be rented in the evening, allowing up to 400 guests to mingle with people and the animals, mostly smaller ones from the tropical and temperate areas of North and South America, Asia and Africa. Other rental options include tents (up to 25 people) and the Education Building (up to 50). Meet-and-greets with ambassador animals are possible.
“I believe people view the zoo as a unique location, something different,” says Kate McMonagle, marketing and special events manager for the zoo, situated along the Brandywine in Brandywine Park.
THE DAHLIA
1601 Jessup St., Wilmington; TheDahliaDe.com
The Dahlia opened in 2023, with white brick walls, black beams and large windows overlooking the Brandywine, northeast of downtown Wilmington, making for “art deco industrial charm.” It seats up to 250.
DELAWARE CENTER FOR HORTICULTURE
1810 N. du Pont St., Wilmington; TheDCH.org
The Trolley Square nonprofit offers multiple rental spaces, with the Founders’ Room (exposed beams, wooden floors, oversized windows framing the mature landscape nearby and a green roof overlooking the demonstration garden) as the main draw. Also available: the demonstration garden itself (with a pavilion) and the courtyard. The spaces are promoted to max out at 125 (less with room for dancing).
Those renting the space often “find it important that their venue is also supporting a mission they align with and making an impact for an organization and its programs,” says Communications Manager Caitlyn Ridgley. “The garden is a natural and beautiful backdrop for an event, limiting the need for decorations.”
THE DELAWARE CONTEMPORARY
200 S. Madison St., Wilmington; DeContemporary.org
Seven galleries showcasing lots of artistic variety are open for all rentals in the building, a former railroad car warehouse on the Wilmington Riverfront. Spaces also include the Atrium Lobby (“an intimate dinner event for 50 or gala affair for 250 guests”) and the Black Box Auditorium (up to 150) to watch the big event.
DELAWARE MUSEUM OF NATURE & SCIENCE
4840 Kennett Pike, Greenville; DelMNS.org
“People pick the museum for celebrations because of its uniqueness, flexibility and beautiful spaces,” says Communications Manager Johnny Garcia. “The line on our rentals page says it best, Where else can you dine amongst dinosaurs, dance across Delaware and have live animals entertain your guests?”
The three main galleries (one has a floor map of Delaware for dancers’ fancy footwork) fit 200 for a plated meal, 400 for cocktails. Add-ons include live animal ambassadors, experiences with free-flight birds, use of the outdoor patio and backyard space for a tent. Private rooms (promoted for birthday parties) hold up to 30 people on Saturdays and Sundays.
DELAWARE NATURE SOCIETY
Ashland Nature Center, 3511 Barley Mill Road, Hockessin; DelawareNatureSociety.org
The Delaware Nature Society lists three indoor places available at its Ashland Nature Center. The most striking is the Ashland Overnight Lodge, sporting a “panoramic view of the Red Clay Valley,” accommodating 42 in bunk beds, and with a Great Room that has seating for 80. The Auditorium (wooden floor and beams, pale walls) is a larger space, and the Visitor Center’s Conference Room is smaller. Both sport those same idyllic views. DNS’ DuPont Environmental Education Center (1400 Delmarva Lane, Wilmington) and the its Coverdale Farm Preserve, (543 Way Road, near Greenville) also host indoor/outdoor birthdays with environmental, agricultural and culinary themes for up to 20 children (less for some programs). The DEEC center is on the edge of the Russell W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge, and it also features a 10-acre ornamental garden, a quarter-mile handicap-accessible pond loop and one end of seven-mile Jack Markell Trail to New Castle.
“Our spaces are unique and nature-focused,” says Marketing Manager Stephanie Sturmfels. “When guests rent our facilities, they are supporting our mission. People are surrounded by beauty which also provides for an engaging environment.”
GREENBANK MILLS & PHILLIPS FARM
500 Greenbank Road, Wilm.; GreenbankMill.com
The rustic grain mill is “a DIY venue for up to 80,” and nearby are a wooded grove, catch-and-release fishing, trails to explore, sheep to watch and maybe touch. The mill dates to 1677 and was an early adopter of neighbor Oliver Evans’ innovative milling system, which in 1790 received America’s third patent.
KALMAR NYCKEL FOUNDATION
1124 E. Seventh St., Wilmington; KalmarNyckel.org
Starting in 1637, the original Kalmar Nyckel crossed the Atlantic eight times, the most of any ship of its time. The replica tall ship, launched in 1997, can be rented for dockside parties and for private sails. The cruises, out of Seventh Street or Old New Castle, host up to 49, while the parties can accommodate 90. The Copeland Maritime Center on Seventh Street can host receptions for up to 175 and table seating for up to 115. The center features a three-quarter scale model of the ship’s main deck, an exhibit on the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley and the Forney collection of 73 model ships.
Outside the center is a new adventure course that can be used for team-building. Many groups rent both the ship and the center, says Jan Ross, director of marketing and public relations. She calls the ship “a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable venue” and praises the center for showcasing “the rich history of Wilmington’s founding by the Swedes and its industrial boat-building and train-car construction history.”
RAMSEY’S FARM
440 Ramsey Road, North Wilmington; RamseysFarm.com
Since 1860, the Ramseys have been farming along Ramsey Road, and the operation’s top product today is helping urban and suburban folks experience farming life. It’s a rustic experience, which means using washing stations, port-a-potties and maybe a generator. The farm is best for weddings and other events spring, summer and fall. Fall birthday parties include pumpkin painting, a private hayride, farm tour and corn maze. Fall bonfires include a flashlight corn maze, extended hayride and slide playground. Yoga with goats is also offered. Unlike indoor venues that have maximum capacity, these events start with minimum bases: 10 kids for the birthday parties and 20 guests for the bonfires and yoga.
The draws include more space, more flexibility about who can provide food and more activities, says Stewart Ramsey. “For some events we can be much cheaper per head if the guest list is large — 200 plus,” he says.
SIW VEGETABLES
4311 S. Creek Road, Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania; SIWvegetables.com
The rustic, centuries-old Hill Girt Farm Barn holds 40 to 140 (up to 250, with tents) for events amid a 700-acre farm that grows flowers, fruits and vegetables. SIW is known for its farm stand, selling products from the farm itself and other locally grown and sourced items; its farm-to-fork dinners; and being featured in The Village, M. Night Shyamalan’s 2004 movie.
Above: A couple enjoys the unique setting of the Delaware Museum of Nature & Science. Photo by Joe Mac.
A Delaware native, Ken Mammarella was 18 when he was first paid as a freelance writer, and since then he’s written extensively about the interesting people, places and issues of Delaware and nearby areas. He also teaches at Wilmington University. For fun, he enjoys watching theater and creating it, playing board games and solving crosswords in ink.