The Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs will sponsor several programs during the month of July. Reservations are required for some of the programs.

Tuesday

Dover Fourth of July Celebration. Daylong series of activities in downtown Dover featuring tours, entertainment, food, and a parade, culminating with fireworks in the evening.

At 2 p.m., the bell of The Old State House will ring 13 times in honor of the original 13 states, followed immediately by historical interpreters, dressed in period clothing, reciting the Declaration of Independence outside near the spot where the document was first read to the citizens of Dover in 1776.

Museum also open for tours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ Old State House, 25 The Green, Dover. Free admission. Call 302-744-5054 or email OSHmuseum@delaware.gov.

Thursday

“Identifying Beach Treasures.” Presentation on how to identify items that might be found on Lewes Beach. Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. 2 p.m. Free admission but, due to space restrictions, reservations are required by Wednesday. Call 302-645-1148 or email Zmuseum@delaware.gov.

Saturday

Demonstrations by the Thistledown Fiber Arts Guild. Program explores spinning, weaving, knitting and other fabric arts. Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ John Dickinson Plantation, 340 Kitts Hummock Road, Dover. Event held in the mansion dining room. 1-3 p.m. Free admission. Call 302-739-3277 or email JDPmuseum@delaware.gov.

July 21

“Well Seasoned Heirlooms.” New Castle was the center of attention when Shirley Temple visited. “Shirley skipped out of the car, looked around at the picturesque courthouse square and then walked hurriedly into the tearoom,” reported The Journal Every Evening.

Shirley Temple may have a famous drink named after her today, but in 1938, when she visited the New Castle Courthouse Tea Room, it wasn’t on the menu.

Learn all about Ms. Temple and her famous visit to the New Castle Tea Room on the Delaware Program streamed live via Zoom at noon. Free but registration required. Call 302-323-4453 or email NCCHmuseum@delaware.gov.

July 29

“Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site: Touring the Homestead.” Join historical interpreters for this introductory program on the history of the Cooch’s Bridge homestead. Learn about some of the individuals who lived on the property, how they shaped the land around them and how the location’s landscape contributed to national history.

Delaware Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs’ Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site, 961 S. Old Baltimore Pike, Newark. Tours at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Limit 20 visitors per tour. Free admission but reservations required by by calling 302-922-7116 or emailing CBmuseum@delaware.gov.

“Lost Off Lewes: The British Warship DeBraak.” Special tour explores the history, artifacts and surviving hull section of this 18th-century shipwreck. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Highway, Lewes. 4 p.m. Limited seating. Admission $15 (cash or check only). For reservations, e-mail zmuseum@delaware.gov or call 302-645-1148.

Administered by the Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs, the six museums of the state of Delaware — the Cooch’s Bridge Historic Site, the John Dickinson Plantation, the Johnson Victrola Museum, the New Castle Court House Museum, The Old State House and the Zwaanendael Museum — tell the story of the First State’s contributions to the history and culture of the United States.

Through tours, exhibits and special programs, the museums shine a spotlight on Delaware’s unique history and the diverse people who came to live there.

The museums are accredited by the American Alliance of Museums. The New Castle Court House Museum and the John Dickinson Plantation are partner sites of the First State National Historical Park. The Old State House is located on the Dover Green, another partner site of the park.