Brandywine Springs Park — Attraction in Hockessin, Delaware

A little gem, literally in the middle of a busy, bustling area. It is the site of an early 1900's amusement park. None of the buildings or rides have survived, but foundations abound, and the curators of the park have marked off (often in the middle of fairly dense woods/underbrush) the locations of virtually everything. Each location has a sign on the trail with a photograph of that building/ride/attraction that once stood and a written narrative. By the time we left, it really felt like we were able to visualize what the amusement park looked like 100+ years ago. It was very, very cool, educational, historical. On top of that the park has abundant wildlife-- we saw several LARGE snakes sunning themselves near the creek (2 of which were on top of a beaver dam/lodge), many turtles (large and small), fish, geese, ground hogs, and loads of birds and squirrels. In a couple of spots the trails up and down from the creek/pond area are fairly steep, but they are groomed, packed trails so they are easy...

This well kept new castle county park is quite a gem. There used to be an amusement park and hotel on the grounds a hundred years ago and the hotel dates back much further. Friends of Brandywine Springs has posted signs and pictures throughout the park showing where every structure and ride used to be. This includes a pic of my great grandfather! (Very cool👍)

The park has open space for picnics, pavillions for group picnics, softball field and a large wooded area with stream and pond where the amusement park was. I prefer the wooded area for a picnic and let the children play in the stream.

Park is open...

Nice park with shade, fields, water, and play equipment. We always have a good time here. Most services are close to the parking lot making them very accessible. Some paths are paved, but parts near the river and pond are wide dirt trails and some routes require travel up or down slopes to reach water level. Facilities (pavilions, playground, grass, ball park, etc.) are usually well maintained. We often encounter dog walkers, families, and older couples. Walks near the river offer interesting signs about the history and former activities...