Dover Travel Guide
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45 miles S of Wilmington, 84 miles E of Baltimore, 43 miles N of Rehoboth
To racecar fans, Dover means NASCAR twice a year. To gamblers, it's a place to play the slots. To history buffs, this town is where the U.S. Constitution got its first "yea" vote.
Set in the middle of this tiny state, Delaware's capital has its share of museums and attractions. Problem is, too many people fail to slow down on their way to the beach! What a shame.
At least the wildlife is smart enough to stop. Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge offers migrating visitors 16,000 acres of marsh and wetlands.
Plotted in 1717, according to a charter by William Penn, Dover was originally designed as the Kent County seat. By 1777, however, this rich grain-farming community's importance had increased, and the state's legislature, seeking a safe inland location as an alternative to the old capital of New Castle, relocated to the more central Dover. In Dover, Delaware became "the First State" on December 7, 1787, when the state's delegates assembled at the Golden Fleece Tavern on the Green to ratify the Constitution of the United States, the first state to do so.
Today, Dover continues to be a hub of state government and business. Several museums showcase its history, including a sprawling agricultural museum, a museum of American art stocked with lavish works donated by Delaware's many rich families, and the Old State House. On the city's southern edge is Dover Air Force Base, the largest airport facility on the East Coast and home to a museum of its own, boasting several unique aircraft.
