What to See in Newark - Top Sights and Attractions

Arena in Newark, Delaware. Bob Carpenter Center is a 5,100-seat multi-purpose arena, in Newark, Delaware, named in honor of benefactor and trustee, R. R. M. Carpenter Jr. Students at the University of Delaware have nicknamed it "The Bob."

The arena opened in 1992 and was designed by HOK Sport (now known as Populous), who have been involved in more than 150 sports and recreation projects. The construction of the building cost $20.5 million. In late 2010, the University constructed an addition, which includes two full-size basketball courts, new offices and locker rooms for the basketball and volleyball programs, and a new entrance plaza.

The arena section of the building is named in honor of Frank E. Acierno, a local businessman and developer, who donated $1 million to the Bob Carpenter Center, the largest gift from a single donor.

It is home to the University of Delaware Blue Hens men’s and women’s basketball teams (men and women), and from 2013 to 2018, the Delaware 87ers (now the Delaware Blue Coats) of the NBA G League. It has also hosted a preseason game between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics. Since 2014, it has hosted one annual WNBA preseason game, except in 2017. Each of the WNBA games has featured UD product Elena Delle Donne, who was with the Chicago Sky from 2013 to 2016 and has been with the Washington Mystics since 2017.

It hosted a campaign rally for Vice President Al Gore in 1996 and all or part of America East Conference men's basketball tournaments from 1997 to 2001.

It also hosts other events, such as the WWE, music and comedy concerts, and craft fairs.^[1]

Museum in New Castle County, Delaware. The Hale-Byrnes House is a historic home located at 606 Stanton-Christiana Road, Stanton, New Castle County, Delaware. It was built in 1750, and is a two-story, five bay brick dwelling. The house was built by Samuel Hale, who sold it to Daniel Byrnes in 1754. The house gained historic stature after the Battle of Cooch's Bridge, the only Revolutionary War battle in Delaware. After the skirmish General George Washington held a council at the house on September 6, 1777.

The site is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The house is open to the public on the first Wednesday of each month from 12 to 3 PM, and at other times by appointment. The house is also available for rental.^[3]

Reservoir in Delaware. The Newark Reservoir is a reservoir in Newark, Delaware, located just north of downtown. Completed in 2006, it holds 317 million U.S. gallons of water pumped from White Clay Creek, which can supply the city for up to 100 days. The site is a popular recreational area with 1.8 miles of paved walking trails, including a 1.1-mile trail around the reservoir perimeter. At the north end there is also access to the adjacent William M. Redd, Jr. Park.

The reservoir was constructed between 2002 and 2005 after a major drought in 1999 made the need for a reserve water supply clear. The city chose a site on the Koelig farm property off Paper Mill Road, and ground was broken there on May 14, 2002. The completed reservoir was ready to be filled by November 2005, and the new facility was formally dedicated on May 24, 2006. The project cost $20 million in total. It was the first new reservoir to be constructed in Delaware since the Hoopes Reservoir in Wilmington, which was completed in 1932.

Aquatic activities are prohibited except during special events, like an annual triathlon that gives competitors the chance to swim in the reservoir. The swimming portion of the 2017 triathlon was canceled due to a cyanobacterial bloom.^[4]

Building in Newark, Delaware. Memorial Hall, originally known as Memorial Library, is a historic building on the University of Delaware campus in Newark, Delaware. Formerly housing the university's library, it also serves as a memorial to the Delawareans who died in World War I. The building was designed by the Philadelphia firm of Day & Klauder as part of their overall master plan for the university's central campus, which featured a consistent Georgian Revival architectural style. The library was built in 1923–25 under the supervision of university president Walter Hullihen, though it had to be scaled back from the original design for cost-saving reasons. It was remodeled and expanded in 1940 after a flood damaged part of the library collection. Library operations moved to the new Morris Library in 1963, and Memorial Hall now houses the UD Department of English.

Situated at a prominent location at the center of the Green, the university's main common area, Memorial Hall is a 1+1⁄2-story, H-shaped building with a hipped-roofed central hall and gable-roofed wings. The architecture is Georgian, with brick walls, white wooden trim, and double-hung sash windows. The building's main entrances are on the north and south sides, each of which features a portico with Ionic columns. The central hall houses the war memorial display.^[5]

Church in Newark, Delaware. Old First Presbyterian Church is a historic Presbyterian church located at Newark in New Castle County, Delaware. It was begun in 1868, dedicated in 1872, and is one story rectangular stone structure with a two bay facade and a tower. The tower features a steep gable roof with flared eaves and a louvered belfry. Architects Dixon and Davis of Baltimore designed this stone building in the Gothic Revival style. The Wilmington Daily Commercial publicized its construction, describing blue granite and brownstone mined from Chestnut Hill, a steeple soaring 100 feet high and twenty-foot interior ceilings. A large, pointed-arch, stained-glass window dominates the north wall facing Main Street. Narrow, pointed-arch windows with pastel, diamond-shaped panes line the east and west walls between exterior stone buttresses. The slate roof has alternating rows of square and scalloped shingles. In 1967, the building was sold by the First Presbyterian Church to the University of Delaware. The University of Delaware renamed it after J. Fenton Daugherty, professor of physics from 1929 to 1945 and dean of men from 1945 to 1951. Several generations of students knew it as "The Abbey," a cafeteria-style dining facility. In 1995, as part of the new student center project, the University restored the sanctuary and reopened it as a "quiet" study lounge adjoining Trabant University Center.

Daugherty Hall has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1982. It has been incorporated into the University's Trabant University Center.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.^[6]

Church in Newark. St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church is a historic Roman Catholic church at 200 E. Main Street in Newark, New Castle County, Delaware. The first congregants of the church were Irish immigrants. The church was dedicated on June 24, 1883, replacing the previous structure built in the late 18th century, after the floor collapsed on Christmas Eve of 1880. The church building is a one-story rectangular brick building with a central tower and three bays on the south front facade.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

It is maintained and directed by the parish of St. John the Baptist-Holy Angels which houses another worship site at 82 Possum Park Road in Newark.^[7]

Hall of fame. The Mascot Hall of Fame, formally "The Mascot Hall of Fame Interactive Children's Museum", is a hall of fame for North American sports mascots. It was founded by David Raymond, who was the original Phillie Phanatic from 1978 to 1993. It was founded as an online-only hall, with an induction ceremony taking place each year in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, in September 2014, Raymond's mascot company signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Whiting, Indiana, to develop a permanent Mascot Hall of Fame on the south shore of Lake Michigan. The museum opened December 26, 2018.

Each year (beginning in 2005), mascots are elected into the Mascot Hall of Fame by the voting membership and an executive committee made up of performers, sports executives, and other individuals intimate with the mascot community. The mascots go through a nomination process that ends with the Executive Committee selecting six finalist in each category to be placed on the ballot for consideration. There is a public online vote that contributes a percentage of the final tally. In 2006, the Hall added a separate class to honor college mascots.

The mission of the Mascot Hall of Fame is to honor mascot performers, performances, and programs that have positively affected their communities. The Mascot Hall of Fame has also partnered with the Boys and Girls Clubs and holds an online auction contributing to that cause. The main bulk of the items up for auction are pieces of signed sports memorabilia donated by professional sports teams around the nation.

To be eligible for the Mascot Hall of Fame, a mascot must have existed for a minimum of 10 years. They must also impact both their sport and community, inspire their fans, and consistently give memorable and groundbreaking performances.^[8]

Museum in New Castle County, Delaware. Iron Hill School No. 112C, also known as the Iron Hill Museum, is a historic one-room school building located near Newark in New Castle County, Delaware. It was designed by architect James Oscar Betelle and built in 1923, and is 1+1⁄2-story, rectangular frame, wood-shingled building on a concrete foundation with a medium-pitched gable roof. The building measures 24 feet by 48 feet, and features a pedimented portico centered on the gable end in the Colonial Revival style. The school was funded by Pierre S. du Pont as part of a reform and rebuilding of African-American schools in Delaware, between 1919 and 1928. The school was used until school segregation was abolished, which occurred at Iron Hill in 1965.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

The Iron Hill Museum's exhibits include area iron ore mining, Lenni Lenape history and culture, rocks and minerals from around Delaware and around the world, mounted area wildlife, and a display of fossils found in the state.^[13]

Church in Newark, Delaware. St. Thomas Episcopal Church is a historic Episcopal church located at 21 South Main Street in Newark, New Castle County, Delaware. It was built in 1843–45 and designed by noted architect Richard Upjohn. It is a one-story, three bay wide brick structure built of brick with stucco facing and a gable roof. It features a 35-foot entrance tower, added in 1866, and is in the Gothic Revival style. In 1956 the building was deconsecrated when the parish moved to a larger church. It has since been bought, restored, and renovated by the University of Delaware, installing a 1,234 pipe organ in the process. The building is now used as a music recital and event hall by the university.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.^[15]