While we were in Delaware, we spent a day exploring Wilmington.
There were a couple of places on Atlas Obscura for the state that we hadn't made it to yet, so we decided to cross a few more off the list.
The first place we visited was a rare gem. Gibraltar Gardens is described as beautiful and well-kept, but it was downright magical! I thought we'd just go in and take a quick look, but we were there for a while because there was so much to see.
It's hidden behind a stone wall, so it's very reminiscent of The Secret Garden, and the decrepit mansion that overlooks it could easily be a stand-in for Misselthwaite.
I love watching YouTube channels about urban exploration, and I love the gothic beauty of abandoned buildings so I had to get as close as possible. (There is a small chain across the top of the staircase, that I ducked underneath. I just wanted to get some better photos up close.)
The gardens came to life before our very eyes. As we admired the small pond with all the lilypads, we spotted a frog. Before we knew it, there were several frogs, of different sizes, croaking and jumping around and splashing in the water. We also spotted some koi fish of different sizes.
I couldn't stop taking pictures because everywhere I looked was a cheeky frog, or a regal-looking statue, or a Victorian fountain, or a burst of color from the flowers growing in there.
We also made a quick stop at the sculpture garden at the art museum to see The Crying Giant. It is a memorial to the people who were killed in the 9/11 attacks. This sculpture is actually one of three that the artist made; the others are in the Netherlands and the state of Missouri.
The original plan was for the statue to be a kind of fountain that cries an endless stream of tears into a pool, but that part never came to fruition, so it's just a sculpture.
