Your Delaware Food First Card opens the door to some of the most historic and beautiful sites in the mid-Atlantic. In 2026, Delaware Food Supplement Program recipients can visit Hagley Museum and Library, Winterthur Museum Garden and Library, Nemours Estate, the Brandywine Zoo, Delaware Art Museum, Delaware History Museum, Mt. Cuba Center, Read House and Gardens, and eight additional Delaware cultural venues for just $2 per person through the ACCESS Delaware program.
Your Food First Card also qualifies you for half-price Amazon Prime, Lifeline phone discounts, SUN Bucks for children, and energy bill assistance.
Delaware may be the country’s second-smallest state, but the density and quality of EBT-accessible cultural experiences here — anchored by du Pont-era estates, world-class botanical gardens, and a living history gunpowder mill along the Brandywine — is remarkable for its size.
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This is the complete guide to every EBT discount available to Delaware residents in 2026, organized by program and venue.
A Note on the Delaware Food First Card
Delaware’s EBT card is officially called the Delaware Food First Card. If you receive SNAP benefits through Delaware’s Food Supplement Program, your benefits are loaded onto your Food First Card each month. Delaware sends out benefits from the 2nd to the 23rd of each month, based on the first letter of your last name. When museums, gardens, and historic sites ask to see your “EBT card” or “SNAP card,” your Delaware Food First Card is what you present.
At most Delaware venues, you show your Food First Card and a valid photo ID at the ticket window or admissions desk to access the discounted rate. The card is used only to verify SNAP enrollment — you pay any admission price separately with cash, debit, or credit card. Your Food First Card balance cannot be used to pay for admission.
Important: The ACCESS Delaware discount is restricted to Delaware EBT cardholders only. Out-of-state EBT cards do not qualify for the $2 ACCESS Delaware rate at most venues. Two notable exceptions — Hagley Museum and the Delaware Museum of Nature and Science — are explained in detail below.
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Delaware EBT card support: 1-800-526-9099 (24/7) Delaware SNAP hotline: 1-800-372-2022
Amazon Prime — Half Price for Delaware Food First Cardholders
Delaware Food Supplement Program recipients qualify for Amazon Prime at $6.99 per month — less than half the standard $14.99 monthly rate. The membership includes free two-day shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music, Prime Reading, and the ability to shop SNAP-eligible groceries through Amazon Fresh and Whole Foods pickup and delivery in qualifying Delaware ZIP codes.
Sign up for discounted Amazon Prime here — verify your SNAP enrollment by uploading a photo of your Delaware Food First Card or a recent benefit letter. A credit or debit card is required as a backup payment method. The $6.99 fee cannot be charged to your Food First Card balance. A free 30-day trial is available if you have never had Amazon Prime before.
ACCESS Delaware — $2 Admission at Delaware’s Finest Cultural Sites
ACCESS Delaware is a statewide cultural access program operated by Art-Reach, a Philadelphia-based nonprofit, in partnership with the Delaware Division of the Arts. It is the most distinctive and highest-value EBT discount available to Delaware residents.
What it costs: Just $2 per person, for the Food First Cardholder and up to three additional people — four total. That means a family of four visits Winterthur, Hagley, or Nemours Estate for a total of $8.
Who qualifies: Delaware residents who receive any state-issued EBT card — including SNAP (Food Supplement), cash assistance (TANF), or Medicaid — qualify automatically. No advance registration, no application, and no separate ACCESS card is needed. Simply bring your Delaware Food First Card and a valid photo ID to the admissions desk. The person whose name is printed on the card must be present. Out-of-state EBT cards are not accepted for the ACCESS Delaware rate.
What if I have a disability but don’t receive EBT benefits? Anyone who identifies as having a disability — including people who live out of state — can purchase a separate Art-Reach ACCESS Card to receive the same $2 admission at all participating sites. The Art-Reach ACCESS Card is available as a physical card or a digital card stored in Apple Wallet or Google Pay. Visit art-reach.org/access for details.
How to use it at theaters: For the Delaware Theatre Company, contact the box office in advance to reserve your $2 ACCESS Delaware tickets — tickets for live performances are limited and should be booked ahead. For all museums, gardens, and historic sites, simply show your card at the admissions desk on the day of your visit — no advance reservation is required.
ACCESS Delaware Venues — Full List
Brandywine Zoo (Wilmington) — $2 per person for up to four people with a Delaware EBT card. The Brandywine Zoo sits on 4.7 acres along the Brandywine River in Brandywine Park in Wilmington, featuring animals from the Americas, temperate and tropical Asia, Africa, Australia, and the Pacific Islands. A compact but fully accredited wildlife experience in the heart of Wilmington’s park system.
Delaware Art Museum (Wilmington) — $2 per person for up to four people with a Delaware EBT card. A world-class art museum in Wilmington best known for its outstanding collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings — the largest such collection outside the United Kingdom — along with American illustration art, the Howard Pyle collection, and works by Andrew Wyeth, Winslow Homer, and other American masters. Located at 2301 Kentmere Parkway.
Delaware Contemporary (Wilmington) — $2 per person for up to four people with a Delaware EBT card. Delaware’s only museum dedicated to contemporary art, featuring rotating exhibitions of emerging and established artists working in all media. Located in the DuPont Building in downtown Wilmington.
Delaware History Museum and Jane and Littleton Mitchell Center for African American Heritage (Wilmington) — $2 per person for up to four people with a Delaware EBT card. Two institutions under the same roof in downtown Wilmington: the Delaware History Museum chronicles the full arc of Delaware’s history as the first state, and the Mitchell Center offers one of the most comprehensive explorations of the African American experience in Delaware — from 1639 to the present — through artifacts, oral history interviews, music, and art. Located at 504 North Market Street.
Hagley Museum and Library (Wilmington) — $2 per person for up to four people. Hagley is one of the very few ACCESS Delaware venues that also accepts EBT cards from any state — visitors from outside Delaware with any state’s SNAP/EBT card receive the same $2 admission for up to four people. This is an exceptional policy that makes Hagley one of the most accessible major historic sites in the mid-Atlantic. Present your EBT card and photo ID at the admissions desk. The discount is valid for general admission and Summer Nights at Hagley. It is not valid for special events, special exhibitions, or group rates.
Hagley Museum and Library occupies 235 acres along the banks of the Brandywine in Wilmington on the site of the original E. I. du Pont gunpowder works, founded in 1802. The site includes the restored gunpowder mills, a workers’ community, a machine shop, the ancestral home of the du Pont family, and beautifully landscaped gardens. Hagley is the first and only Smithsonian Affiliate in Delaware. A Delaware Library cardholders’ free museum pass is also available for Hagley through the Museum Pass Program — ask your local Delaware library about reserving a pass through MuseumKey.
Historic Odessa (Odessa) — Discounted Museums for All admission with any EBT card ($5 or less per person). A beautifully preserved colonial-era town in the heart of Delaware with original household furnishings, extraordinary art collections, and period rooms spanning two centuries. Note: Historic Odessa is a Museums for All participant (not an ACCESS Delaware participant) — any state’s EBT card qualifies here.
Marshall Steam Museum at Auburn Heights (Yorklyn) — $2 per person for up to four people with a Delaware EBT card. One of the most unusual and beloved small museums in Delaware. The former estate of the Marshall family in Yorklyn features the extraordinary Porter Marshall Jr. collection of steam-powered automobiles — rare, fully operational antique steam cars that actually run under their own power at special demonstration events. The surrounding property includes gardens and a historic Delaware farmstead. Open by appointment and on event days — verify current schedule before visiting at auburnheights.org.
Mt. Cuba Center (Hockessin) — $2 per person for up to four people with a Delaware EBT card. One of the finest native plant gardens in the eastern United States. Tucked into the Piedmont hills of northern Delaware near Hockessin, Mt. Cuba Center’s 630-acre estate was the former home of Pamela and Lammot du Pont Copeland. The 50-acre display garden focuses exclusively on native wildflowers and plants of the eastern deciduous forest — Trillium, Virginia bluebells, lady slipper orchids, bloodroot, and native azaleas bloom in sequence from early spring through fall. The adjacent meadows, woodland trails, and organic farm offer a full day of quiet exploration. One of Delaware’s most underrated natural destinations.
Nemours Estate (Wilmington) — $2 per person for up to four people with a Delaware EBT card. A National Historic Landmark and one of the finest examples of Louis XVI-style French architecture in North America, built in 1909 by Alfred I. du Pont on a 200-acre estate just north of Wilmington. The 77-room mansion is filled with European decorative arts, tapestries, and furnishings. The formal gardens — modeled after those at Versailles — feature reflecting pools, marble colonnades, fountains, and a quarter-mile-long vista. One of the most opulent historic house and garden experiences accessible for just $2 in the entire country. Located adjacent to Nemours Children’s Hospital — patients and staff receive free admission.
Read House and Gardens (New Castle) — $2 per person for up to four people with a Delaware EBT card. Located in historic Old New Castle, this is the largest surviving Federal-period house in Delaware — a 14,000-square-foot mansion built for George Read II and his family in the early 19th century. Rooms are furnished with period antiques and decorative arts. The rooftop terrace offers panoramic views stretching from the Delaware Memorial Bridge to Salem County, New Jersey — the same view the Read family would have had over the Delaware River 200 years ago. One of Delaware’s most distinctive historic homes.
Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library (Winterthur) — $2 per person for up to four people with a Delaware EBT card. Winterthur is the former estate of Henry Francis du Pont and one of the most extraordinary historic house museums and gardens in the United States. The 175-room mansion houses the world’s premier collection of American decorative arts — more than 90,000 objects made or used in America from 1640 to 1860, arranged in period room settings exactly as they would have appeared in a great American home.
Outside, 60 acres of carefully designed naturalistic gardens by du Pont unfold across the rolling Brandywine Valley landscape, surrounded by more than 1,000 acres of meadows and woodland with 25 miles of walking trails. The Enchanted Woods children’s garden is one of the most imaginative garden playspaces for families in the mid-Atlantic. At $2 per person, Winterthur offers one of the deepest discounts relative to standard admission ($22 per adult) of any site in the ACCESS Delaware network.
Delaware Theatre Company (Wilmington) — $2 per ticket for mainstage performances with a Delaware EBT card, for up to four tickets per performance. Call the box office in advance at 302-594-1100 to reserve your ACCESS Delaware tickets. Walk-up availability at the door is not guaranteed. The Delaware Theatre Company is the only professional theater in Delaware developing original productions for Broadway, operating since 1979 in its intimate theater in Wilmington’s Market Street corridor.
Biggs Museum of American Art (Dover) — $2 per person for up to four people with a Delaware EBT card. Located in Dover, Delaware’s capital, the Biggs houses one of the finest collections of American fine and decorative arts in the mid-Atlantic — more than 4,000 objects covering three centuries of American artistic achievement. Established in 1993, the Biggs offers intimate gallery experiences with work by leading American masters in a setting far less crowded than comparable institutions in Philadelphia or Washington. One of Delaware’s best-kept cultural secrets.
Delaware Museum of Nature and Science — Museums for All ($5)
Delaware Museum of Nature and Science (Wilmington) — $5 per person for up to four people with any EBT card from any state, through the Museums for All program. Any state’s EBT card is accepted — you do not need to be a Delaware resident. The cardholder must be present. Note: As of January 1, 2026, DelMNS updated its EBT admission policy. The museum previously participated in both the Museums for All and ACCESS Delaware programs at a combined $4 rate. The current rate is $5 per person through Museums for All alone. Any state EBT card qualifies. Located at 200 West Delaware Avenue in Wilmington near the Riverfront.
Always-Free and Frequently Free Delaware Sites
Several Delaware cultural sites are always free to everyone — no EBT card required.
New Castle Courthouse Museum (New Castle) — Always free. Open to the public year-round. Delaware’s first courthouse and the original state capital of the United States, built in 1732 and restored by the state. The museum explores Delaware’s colonial legal history and its pivotal role as the first state to ratify the U.S. Constitution.
University of Delaware Art Galleries, Collections, and Geological Exhibits (Newark) — Always free for everyone, year-round. UD’s campus in Newark hosts a range of free galleries and museums, including the Paul R. Jones Collection of African American Art, the Old College Gallery, and the mineral and geological collections at Penny Hall. No EBT card is needed — admission is free every day.
Brandywine River Museum of Art (Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania) — Just across the Delaware border in Pennsylvania, the Brandywine River Museum of Art offers free admission on the first Sunday of every month from February through November. EBT cardholders also receive discounted admission year-round through their SNAP discount. The museum is a short drive from most of northern Delaware and holds the definitive collection of Wyeth family art — N. C. Wyeth, Andrew Wyeth, and Jamie Wyeth.
Rockwood Park and Museum (Wilmington) — Free admission on the first Sunday of every month, open to all. An English-style museum and estate in Wilmington with a Gothic Revival mansion and sweeping grounds managed by New Castle County.
Kalmar Nyckel Museum (Wilmington) — Free admission on Opening Day and Old New Castle Day, which typically fall in May. The Kalmar Nyckel is a full-scale sailing replica of the 17th-century ship that brought Swedish and Finnish settlers to Delaware in 1638 — the first permanent European settlement in the Delaware Valley. Docked at the Copeland Maritime Center on the Wilmington Riverfront.
Delaware Library Museum Passes — Free Admission to Hagley and More
Delaware public library cardholders (age 18 and older) can reserve free admission passes to Hagley Museum and Library and other Delaware cultural institutions through the Museum Pass Program. Passes are digital and available through MuseumKey — find the MuseumKey link on your local public library’s website under the Services tab. Reservations are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Library museum passes can be used in addition to or instead of the ACCESS Delaware EBT discount — whichever gets you in for less.
Delaware and Pennsylvania — ACCESS Works Across Both States
Because Delaware is a small state bordered on two sides by Pennsylvania, it is worth knowing that the Art-Reach ACCESS program operates across both Delaware and Pennsylvania. If you live in northern Delaware near Wilmington, you are also eligible for the $2 ACCESS rate at dozens of Pennsylvania cultural sites — including the Philadelphia Zoo, the Please Touch Museum, the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and more than 40 additional Philadelphia-area venues — using the same Delaware Food First Card.
Visit art-reach.org/access/participating-organizations for the full list of Pennsylvania and Delaware sites where your Delaware EBT card qualifies for the $2 ACCESS rate.
Phone Service — Lifeline
Delaware Food First Cardholders automatically qualify for the federal Lifeline program, which provides up to $9.25 per month off a monthly phone or internet bill. Many participating Lifeline providers in Delaware offer unlimited talk and text plans for free or at very low cost for qualifying households, with some carriers including a free smartphone for new enrollees. Visit lifelinesupport.org to find participating Delaware providers and apply.
Internet Service — Discounted Broadband Plans
SNAP enrollment qualifies Delaware households for discounted home internet through several national providers. Comcast Xfinity Internet Essentials, Verizon, and other carriers offer reduced-cost plans to qualifying low-income customers in Delaware. Contact your current or prospective internet provider and ask about income-based or SNAP-qualifying plans — your Delaware Food First Card is typically the primary qualifying credential.
Summer EBT — Delaware SUN Bucks for Children
Delaware participates in the SUN Bucks program, which provides $120 per eligible child per summer for grocery purchases when school meals are unavailable. Delaware SNAP households with school-age children who receive free or reduced-price school meals are automatically enrolled — SUN Bucks benefits load onto your existing Delaware Food First Card. Families receiving SUN Bucks for the first time will receive a new SUN Bucks card by mail. SUN Bucks expire 122 days after they are issued — use them before they expire. Keep the card for future summers. For questions, call DHSS at 1-800-372-2022 or email [email protected]. To update your mailing address, call 1-866-843-7212.
Free School Meals for Children
Delaware SNAP households automatically qualify their school-age children for free school meals through the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program. Delaware uses direct certification — you typically do not need to file a separate free and reduced meals application if your household already receives Food Supplement benefits.
Energy Bill Assistance — LIHEAP
Delaware Food First Cardholders automatically qualify for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps pay heating and cooling costs. In Delaware, LIHEAP is administered through the Department of Health and Social Services and local community action agencies including the Community Action Program of Delaware. Funding is seasonal and limited — apply early in the heating or cooling season. Dial 211 or visit delaware211.org to find LIHEAP resources near you.
Walmart+ and Instacart+ — Discounted Delivery Memberships
Walmart+ is available to SNAP recipients for approximately 50% off the standard $12.95 monthly price — around $6.47 per month. Includes free grocery delivery on orders of $35 or more, free shipping on Walmart.com, and Paramount+ streaming. Walmart accepts Delaware Food First Card for online grocery pickup and delivery at participating Delaware locations.
Instacart+ is available to EBT cardholders who have placed at least one SNAP order on Instacart within the past six months for $4.99 per month for the first year. Instacart accepts Delaware Food First Card for grocery orders at participating retailers including ACME, Giant, ShopRite, Wegmans, Costco, and others serving the Delaware market.
YMCA — Reduced Membership Rates
Many YMCA locations in Delaware and the greater Wilmington area offer reduced or sliding-scale membership rates for SNAP recipients and low-income households. Contact your nearest YMCA to ask about income-based membership pricing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What discounts can I get with a Delaware Food First Card?
Delaware SNAP cardholders can visit 12+ cultural venues — including Hagley Museum, Winterthur, Nemours Estate, Delaware Art Museum, Brandywine Zoo, Mt. Cuba Center, and others — for just $2 per person through the ACCESS Delaware program. The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science offers $5 per person through Museums for All (any state EBT accepted). Delaware library cardholders can also reserve free museum passes to Hagley and other venues through MuseumKey. Your Food First Card also qualifies you for half-price Amazon Prime ($6.99/month), Lifeline phone discounts, SUN Bucks ($120 per eligible child), free school meals, and LIHEAP energy assistance.
What is ACCESS Delaware and how do I use it?
ACCESS Delaware is a statewide cultural access program operated by Art-Reach, providing $2 admission per person (up to 4 people) at participating Delaware museums, gardens, historic sites, and theaters. To use it, bring your Delaware Food First Card and a valid photo ID to the admissions desk. No advance registration or separate ACCESS card is needed — your Delaware EBT card qualifies you automatically. The person whose name appears on the card must be present. For theater tickets at Delaware Theatre Company, call the box office in advance at 302-594-1100.
Does ACCESS Delaware work with out-of-state EBT cards?
No — with one key exception. ACCESS Delaware is restricted to Delaware EBT cardholders only at most venues. Hagley Museum and Library is the exception: Hagley accepts EBT cards from any state for $2 admission per person for up to four people. All other ACCESS Delaware venues require a Delaware-issued Food First Card. The Delaware Museum of Nature and Science uses the Museums for All program instead, which accepts any state’s EBT card.
Can I use my Delaware Food First Card at museums in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Because Art-Reach operates the ACCESS program in both Delaware and Pennsylvania, your Delaware Food First Card qualifies you for $2 admission at ACCESS Pennsylvania sites as well — including dozens of Philadelphia-area museums, theaters, and cultural venues. Visit art-reach.org/access/participating-organizations for the full list.
Is Winterthur really only $2 with a Delaware EBT card?
Yes. Winterthur Museum, Garden and Library offers $2 per person for up to four people through the ACCESS Delaware program. Standard adult admission at Winterthur is $22 — the ACCESS Delaware discount represents a 91% reduction. Bring your Delaware Food First Card and a valid photo ID to the admissions desk. No advance reservation is required.
How do SUN Bucks work in Delaware?
Delaware SUN Bucks provide $120 per eligible child per summer for grocery purchases. Most Delaware SNAP households with qualifying school-age children are enrolled automatically — benefits load onto your existing Food First Card. New recipients receive a separate SUN Bucks card by mail. SUN Bucks expire 122 days after they are issued — use them before they expire. Keep the card for future summers. Contact DHSS at 1-800-372-2022 for questions.
How do I get Amazon Prime at half price with my Delaware Food First Card?
Sign up at Amazon’s SNAP discount page and upload a photo of your Delaware Food First Card or a recent benefit letter to verify SNAP enrollment. The discounted rate is $6.99 per month. A credit or debit card is required as a backup payment method. A free 30-day trial is available for first-time Prime members. The $6.99 monthly fee cannot be charged to your Food First Card balance.
When does Delaware deposit SNAP benefits onto the Food First Card?
Delaware sends benefits from the 2nd to the 23rd of each month, based on the first letter of your last name. Benefits are accessible starting early on your assigned deposit day. Check your current balance by calling EBT customer service at 1-800-526-9099 (24/7) or through the ConnectEBT mobile app. If you believe your benefits were not deposited on the correct date, call the Delaware SNAP hotline at 1-800-372-2022.
Bottom Line
Delaware’s ACCESS Delaware program is one of the most concentrated EBT discount programs in the country given the state’s small size. A family of four can visit Winterthur — one of America’s great house museums and gardens — for just $8 total. The same $8 gets that family into Nemours Estate, Hagley, or Mt. Cuba Center. The depth of the access these $2 admissions provide, relative to standard rates, is unmatched by almost any comparable program in the United States.
Half-price Amazon Prime is available immediately to any Delaware Food First Cardholder. Sign up here to start saving on shipping and groceries right away.
For the full list of stores that accept your Delaware Food First Card for groceries, see our guide to grocery stores that take EBT. To see everything SNAP covers beyond the basics, check our guide on surprising things you can buy with EBT. And to find out how much in Food Stamps you may qualify for, use our SNAP Eligibility Calculator.
Last updated: 2026 | Discount programs, admission rates, and eligibility requirements are subject to change. Verify current details with each venue or program before visiting. Delaware’s Food Supplement Program (SNAP) is administered by the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS), Division of Social Services. Delaware Food First Card support: 1-800-526-9099 (24/7). Delaware SNAP hotline: 1-800-372-2022.