Overview
Magnolia is a town in Kent County, Delaware. It is nestled between the towns Rising Sun and Little Heaven. Magnolia is south of Dover, the state capital, and is about a mile away from the St. Jones River. Similar to the surrounding towns, Magnolia has great small town appeal. To give you an idea of just how small it is, the entire town has two stop lights. It was founded in 1885 by Thomas H. McIlvaine, John B. Conner, Thomas Draper, James L. Heverin, William S. McLain, John W. Wall, Alexander Jackson, Jacob Prettyman, and Captain James Grier.
Magnolia is the namesake of the Magnolia Tree, the favorite of the Duke of York, who once owned the land that came to be known as the town of Magnolia. The city was home to 277 people in 2020. It is a common spot for tourists to drive through on the way to the beaches in southern Delaware.
The town is a family-friendly place, home to two local schools, McIlvane Elementary School and St. Thomas Moore Preparatory. The town emanates a very strong sense of community. It is as sweet as its name suggests. The small town appeal is really what makes Magnolia special. People are very close knit and this is adds to the sense of safety individuals feel around town. Although you have to travel outside of the town's limits for more shops, sleeping, and eating places, not having access to these things has a sort of calming effect on people who do not want the hustle and bustle of even small city life (like the town of Dover).
5 sights · 1 places to eat
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Magnolia
John B. Lindale House
This home is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1905, and was home to one of the last great peach barons of the area. It is recognized for its architecture and for its agricultural as…
Matthew Lowber House
This home is also recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built as a private residence in 1774. The home is known as a form Quaker Mansion and is revered for its brickwork and large trees.
Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company
This local fire company was started in 1927. The first building to house the fire department was to the left of the town water tower, it is still standing and is now Magnolia Town Hall. The building which is now home to …
Scotton Landing
This landing is used mostly by fisherman. Scotton Landing is a common spot for people to crab as well. It is a great site to see the sunrise and sunset. The area is surrounded by marsh and beautiful foliage.
Mother Kill Friends’ Burial Ground
This cemetery is known now as Mother Kill Friends' Burial Ground, but was used to be known as Motherkiln Preparative Meeting Ground. The land had been used as a meeting space for Quaker worshipers. Few headstones still s…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 87°F; winter lows dip to about 27°F. Wettest: Aug and Mar.
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- DOV Dover Civil Air Terminal/Dover Air Force Base, Dover — 4 mi away. Directions
- ILG Wilmington Airport, Wilmington — 43 mi away. Directions
- PHL Philadelphia International Airport, Philadelphia — 57 mi away (major hub). Directions
By turning off Rt.1 heading south toward Milford and turning left onto Barkers Landing Road, you will drive right into the town of Magnolia. You can also get to Magnolia by following Rt. 10 to Main St. There is no public street parking in Magnolia. The town is so small that it is not necessary to have parking garages or other paid parking spots.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company, John B. Lindale House, Matthew Lowber House
- Lunch Magnolia Family Restaurant
- Afternoon Scotton Landing, Mother Kill Friends’ Burial Ground
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Understand
On average, the warmest month for Magnolia is July while January is the coldest. Magnolia sees its fair share of rain and is quite humid in the warmer months.
The town is centered on Main Street. This area is home to some of the town's most notable places.
The story behind the town's boundary lines is quite interesting. When the boundaries were first decided, the founders believed that creating the boundaries in the shape of a circle would be representative of brotherhood. Although, the expansion of the town has come up many times, if you search Magnolia on Google Maps today, you will still find the original circle boundaries decided by its founders. Magnolia consists mostly of small housing developments and farming land. Many new developments went up over the past few years during the housing boom. As one might expect, the town has a number of beautiful Magnolia trees.
Get in
By car
By turning off Rt.1 heading south toward Milford and turning left onto Barkers Landing Road, you will drive right into the town of Magnolia. You can also get to Magnolia by following Rt. 10 to Main St. There is no public street parking in Magnolia. The town is so small that it is not necessary to have parking garages or other paid parking spots.
Get around
The town is so small that it is easy to get around just by walking. Most areas in Magnolia have sidewalks so getting around in this manner is not difficult at all.
See
See Magnolia Volunteer Fire Company
This local fire company was started in 1927. The first building to house the fire department was to the left of the town water tower, it is still standing and is now Magnolia Town Hall. The building which is now home to the Magnolia Fire Company is across the street from Town Hall. This new building was built in 1938 and has been expanded many times since then.
See John B. Lindale House
This home is recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built in 1905, and was home to one of the last great peach barons of the area. It is recognized for its architecture and for its agricultural association. A humorous and unique feature of this home is the sign outside of the residence proclaiming Magnolia as the center of the universe.
See Matthew Lowber House
This home is also recognized on the National Register of Historic Places. It was built as a private residence in 1774. The home is known as a form Quaker Mansion and is revered for its brickwork and large trees.
See Scotton Landing
This landing is used mostly by fisherman. Scotton Landing is a common spot for people to crab as well. It is a great site to see the sunrise and sunset. The area is surrounded by marsh and beautiful foliage.
See Mother Kill Friends’ Burial Ground
This cemetery is known now as Mother Kill Friends' Burial Ground, but was used to be known as Motherkiln Preparative Meeting Ground. The land had been used as a meeting space for Quaker worshipers. Few headstones still stand, but the land is said to hold the remains of over 150 people. The Quaker Burial Ground was started in the late 1700s.
Eat
Eat Magnolia Family Restaurant
This cozy restaurant is known for its down home food. Many older couples frequent the restaurant for their weekly meal out together. The menu consists of foods similar to many east coast diners (e.g. open-faced sandwiches, chicken and dumplings, and various homemade desserts).
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My experience
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