10 Popular Things That Don’t Exist in Delaware Anymore

DELAWARE - Delaware may be the "First State," but many of its first-class landmarks and local traditions have faded into history. From iconic boardwalks to specialty shops that defined small-town life, here are 10 popular things you won't find in Delaware anymore.

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1. Blue Diamond Park & The Vertical Roller Coaster

For a brief period in the 2000s, Delaware had its own high-thrill amusement park in New Castle. Blue Diamond Park featured the state's only major roller coaster—a vertical-lift coaster named "Blue Diamond Streak." The park sold off its rides in 2008 and transitioned into a motocross park, leaving Delaware as one of the few states without a permanent amusement park.

2. Three Little Bakers Dinner Theater

A Wilmington staple for decades, this venue was a unique hybrid of a commercial bakery and a high-end dinner theater. Managed by the Immediato family, it was famous for serving fresh-baked bread and desserts alongside Broadway-caliber performances. The final curtain fell in 2007, and the site was eventually redeveloped into a golf club and housing community.

3. The DelMarVa Chicken Festival’s Giant Frying Pan

For 65 years, "Slower Lower" Delawareans flocked to this festival to see three tons of chicken cooked in a 10-foot-wide frying pan—the largest in the world. The festival was a cornerstone of the poultry industry’s culture until it was discontinued in 2014, taking the massive pan and the local holiday with it.

4. J. Conn Scott (Selbyville Flagship)

After 101 years of business, this legendary furniture retailer began liquidating its massive 34,000-square-foot flagship showroom in Selbyville in late 2025. While the brand maintains a design center in Rehoboth Beach, the closure of the century-old Church Street location marked the end of a retail era for the quiet Sussex County town.

5. Kahunaville

If you grew up in Delaware in the late '90s or early 2000s, the Wilmington Riverfront meant Kahunaville. This massive tropical-themed entertainment complex featured a volcano, arcade, and a famous concert deck. It was the anchor of the Riverfront’s early revitalization until it closed in 2006 to make way for the Delaware Children’s Museum.

6. The Original Rehoboth Beach Bandstand

The Bandstand at the end of Rehoboth Avenue is still there, but it isn't the original one. The historic wooden structure that hosted concerts for over 50 years was torn down in 2000. While the new venue built in 2005 is modern and functional, many long-time beachgoers still miss the weathered charm of the old gazebo-style stage.

7. Between Books in Claymont

Much more than a bookstore, Between Books was a cultural haven for sci-fi, fantasy, and comic book fans. The owner was known for reading customer manuscripts and hosting writing workshops for free. The shop lost its lease and closed its chapter in 2013, leaving a significant void in the local "geek" community.

8. The Stone Balloon (The Original Version)

Voted by Playboy as one of the best college bars in America, the original Stone Balloon in Newark was a legendary concert venue that hosted icons like Bruce Springsteen and Metallica. The original building was demolished in 2006 to make way for condominiums. While a "Stone Balloon Ale House" exists today, it is a sit-down restaurant rather than the gritty, high-energy rock club of the past.

9. Muskrat Dinners at The Wagon Wheel

The Wagon Wheel in Smyrna was a local legend for serving an old-school Delaware delicacy: muskrat. Featured on the show Restaurant Impossible, the diner served home-style meals for over 40 years before closing in 2014. The disappearance of "muskrat season" at local diners marks a shift away from the state's traditional, rural culinary roots.

10. Rite Aid (The Entire State)

Following its massive bankruptcy restructuring, Rite Aid officially completed its exit from the Delaware market in early 2026. For many residents, this was the end of a decades-long relationship with their local corner pharmacy, as the last remaining stores in New Castle and Kent counties were shuttered or converted this spring.

State of Delaware