Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge names its new visitor center after retiring U.S. Sen. Tom Carper.
Bombay Hook cut the ribbon on the $5.6 million center last October — largely thanks to funding secured by Carper in the federal Great American Outdoors Act — and opened to the public in February 2024.
The new building houses administrative offices, a multi-purpose community room and the Blue Heron Gift Shop.
Members of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spoke at Friday’s dedication ceremony, thanking Carper for all of his work in helping to preserve Delaware’s coastal and wildlife areas.
Carper is currently the chair of the U.S. Senate Environment and Public Works Committee and hopes the Senator Thomas R. Carper Visitor Center instills the same love for nature in tourists that he feels so passionately.
“My hope is that folks will, first of all, just get a great history lesson and understand that what was started in 1937 was relevant then and why is it relevant today? What are our opportunities and obligations as human beings to protect God’s creation and preserve it going forward?” Carper said.
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Northeast Regional Director Wendi Weber says the center has been a huge success in welcoming visitors into the refuge over the past several months and more is still to come.
“Soon our interpretation will be up and our interpretive services so we can tell more of a story, but right now we have wonderful hiking trails, and it’s just been a really nice place for families to come and connect with nature and see beautiful natural resources in the state of Delaware," Weber said.
Bombay Hook’s Visitor Services Manager Josh Smith says a large-scale mural along with hands-on learning exhibits and maps will be placed all throughout the visitor center by November.
Weber says they are also working on opening a visitor center at Prime Hook National Wildlife Refuge to offer education on marsh restoration and coastal habitats.
The Visitor Center is open weekdays year round from 8am to 4pm and on spring and fall weekends from 9am to 5pm.
