Historical Attractions/Museums | | coastalpoint.com

Explore the rich history and bygone eras of Sussex County through our abundance of historical attractions. From local places of interest to day-trip excursions, history buffs will find plenty to keep them occupied!

• Ocean View Historical Society & Coastal Town Museum: The first historical entity in this coastal area. Open June through August, from 10:00am-1:00pm, each Wednesday. hvov.org
• Bethany Beach Museum: offering visitors an immersive experience of an historically significant early 1900’s home and a glimpse of what life was like during the early days of the town. Open May through October, 10am-12pm on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. townofbethanybeach.com/110/Town-Museum
• Milford Museum: Preserving Milford’s past, for the future. the museum holds many exhibits, ranging from shipbuilding, medical, military, and more. Some exhibits are temporary, and will change on a rotating basis. Open Tuesday-Saturday, 10am-3:30pm. milforddemuseum.org
• Overfalls Lightship: The last lightship built for the U.S. Lighthouse Service. Take a guided tour above and below decks of the refurbished Overfalls floating museum in Lewes. Open from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend—10am-4pm, Thursday through Sunday. overfalls.org
• Life Saving Stations:  The original Stations were built for use by the United States Lifesaving Service, a government organization created to respond to the alarming number of shipwrecks along the coastlines of the United States and the precursor to today’s U. S. Coast Guard.
• Lewes Life-Saving Station: Open Saturdays 11am-2pm and Sundays 1-4pm in July & August. leweschamber.com
• Indian River Life-Saving Station: Offers programs and events throughout the year. Open 8am-4:30pm Daily. destateparks.com/centers/irlifesavingstation
• Lewes Historical Society (Main Campus) & History Museum: Nestled in the heart of historic Lewes, The Historic Shipcarpenter Street Campus offers 9 historic buildings for you to explore. Additionally, the society maintains multiple other properties, including a History Museum housing tens of thousands of historic artifacts, artwork, documents, maps, and photos. The Campus is open 10am-4pm Thursday through Saturday. And the Museum is open 10am-4pm Tuesday through Saturday. historiclewes.org
• Nanticoke Indian Museum: The only Native American Museum in the state of Delaware. Displays include historical artifacts, tools of the Native arts, tribal artwork, and more. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 10am-4pm. nanticokeindians.org/page/museum
• Zwaanendael Museum: Built in commemoration of Delaware’s first European colony, Swanendael, established by the Dutch in 1631, the museum serves as a showcase for the Lewes area’s maritime, military and social history. Open Wednesday through Saturday, 10am-4:15pm. history.delaware.gov/zwaanendael-museum
• Ft. Miles Historic Area: The Fort Miles Museum, located underground in Battery 519, features exhibits relating to coastal defense and operations as well as portraying daily life for the soldiers and civilians station there during WWII. Open Friday and Saturday, 10am-4pm. fortmilesha.org
• Rehoboth Beach Historical Society Museum: Preserving and showcasing the history, culture, architecture and unique character of Rehoboth Beach. Open Monday through Friday, 9am-3pm & Saturdays and Sundays 9am-1pm. rehobothbeachmuseum.org
• Milton Historical Society: The Society collects, preserves, and interprets stories, artifacts and documents related to Milton and the Broadkill Hundred for study and education. Open Thursday through Saturday, 11am-4pm. historicmilton.org
• Treasures of the Sea – Delaware Tech: The exhibit is a beautiful collection of Spanish treasures from a 17th century shipwreck, the Nuestra Señora de Atocha. Open Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10am-4pm. treasuresofthesea.org
• Discoversea Shipwreck Museum: The museum is an ever-changing exhibit that expands and diversifies with the acquisitions of new artifacts as they are recovered. One of largest collections in the Mid-Atlantic and contains shipwreck artifacts both regional and worldwide. Open Saturday and Sunday 11am-3pm in June and September, 11am-4pm in July and August. discoversea.com
• Marvel Carriage Museum: The museum’s collection includes antique carriages as well as multiple original restored buildings on the property. Opening times vary. Call for availability – (302)855-9660. marvelmuseum.com
• Laurel Historical Society (Day-trip): Each year the Laurel Museum debuts a new exhibit on a different topic related to Laurel’s history. Open Friday through Sunday, 12pm-4pm. laurelhistoricalsociety.org
• Governor Ross Mansion (Day-trip): Step back into time in a restored and fully furnish Victorian Italianate mansion, ca. 1860. Enjoy 20 acres that include a granary, stable, smokehouse, and see the only documented log slave quarter in DE. Open Saturdays and the 1st and 2nd Sundays of the month, 1-4pm. seafordhistoricalsociety.com/visit/gov-ross-mansion
• Seaford Museum (Day-trip): Called one of the best museums in the state, it houses thousands of local artifacts following a timeline of the U.S., Delaware, and area history. Open Tuesday through Saturday, 1-4pm. seafordhistoricalsociety.com/visit/seaford-museum­­