Fall For History

History is in Reach of our Beach

And there's no better time to highlight all the history you can experience here than during the fall, so...

Check out the videos above to learn a little about some of our historical attractions and take a look at our history events and tours for this fall including museums (more than two dozen of them!) and exhibits, all in one place to make planning your Fall for Our History adventures easy! Planning a fall beach weekend? Come a little early or stay a little longer to take advantage of midweek tours, presentations, and museum hours. Please check with individual venues to confirm dates and hours.

 

The Milton Historical Society

Stay tuned for updates on 2023 Milton Fall programs.

Rehoboth Beach Historical Society's Walking Tours, September 5 & 26 and October 10: Departing from the bandstand on Rehoboth Avenue and continuing down the boardwalk and side streets. Tours last about 90 minutes, so wear comfortable walking shoes and bring water. This historical tour provides general information about the history of Rehoboth Beach and the changing streetscape of buildings over the years, both business and residential. The tour guide will lead walkers from the bandstand along Rehoboth Avenue, pointing out landmarks and providing photos of historical sites and events while touching on several of the storms that have shaped the coastline and the beachfront.

The Seaford Historical Society

Seaford Museum is open Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 1 - 4 p.m. One of the Best Small Museums in Delaware! Trace the history of our community from ancient times through the First Americans, the Civil War, Industrialization, to modern times. Learn how the River and Railroad made Seaford the center for development in Western Sussex County, including its role in Harriett Tubman’s best documented escape.

Other featured exhibits include:

• Nanticoke River Maritime Gallery
• DuPont Nylon
• Seaford’s Theater District
• Women in the Workplace
• And Much More!

Admission is just $7 for non-members. Children are FREE.

Featured Exhibit: DR. JANE RIGBY and the WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE, Scientist - Author - Medal of Freedom recipient. Seaford native Dr. Jane Rigby is the Chief Scientist-in-Charge of the James Webb Space Telescope, the most powerful scientific instrument ever constructed. A 1996 graduate of Seaford High, where she excelled as a scholar and athlete; Jane earned degrees in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Arizona, Her leadership with the JWST and her prolific work as an author and lecturer earned Dr. Rigby the President Medal of Freedom in May 2024. The exhibit features images from and information about the telescope, artifacts from Jane's childhood, including the first telescope she borrowed as a child, and videos. The exhibit is open during regular museum hours through mid-September.

Seaford Community Fall Festival, Sunday, October 20, 2024, Governor Ross Mansion Grounds, 23669 Ross Station Rd., Seaford, DE 19973. 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. This annual event has quickly become a fall favorite in western Sussex County. Trunk-r-Treat  •  Games Wagon Rides  •  Petting Zoo Food  •  Face Painting  •  Craft Admission $2 Children Must be Accompanied by Responsible Adults

Seaford Museum Holiday Train Show, Opens November 29, 2024, See Website for Dates and Times. The Seaford Museum, 203 High Street, Seaford, DE 19973. Bring back those fond memories of Christmas Past! The Seaford Museum’s Webb Room features a large O-Scale layout with two operating Lionel trains and more than 100 “Department 56” ceramic buildings and figures. Kids (of all ages) can push buttons to operate animated scenes. The layout is surrounded by display cabinets featuring dozens of antique toy trains gathered from local collectors. Admission is just $3 for adults and kids are FREE. Children must be accompanied by a paid adult. You can see the full museum, including the trains, for just $7.  Check their website here for updates as dates draw near. 

The Lewes Historical Society - Visit their website for details of the following: https://www.historiclewes.org/

Tours

Lewes History Highlights Walking Tour: Explore key moments in Lewes' 300-year story that shaped the character of this First Town in the First State in this 45-minute spotlight tour!  Tuesday-Saturdays, 11 a.m. Tickets are $10 per person, $5 for children 12 and under, and can be purchased online or before the tour's scheduled start time at the Sussex Tavern. 

Haunted Histories Paranormal Investigations: Haunted Histories echo through time and Lewes is full of these eerie accounts. During this two-hour investigation, Lewes Historical Society and First State Paranormal Investigations invite you to hear the true tales of long-ago residents. This educational experience with a ghostly twist is not to be missed! Flashlights are recommended.  Personal paranormal equipment is welcome but not needed, equipment will be provided to share. This is an outdoor walking tour, please plan to dress appropriately for the weather. When: 8 p.m. -10:00 p.m, Friday, September 27, Friday, October 18. Tour on Saturday, November 2 runs through the witching hour, join us if you dare! 10 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. Admission: $35 per adult, 30 people max per investigation. Attendees must be 13 years or older to participate.

Lewes Legends Evening Walking Tour: Lewes is rich with historic happenings, legends, and tall tales. This 90-minute walking tour will introduce you to stories of strange happenings in the town of Lewes. Enter the Cannonball House Maritime Museum after hours and hear heroic accounts of maritime history, and an eerie occurrence or two. When: 6 p.m. - 7:30 p.m., Wednesdays and Sundays. Additionally, every Thursday in October. Admission: $15 per adult, $5 for children 12 and under. Children under eight years old are discouraged from attending.

Revolutionary Lewes Walking Tour: Delawareans of all sorts were forced to come to terms with their changing world. Loyalties, ideals, and even family bonds were tested; lives and livelihoods were threatened; and independence was on the horizon. Sitting prominently at the mouth of Delaware Bay, Lewes was a lynchpin in the defenses of America’s most vital waterway, just 89 nautical miles from Philadelphia, where whispers of independence were beginning to take hold. Visit the Historic Shipcarpenter Street Campus (110 Shipcarpenter St.) The Historic Campus is home to nine historic structures, relocated from all over Sussex County. See the Sussex Tavern, a 1770s-inspired local gathering place, along with the Lewistown Coffeehouse. Saturdays at 2 p.m. and 2nd & 4th Fridays at 6 p.m. Admission: $15 per person, $5 for children 12 and under.

Artifact Highlight: Join a member of our dedicated team on the third Wednesday of each month for a special highlight of artifacts preserved in the Lewes Historical Society's Collections. Artifact Highlight Tours are held at the Lewes History Museum (101 Adams Ave.) at 1 p.m.

Exhibitions: Visit their website for list of current exhibits.

Events:

First Friday Community Nights, Every first Friday of the month from 4:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. at Historic Shipcarpenter Campus, 110 Shipcarpenter Street. Live music, stories of bygone times, and 18th Century drinks made from recipes in the LHS archives. 

Third Saturday Living Histories, Every third Saturday of the month from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Most activity takes place on the Historic Shipcarpenter Street Campus (110 Shipcarpenter St.), but be sure to visit the Cannonball House Maritime Museum (118 Front St.), U.S. Life-Saving Service Boat House (Canalfront Park), Ryves Holt House Museum & Mercantile (218 2nd St.), and Lewes History Museum (101 Adams Ave.) for additional programs throughout the day. Description: Step back into the past with the Lewes Historical Society on the third Saturday of each month, April through December, with our featured living history days! Discover enhanced programming and costumed staff sharing stories of Lewes from bygone times.

Cannonball 5k Race & Trenny Elliott Memorial Walk 2024, Date: September 8 at 8:30 a.m. The race will start and finish at Lewes Historical Society. 110 Shipcarpenter Street. The 20TH Annual Cannonball 5k Race & Trenny Elliott Memorial Walk helps raise funds to restore the legendary Cannonball House and keep it alive for generations to come. 

Night at the Museum: How Lewes Played a Major Role in the Founding of Rehoboth Beach, September 12 at 5:00 p.m. at Lewes History Museum, 101 Adams Avenue. The Lewes Historical Society offers educational and entertaining evenings at the museum that explore the history of Lewes and the surrounding area. September Topic: The founding of the Rehoboth Beach Camp Meeting Association by Lewes Pastor Robert Todd.

Crafts & Crafts Festival 2024, October 5 & 6, 11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Historic Shipcarpenter Campus, 110 Shipcarpenter Street. A two-day festival at LHS Main Campus celebrating a wide range of artisan crafts and craft beers. 

Night at the Museum: Loyalists in America: The Price of Resistance. October 10 at 5:00 p.m. at Lewes History Museum, 101 Adams Avenue. The Lewes Historical Society offers educational and entertaining evenings at the museum that explore the history of Lewes and the surrounding area. October’s topic: An examination of the difficult choices individual colonialists made regarding the American Revolution for freedom from England.  

From Revolution to Republic: The Neill Household (1792-1803.) Exhibition: Phase II Grand Opening!  October 18^th, Time: TBD at Historic Shipcarpenter Campus, 110 Shipcarpenter Street, Lewes. As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of this nation's founding, we must share all perspectives, demonstrating how the Revolution impacted society. This new exhibit of the Neill family home provides an excellent illustration of the often-contradictory ideals that followed in the wake of 1776. The circa 1785 Burton Ingram House will accurately portray the home life of Revolutionary War veteran Col. Henry Neill, his wife Mary, and the seven enslaved individuals who lived and worked in this space.

Fall Harvest Fair, 1774: The Last Year of Peace. October 19 & 20 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at Shipcarpenter Campus, 110 Shipcarpenter Street. During this two-day Fall Fair, you’ll have the chance to step back into the year 1774 and engage with history firsthand. Enjoy live music, watch soldiers drill and fire their muskets, have your silhouette drawn, shop for historically inspired keepsakes, take in a show with 18th century entertainers...and brace yourselves for the years of Revolution to come when you step back into those final, tense months of 1774 to engage with history first-hand and meet with the inhabitants of colonial Lewistown as they demonstrate historical activities, come to grips with current events, and do their best to celebrate a successful harvest that capped a year of growth and prosperity for their community.

Trafalgar Night Dinner. October 21, 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at Historic Shipcarpenter Campus, 110 Shipcarpenter Street. An intimate evening set in the early 19th Century and steeped in naval tradition, with song, toasts, drinks, and a 3-course meal! 

Boos & Brews, October 25, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Historic Shipcarpenter Campus, 110 Shipcarpenter Street. An evening of Halloween fun with music, costumes, and spooky beverages.

Book Launch, November 1 at 4:00 p.m. at Historic Shipcarpenter Campus, 110 Shipcarpenter Street. Join us to celebrate the launch of the book Going Among English Sailors American Tars & HMS Belvidera, 1809 - 1814 written by Lewes Historical Society’s own Executive Director, Andrew Lyter.

Fires of the Revolution, November 9, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. at Historic Shipcarpenter Campus, 110 Shipcarpenter Street. Our world looks very different after dark than that of 18th-century America, especially when their nights were lit with the fires of revolution. Experience the nighttime world known by the residents of Lewistown on the eve of the Revolutionary War: rest by the blazing bonfire, warm your spirit at Sussex Tavern, or with a beverage at the Lewistown Coffee House. As unrest brews and rumors spread through the streets, listen to stories beneath a lantern-lit Liberty Tree, and experience the ultimate act of colonial-era “non-violent” protest in the form of a burning, straw-stuffed effigy representing the despised architects of Britain’s new policies towards America. Immerse yourself in the turbulent days when Delawarean subjects of the British king began to think of themselves as Americans!

Zwaanendael Museum, Lewes

Flags Over Delaware, Tuesday, October 1, 2 p.m. Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Hwy, Lewes, DE 19958. In honor of World Vexillology Day, join Mark Wilson, Lead Interpreter of the Zwaanendael Museum as he discusses the numerous flags that have flown over Delaware within the past 390 years. Learn about these flags and how they have influenced others currently flying throughout the state. Free program. For more information or to sign up for the program, call the Zwaanendael Museum at 302-645-1148, or email at zmuseum@delaware.gov.

Mysteries of History Walking Tour, Saturdays, October 5, 12, 19, and 26. Tours begin at 2 pm at Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Hwy, Lewes, DE 19958. Explore the darker and more unusual history of Lewes with this spooky walking tour! Participants will wind through downtown Lewes while Zwaanendael Interpreters share stories of shipwrecks, mysterious disappearances, and much more. The tour begins at the Zwaanendael Museum and ends at St. Peter’s Episcopal Church. The tour lasts approximately 80 minutes and is a half mile long. There is no cost to participate, but pre-registration is required. These tours fill up quickly and space is limited so reserve your spot! Call the Zwaanendael Museum at (302) 645-1148 or email at Zmuseum@delaware.gov to sign up.  

History Revival: Food and Drink on Delmarva, Every Friday from October 4- November 15. 5 p.m.  Lewes Public Library, 111 Adams Ave, Lewes, DE 19958. For centuries, Delaware has grown, produced, and brewed foods and drinks that have traveled across the country and around the world. But where do these goods come from and who are the people, past and present, that have made this possible? Through programs and lectures, History Revival: Food and Drink Across Delmarva will connect the public to the rich history of agriculture on the Delmarva peninsula, and the unique goods that have graced Delawareans’ tables for centuries. History Revival is an educational lecture series, that is a collaborative effort of the Zwaanendael Museum and Lewes Public Library. All programs are free to attend. For more information about the schedule of events please contact the Zwaanendael Museum at (302) 645-1148 or email us at Zmuseum@delaware.gov.

Wings and Wheels, Georgetown

Friday Dinner Event: October 4, 2024 Main Event: October 5, 2024. Main Events, All at Delaware Coastal Airport, Georgetown, DE. Join us for a day of family fun and WWII military history. Planes, cars, USNA Parachute Team, entertainment, food, craft & information vendors. From vintage hot rods to sportscars, there's something for every automotive enthusiast! Re-enactors bring World War II to life in our living history encampment. Free admission and fun for the whole family! Hang out at the flight line and grab a bite from some of the region's delicious food vendors! Vintage warbirds: Bombers, jets, single engine fighters, and bi-planes new and old occupy the tarmac. Get up close and personal with a variety of aircraft!

8th Annual History Book Festival

The Festival, the first and only event of its kind in the United States devoted solely to history, will be from September 27, 28, & 29 in Lewes, DE. The History Book Festival schedule for 2024 will be announced on July 12. For full program information and tickets, visit HistoryBookFestival.org. 

45th Annual Nanticoke Indian Powwow

September 7 & 8, 2024 at Hudson Field, Milton, DE. 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. Join the Nanticoke Indian Tribe in celebrating its unique history and culture.  The powwow will feature native traditional dancing, drumming, singing, flute performances, native foods, native craft vendors and storytelling.  Fun for the entire family!

Indian River Life Saving Station Museum Programs

Stay tuned for 2024 updates!

Museums, Exhibits & Antiques

Eastern Sussex County

• Lightship Overfalls, Lewes: The Overfalls is one of only 17 remaining lightships out of a total of 179 built from 1820 to 1952. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 2011, it is one of seven lightships in this country still open to the public. 
• Old Courthouse, Georgetown's Old Courthouse was built in 1792 and is located 150 feet off the Georgetown Circle on S. Bedford Street. The GPS address is 10 S. Bedford Street. Visitors can see Patty Cannon's poison cache, rare court tipstaffs, and America's last used whipping post on display. 
• Lewes History Museum: The Lewes Historical Society Museum features their collection of tens of thousands of historic artifacts, artwork, documents, maps and photos. Staffed by skilled professionals from the Society, the Museum serves as the primary source of information about Lewes for visitors, researchers, students and residents. The Museum also provides ongoing seminars, symposia and presentations, a wing for community non-profit gatherings, a children’s interactive history area, and an attractive venue for private celebrations and events. Visit their website for details.

• Cannonball House Museum, Lewes: Cannonball House is the home of The Lewes Historical Society's maritime museum. Nationally important pieces of maritime art and memorabilia are displayed in the house, including the Fresnel Lens of Fourteen Foot Bank Light. There is a cannonball from the War of 1812 bombardment by the British embedded in its foundation.
• Zwaanendael Museum, Lewes: The museum is a showcase for Lewes-area maritime, military, and social history. Modeled after the town hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands, the museum commemorates the founding of Delaware's first European settlement by the Dutch in 1631.
• Fort Miles Museum and Historic Area, Lewes: Fort Miles, located in what is now Cape Henlopen State Park, was a key piece in the nation's coastal defense during WWII. Take a tour of the Fort, enjoy an interpretive program, dance to a swing band, and celebrate the "greatest generation" in our nation's history. On the National Register of Historic Places. Watch a Pentagon Channel program about the fort here.)
• Rehoboth Beach Museum, Rehoboth Beach: The Society preserves and displays showcase artifacts that illustrate the development of the community. The exhibits range from vintage postcards and bathing suits to original Civil War era maps and train schedules as well as temporary exhibits such as photography and needlework exhibits, etc.
• Anna Hazzard Museum, Rehoboth Beach: This museum boasts a Camp Meeting Era "Tent" structure, which houses a collection of artifacts and memorabilia pertaining to the early days of Rehoboth Beach as a religious retreat.
• Indian River Lifesaving Station, Delaware Seashore State Park: Learn the history of the U. S. Life-Saving Service, the precursor to today's U. S. Coast Guard, by visiting the original Indian River Life-Saving Station. Be swept back to a time where night-time beach patrols and perilous high seas rescues were the only way to save shipwreck victims along the coasts of the United States. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Bethany Beach Dinker-Irvin Museum, Located at 318 Garfield Parkway, this restored cottage will offer 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.  It is one of the few remaining original cottages in Bethany Beach and the oldest public building in town.  It served as a U.S. Post Office from 1922-25.  
• DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum, Fenwick Island: DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum is an ever-changing exhibit that expands and diversifies with the acquisitions of new artifacts as they are recovered. The collection of shipwreck and recovered artifacts is one of the largest in the Mid-Atlantic and contains shipwreck artifacts both regional and worldwide.
• Fenwick Island Lighthouse, Fenwick Island: The lighthouse is owned by the state of Delaware and maintained by the private, non-profit New Friends of the Fenwick Island Lighthouse. The "isolated" lighthouse now stands surrounded by a neighborhood of houses and businesses. Visitors can enter the base to view a small museum and gift shop. 

Central Sussex County

• The Milford Museum, Milford: Permanent exhibits include local historic events from the 1700s to the present, shipbuilding, and local businesses. Other exhibits include an historic doll collection, Victorian silverware, Delaware ladybugs, and early Milford baseball. 
• Treasures of the Sea Museum, Delaware Technical Community College, Georgetown: Betze Library building. The exhibit is a beautiful collection of spanish treasures from a 17th century ship, the Nuestra Seniora de Atocha. The library is also home to the Elsie Williams Doll Collection. Currently the collection of over 600 dolls is housed in more than one dozen glass cases and is continuing to grow.
• Marvel Carriage Museum, Georgetown: There are many historic buildings on the museum grounds such as the Ellis School, a one room school house built in 1833. There are two large barns on the grounds that house carriages from Mr. Nutter Marvel's collection. Among these carriages are the Queen's carriage, the Disney carriage, a peddlers wagon and an 1800's era horse drawn hearse carriage. There are many treasures to be seen here such as the beautiful collection of victrolas, ephemera, photographs, telephones, furniture and many more items related to Georgetown history.
• Delaware Aviation Museum, Georgetown: The museum features many WWII aviation artifacts, memorabilia and displays. Also home of the Jeffrey L. Ethell Memorial Aviation Library of over 3,000 aviation related books. The largest aviation library in the east. Several aircraft are also on display surrounding the museum. www.delawareaviationmuseum.org
• Lydia Black Cannon Museum, Milton: The museum’s exhibit includes original art, sailors’ decorative folk art, photographs, ship building tools, sailing implements, and ships’ logs.
• Nanticoke Indian Museum, Millsboro: Displays include thousands of arrowheads, pottery, axe hammers and other objects, all of which are homemade. Visitors are educated and receive insight of the work that goes into creating Native arts and leave with a new understanding of Nanticoke culture. Display also features an example of our village to show how our elders lived in the old days and lots of artwork from tribal members and others.
• Prince George's Chapel, Dagsboro. Historic chapel with tours available by appointment. Built in 1755, Prince George’s Chapel has its beginnings as an Anglican chapel-of-ease, serving the northern outlying area of Worcester Parish, Maryland. During the reorganization of the Episcopal Church following the American Revolution, the chapel became an independent parish church in the diocese of Delaware. Deeded to the State of Delaware in 1967, it was restored and reopened as a museum, administered by the State. The Chapel’s most striking feature is its graceful barrel-vaulted ceiling of natural, unadorned heart of pine planks. The nave section remains as the original 18th century portion, while the east transept end with its great window and octagonal high pulpit has been reconstructed. The chapel is available for a fee for special events, such as a wedding and religious services, that are consistent with its historical character. For more information or tours, please call 302-732-6835.

Western Sussex County

• Bridgeville Historical Society Museum, Bridgeville: The Society’s collection includes a wealth of artifacts, documents, photographs, and books from local businesses, families, and community organizations.
• Seaford Museum, Seaford: Extensive collections and exhibits highlight local area history following a timeline from Native Americans to present day. Museum contains a library of historical materials, changing exhibit gallery, interactive displays and more.
• Seaford Fire Museum, Seaford: Displays fire memorabilia related to the history of the Seaford Volunteer Fire Department Inc.
• Governor Ross Mansion & Plantation, Seaford: Explore a complete Victorian Italianate mansion with slave quarters, barns, sheds and spacious grounds. Learn what life was like before the Civil War, why a popular Delaware governor was smuggled to England with a Federal warrant out for his arrest and how the “War of Northern Aggression” changed life forever.
• Bethel Heritage Museum, Bethel: Explore the history of this quaint shipbuilding village. 
• Cook House Museum, Laurel: The Cook House contains the offices of the Laurel Historical Society, as well as a large number of photos and artifacts that help to tell the story of Laurel and the residents who call it home. 
• Laurel Heritage Museum, Laurel: Showcasing an extensive collection of historical documents and objects displayed in our restored Train Station. The Key element of the Museum is the one-of-a kind Waller Photograph Collection, recognized as the premier period historical collection by both the State of Delaware Archives and the University of Delaware.
• Delmar Railroad Museum, Delmar: Delmar, known for its railroading history, is home to a unique highball signal listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Nearby, a 1929 caboose serves as museum for railroad artifacts. The highball signal and caboose are located in a small park on Route 54 at the railroad tracks. The caboose has no regular hours, so call ahead. A railroad history display is also available at the Delmar Public Library, 101 N. Bi.State Blvd. and the Delmarva Model Railroad Club posts holiday open house events for model train enthusiasts.

Love Antiques and Collectibles?

Check out our Antiques Itineraries! The itineraries, at this link, are designed especially for antiques and collectibles fans and can be enjoyed over two days, any time of year, with plenty of time left over for leisurely lunches and sightseeing along the way.