Although Lewes (pronounced Lewis), Del., is known to many as the place to catch the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, it offers its visitors many fun things to do in addition to a trip across the Delaware Bay. A visit to Lewes, known as the First Town in the First State, will reveal a friendly town with lots to see and do and learn. From the shops on Second Street to Cape Henlopen State Park, Lewes is a place full of hidden treasures. 

Ferry Terminal

The Cape May–Lewes Ferry is a great way for passengers and cars to travel back and forth between Delaware and New Jersey. On the 17-mile, 80-minute cruise you will enjoy scenic shore vistas, sea birds, oceangoing vessels and historic lighthouses. You may even see a dolphin. At the other end, there will be shuttles to meet you if you travel over without your car. In addition, you can pick up a souvenir of your trip, a newspaper, sweatshirt, film and other items at the gift shops in the terminals or on the ferry. To find out more or to make reservations, visit www.CMLF.com or call 800-64-ferry (33779). 

Second Street

A good place to begin discovering Lewes on land is Second Street. There you will find one-of-a-kind shops, such as Nottinghill, offering coffee roasted onsite and pastries to go with it; Lewes Mercantile Antiques, offering 19th-century furniture, accessories, jewelry and much more from days gone by; gift shops offering nautical gifts, fragrances, soaps and many other selections for friends and family; a children’s store and a boutique. You can spend hours browsing in the shops on Second Street and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time at King’s Ice Cream or Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. 

Museums

Your first museum stop should be the Zwaanendael Museum, built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of the state’s first European settlement, Swanendael (present-day Lewes), established by the Dutch in 1631. The museum is modeled after the old City Hall in Hoorn, the Netherlands. The Zwaanendael Museum features exhibits, programs, and activities that illustrate and interpret Sussex County’s rich history. Information about the Dutch settlement of Lewes in 1631, the 1765 construction of the Cape Henlopen Lighthouse, the charming coastline, the bombardment of Lewes during the War of 1812, and changing thematic displays are among the topics emphasized. The Zwaanendael Museum is located at Kings Highway and Savannah Road, in the heart of Lewes. Admission is free. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday from 1:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. It is closed on Mondays and state holidays. For more information, visit www.history.delaware.gov. 

To continue exploring the history of the area, you should visit the Lewes Historical Society at 110 Shipcarpenter Street, at the end of Second Street. There you will find a collection of nine preserved and restored buildings, including the Burton-Ingram House, Rabbits Ferry House, Thompson Country Store, Plank House, and the Doctor’s Office. The Society’s museums include 12 historic properties. They range in age from one of the oldest structures in the United States — the Ryves Holt House, c. 1665, located at the corner of Mulberry and Second Streets, to the Midway School #178, c. 1898, located on the grounds of the Historical Society. After touring the historic buildings, stop at the Ellegood House Museum Shop located just off Third Street in the Historic Complex. Museum tickets are $7.

The Historical Society also offers trolley tours that explore the streets and waterfront of Lewes. The Trolley Tour lasts approximately 45 minutes and begins and ends at the DART Bus Stop at Second and Market Streets. The tours run Tuesday through Thursday at 11:15 a.m. and 12:45 p.m. Ages 13 and up are $5, ages 7–12 are $1 and children under 6 are free. For reservations in Lewes, call 302-645-5575. Visit www.historiclewes.org for more information.

Lewes Life-Saving

Station Boathouse

If you walk to the foot of Shipcarpenter Street at the Lewes & Rehoboth Canal, you will find the Lewes Life-Saving Station Boathouse, c. 1884. You will find there life-saving equipment, including boats, a life-car and a beach cart. The most well-known rescue by the Lewes Life-Saving Station was during the Great Blizzard in 1868, when gale-force winds caused ships to wreck and left hundreds of sailors stranded, clinging to icy lines and frozen masts. The Lewes Station saved scores of sailors during a life-threatening rescue. In 1915, the Lewes Life-Saving Station merged with the Revenue Cutter Service to form the Coast Guard.

Free Concerts

If you are in Lewes on a Tuesday and your feet are tired from all that walking, you can take in a concert in the shaded Stango Park, behind the library at 111 Adams Avenue. Concerts each summer range from classical to rock. They begin at 7 p.m. A few concerts are held on Fridays as well. 

Cape Henlopen State Park

A short drive from downtown Lewes, past the ferry terminal, is Cape Henlopen State Park. This wildly beautiful park offers miles of trails to walk, beaches to relax on, 18-hole disk golf course to play on, a nature center to visit and a World War II fort to investigate. When you enter the park, you will pay an entrance fee of $8 for out-of-state visitors or $4 for in-state visitors and receive a map, directing you to places of interest, such as the Seaside Nature Center. At the Nature Center, you can learn which fish can be found in which parts of the ocean and watch the fish swim around in aquariums or see in real-time the Osprey nest that is being viewed by a remote video camera. You can touch sea creatures, such as hermit crabs and horseshoe crabs, in the Touch Tank and view numerous displays. In the gift shop, you can purchase a memento of your visit there. The visit to the Nature Center is free. 

Another area of interest is Fort Miles Historical Area, a World War II site that was a key part of the nation’s coastal defense during that time. In April 2005, Fort Miles was added to the National Register of Historic Places. You can wander through the buildings, visualizing the men who lived and worked there, see the anti-ship guns scattered around the area and climb the hill to the former military bunker for a spectacular view of the shoreline below. With a little imagination, you can immerse yourself in the history of the place.

Visit www.destateparks.com for more information about Cape Henlopen State Park. For information on Lewes, visit www.leweschamber.com or www.visitsoutherndelaware.com.