Take a Guided Tour
Located at Third and Shipcarpenter streets, the Lewes Historical Society complex has nine structures, many from the 18th century. Three others are within walking distance. Tour topics include maritime history and local architecture. The Haunted Lewes Tour, offered on Saturdays at 8 p.m., runs through Sept. 29. Stops include St. Peter’s cemetery. “There’s so much history in that plot of ground,” says Russ Allen, who leads the tours. The society also hosts History Happy Hours every Friday, beginning at 4 p.m., until Oct. 12. Locations change. (645-7670 ext 12 for tours, historiclewes.org)
The lightships Overfalls is docked next to LHS’s Life-Saving station boathouse. Tours make the visit more memorable, says Dave Bernheisel, past president of the Overfalls Foundation. “We take people on deck and below so they can see where the crew ate and slept,” he explains. This month, tours are offered Monday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and on Sunday from noon until 4 p.m. Hours change come October. (644-8050 overfalls.org)
On Sept. 8 at 10 a.m., take a boat to the Delaware Breakwater East End Lighthouse. The Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse is closed for repairs, but the voyage involves a “sail by.” (delawarebaylights.org/Tours.html)
Launched in June, Monday lectures on the shipwrecked HMS DeBraak have proved so popular that they’ve been extended through Oct. 1. Lectures, limited to 10 people, start at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. at the Zwaanendael Museum and include a shuttle to see the hull, recovered during a treasure hunt in 1986. (645-1148, history.delaware.gov)
Visit the Zwaanendael Museum
A must-see, both for the artifacts inside and the architecture on the outside. (645-1148, history.delaware.gov/museums/zm/zm_main.shtml)
Salute History
Before it was a premier park, Cape Henlopen was an Army base. The Fort Miles Historic Area features restored soldiers’ barracks, a gun park and an observation tower you can climb for a 360-degree view. Tours of Battery 519 are available by appointment. (645-6852, destateparks.com/attractions/fort-miles/index.asp)
Dining: Add a dash of Victorian atmosphere to your meal at The Buttery, located in a Victorian landmark. (645-7755, butteryrestaurant.com)
