Lightship Overfalls

Retired United States Lightship LV 118, A National Historic Landmark Museum Ship On The Lewes And Rehoboth Canal, Restored And Run By A Volunteer Non Profit Foundation · Lewes, Delaware

The Lightship Overfalls is a retired floating lighthouse moored on the Lewes and Rehoboth Canal along Pilottown Road, a short walk from Canalfront Park. A lightship did the job of a lighthouse where no tower could stand: anchored over a shoal or a harbor approach, it carried lights on its masts, a fog signal and later a radio beacon, and its crew lived aboard for weeks. This one, LV-118, was built in the late 1930s, among the last lightships built for the US Lighthouse Service before it was folded into the Coast Guard. It served other stations before coming to Lewes, including Cornfield Point in Long Island Sound and later the Boston station - confirm - and was painted with the name of the Overfalls station off Cape Henlopen, a stretch of rough water over shoals, when it arrived in the 1970s. A volunteer foundation has restored it, and it is now a National Historic Landmark - confirm. The red hull, two masts and bold white lettering make it easy to spot. Tours are seasonal, from May, and short. Inside it is cramped, with steep ladders between decks.

219 Pilottown Road, Lewes, Delaware, 19958, United States

This is a SEASONAL site. The 2026 season opened on Saturday 16 May with Lewes Maritime Day, and in season the ship has been open for tours Thursday to Monday, mostly in the mornings into early afternoon - confirm the exact times, which depend on volunteers. It is CLOSED to walk-in tours on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and outside the season, roughly from late autumn to mid-May, it is not open for regular tours at all; group and off-season visits can be arranged by appointment with the foundation. A small adult fee is charged, around USD 5 (confirm), and children have been free. Tours can stop without warning for thunderstorms, high wind, heat or maintenance, and special events such as Maritime Day change the pattern for the day. The last visitors are let aboard before closing, so arriving in the final half hour risks being turned away. The outside of the ship can be seen from the canal bank at any time for free. Confirm the season's closing date and hours before you go.

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