Zwaanendael Museum

Free State History Museum In Lewes, Built In 1931 For The 300th Anniversary Of The Dutch Zwaanendael Settlement And Run By The Delaware Division Of Historical And Cultural Affairs · Lewes, Delaware

The Zwaanendael Museum is a small, free state museum at the corner of Kings Highway and Savannah Road in Lewes, and the building is half the reason to go. It went up in 1931 for the 300th anniversary of Zwaanendael, the Dutch whaling post planted near here in 1631 and destroyed within a year in a conflict with the local Native people. The design is modeled on the old town hall of Hoorn in the Netherlands, with a tall stepped gable, carved stone trim, painted shutters and a statue of the Dutch captain David Pietersen de Vries standing at the top of the gable - confirm. Inside, two modest floors of exhibits cover the lost settlement and why it counted in later border fights with Maryland, the pilots and wrecks of the Cape Henlopen coast, the British bombardment of Lewes in April 1813, and artifacts from the British warship DeBraak, lost off Cape Henlopen in 1798. The state Division of Historical and Cultural Affairs runs it. It takes under an hour, it is not a day out, and it is still the right first stop in town.

102 Kings Highway, Lewes, Delaware, 19958, United States

Admission is FREE, and there is no ticket or booking for an ordinary visit. The museum runs on a two-season week. From Memorial Day to the end of September it has been open Tuesday to Saturday, and from October to Memorial Day it drops to Wednesday to Saturday; in both seasons the day runs from about mid-morning to a little after 4 PM (recently about 10 AM to 4:15 PM - confirm). It is CLOSED on Sundays and Mondays all year, which catches many weekend visitors who arrive on a Sunday, and it closes on state holidays, so a holiday Monday or a Saturday around Christmas can find the doors shut. Staffing is small, and a weather emergency or a staff shortage can close it at short notice. Because the closing time is mid-afternoon, a visit that starts after about 3:30 PM will feel rushed. Groups and school parties should arrange a time in advance. Special programs and talks run on their own schedule. Confirm the current days and hours with the state museums before you plan around them.

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