Walking Tours

Historic Lewes celebrates over 50 years of embracing Lewes’ history by offering multiple tour options to the public. Discover historic destinations downtown, learn intriguing facts about our region’s maritime history, and experience history as it comes alive. Find out about our historic architecture, maritime monuments, lighthouses, cemeteries, and more.

All walking tours start on the Historic Lewes Town Campus (110 Shipcarpenter St.) outside of the Sussex Tavern. 

Please note: Tours often sell out quickly. Pre-registration is required for all tours and closes 30 minutes before the start time.

Shipwreck Rescues

Shipwrecks & Rescues Tour

$25 per person | 60 minutes | 1.0 miles

6:00pm, Last Saturdays, June - Aug.

Going back to the 17th-century and beyond, the Delaware coast is a graveyard for over 2,000 ships who never made Lewes’ safe harbor. They were lost to storms, accidents, incompetence, and even acts of war. In this premier, one-hour program, walk the very beaches that were witness both to horrific disaster and incredible, life-saving heroics as these tales are brought to life by lively storytellers from Historic Lewes and Delaware State Parks.

This tour is proudly offered in partnership with our friends and colleagues at Cape Henlopen State Park.

Dates: June 28th @ 6 p.m., July 26th @ 6 p.m., August 30th @ 6 p.m.

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History Highlights Walking Tour

$10 | 60 minutes | 1.0 miles

11:00am, Thurs - Sat, April - Oct.

Short on time but keen on history? Explore key moments in Lewes’ 300-year story that shaped the character of this First Town in the First State in this daily 45-minute spotlight tour!

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A View into the Past: Historic House Tour

$10 | 60 minutes | 1.0 miles

5:00pm, Thursdays, April - Oct.

The buildings that now serve as up-scale shops, restaurants, and vacation homes once housed a vast support network of maritime trades, necessary to support the seaborne industries of Lewes. A walk through the historic district, the former families and home that stand the test of time.

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Finding Their Voices: The History & Legacy of the African American Community in Lewes

$12 | 90 minutes | 1.5 miles

4:00pm, Tuesdays, May - Oct.

This 90-minute tour highlights and celebrates the history and accomplishments of an often overlooked and diverse community in Lewes.

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Revolutionary Lewes

$15 | 90 minutes | 1.3 miles

6:00pm, Second & Fourth Fridays, May - Oct.

This 90-minute walking tour explores Lewes’ role in the American Revolution. Sitting 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.

Dates: May 9 & 23, June 6 & 20, July 18, August 1 & 15, September 12 & 16, October 10 & 24.

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Lewes Legends Evening Tour

$15 | 90 minutes | 1.5 miles

6:00pm, Wednesdays & Sundays, April - Oct.

This 90-minute walking tour will introduce you to stories of strange happenings in the town. Lewes is rich with historic happenings, legends, and tall tales.

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Haunting History: Paranormal Investigation

$35 | 2.5 hours | 1.0 miles

Do Spirits Remain? Some Say So. Join First State Paranormal Investigations in learning the true tales of past residents of Historic Lewes properties. Experience for yourself the echoes of the past.

Dates (11): April 12, May 10, June 14, Sept 6 & 13, Oct 4 & 11, Nov 1 & 8, Dec 13 & 20.

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