Tours and Workshops

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.

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.

Historic Lewes Architecture Tour

$15 | 1 hr | 1/4 mile

This one-hour evening walking tour explores about a quarter mile of Lewes, focusing on the exterior architecture of houses representing five centuries. A guide leads guests along city sidewalks to view historic facades and share stories, including a stop to admire the oldest house in Delaware that remains on its original 1685 foundation. The pace is gentle but involves standing and short walks between sites. 

What’s included

• Guided commentary on the exterior architecture of Lewes houses spanning five centuries
• Viewing of the oldest house in Delaware still on its original 1685 foundation
• Enjoy an evening stroll through historic streets


Itinerary

•Tour starts and ends in front of the Sussex Tavern, on the grounds of the Historic Lewes Complex at 110 Shipcarpenter Street, Lewes.
• Free parking is usually available on 3rd Street in front of the Complex.
*Bring an umbrella for misty or light rainy conditions.
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Lewes Legends Evening Tour

6:00pm, Wednesdays & Sundays, April - Sept. Now available Wednesdays and Saturdays in November! 4:00-5:30 PM

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.

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

Adults :  $20
Youth – 13 to 16 :  $10
Child – 8 to 13 :  $5

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Haunted Histories Paranormal Tours

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, while investigating the legends swearing that spirits still reside there. Experience for yourself the echoes of the past.

Tours start at either 8:00 or 10:00 PM depending on the date, please see the dates listed below for more information

From 8:00 PM until 10:30 Dates: March 14th, April 11, May 2, June 13, September 12, October 10, November 14, December 19th!

From 10 PM until 12:30 Dates: September 5th, October 3rd, November 7th, and December 12th!

Please note, the special Halloween Night Edition of the Haunted Histories Tour is $40 per person.

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Haunted Histories Paranormal Investigations—Special Halloween Edition!

Sat., Oct. 31,  |  10 p.m.–12:30 a.m.
Haunted Histories Paranormal Investigations—Special Halloween Edition!
110 Shipcarpenter St., Lewes
Join First State Paranormal Investigations and the Lewes Historical Society for a special spine-tingling paranormal adventure on Halloween eve. This two-and-a-half-hour tour explores the eerie past of Lewes through real stories of long-ago residents. Cost: $40 per adult. To register, visit https://www.historiclewes.org/tours/

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History Highlights Walking Tour

$15 | 45-60 minutes | 1.0 miles

11:00am, Weds- Sat, April - October

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 spotlight tour!

Note: Some days will not have a highlights tour due to holidays, events, ecetera

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

$20 | 60 minutes | 1.5 miles

4:00-6:00 pm, Tuesdays, June - Oct.

This 60-minute tour highlights and celebrates the history and accomplishments of an often overlooked and diverse community in Lewes.

For private tours email Pat@historiclewes.org for more details.

 

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Revolutionary Lewes

$20 | 60 minutes | 1.2 miles

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

This 60-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: April 10th & 24th,  May 8th & 22, June 12 & 26, July 10 & 24th, August 14 & 28th, , September 11th & 25rd, October 9th & 23rd.

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Shipwreck Rescues

Shipwrecks & Rescues Tour

$25 per person | 60 minutes | 1.0 miles

7:00pm

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:

  • Saturday, August 1 @ 7:00
  • Thursday, August 27 @ 7:00
  • Thursday, September 24 @ 6:00
  • Thursday, October 22 @ 6:00

Please note, tours run every 15 minutes after the initial start time. Click the booking option to learn more and select your time.

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