Lewes Historical Society and Lewes Ferry offer tours of Lewes

From Captain Kidd and the eternal rhythms of the tides to the salty courage of the Delaware pilots and the nationally recognized architecture of the historic district, Lewes's past is colorful, unique and proud. The ancient beam of the old Cape Henlopen Lighthouse still haunts the local seas and local imaginations in Delaware's saltiest town.

With Lewes’s wealth of intriguing historical sites, fascinating museums, distinctive boutiques, array of savory restaurants and pristine beaches, The Lewes Historical Society invites visitors to tour the region and explore the rich local history. Visitors will discover historic destinations downtown, learn fun facts about the region’s maritime history and experience history as it comes alive.

The Lewes Historical Society and the Cape May-Lewes Ferry offer trolley tours of historic Lewes.

Historic Trolley Full Tour: Visitors will take a trolley tour around historic Lewes and learn about the history, the architecture and the people who have helped shape this picturesque town. This tour will acquaint guests with the Lewes of yesterday and today, as they ride 5 1/2 miles around town.

Through Sept. 10, the Historic Trolley Full Tours will begin at 12:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. This tour lasts for 60 minutes and costs $10 per adult and $5 for students with ID cards and children under 12. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Ryves Holt House Museum Gift Shop or by calling 302-645-7670. Tours leave from the trolley stop at the corner of Second and Market streets, beside St. Peter’s cemetery.

Historic Trolley Quick Tour: For visitors who are in town for only a short time or awaiting the next ferry, the Historic Trolley Quick Tour is the best choice. Visitors will receive a glimpse of Lewes’s past and learn about the people who lived, worked and played in a town often referred to as “not a beach town, but a town with a beach.”

Through Sept. 10, Historic Trolley Quick Tours will begin at 11:15 a.m., Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. This tour lasts for 35 minutes and is $10 per adult and $5 for students with ID cards and children under 12. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Ryves Holt House Museum Gift Shop or by calling 302-645-7670. Tours leave from the trolley stop at the corner of Second and Market streets, beside St. Peter’s cemetery.

Maritime Trolley Tour: Visitors may take a 60-minute trolley tour that highlights the history of Lewes and the Cape Henlopen region from the early 17th through the 20th century. The tour will travel through Cape Henlopen State Park, and guests will hear about the early explorers of the Delaware Bay, the lighthouses, breakwaters, quarantine station, Fort Miles, and the efforts to secure the area in times of war. As the trolley leaves the park and travels into Lewes, guests will hear about the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, menhaden fishing industry, Delaware River and Bay pilots, Lewes shipbuilding industry, the Lewes Life-Saving Station, the Lightship Overfalls and other topics of maritime interest.

From June 29 to Sept. 7, the Maritime Trolley Tour begins at 11:15 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Mondays. This tour is $10 per adult and $5 for students with ID cards and children under 12. Tickets can be purchased in advance at the Ryves Holt House Museum Gift Shop or by calling 302-645-7670 and are available at the Lewes Ferry Terminal from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. Tours leave from the Lewes Ferry Terminal.

In addition to trolley tours, The Lewes Historical Society also offers the following walking tours:

Life in Lewes Tour: Visitors can take a step back through time to explore the history of life in Lewes. This walking tour will guide guests through six historic buildings at the Lewes Historical Society Campus where they will get to see how Lewes grew from a small Dutch settlement to a bustling seashore town.

Through the end of June, this tour will take place beginning at 2 p.m., Sundays, Fridays, and Saturdays. In July and August, this tour will begin at 2 p.m., Sundays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The cost is $10. Society members, students with ID cards, and children under 12 are free. Life in Lewes Tours leave from the Ryves Holt House Museum Gift Shop. Tickets can be purchased at the shop or by calling 302-645-7670.

Maritime Walking Tour: The Maritime Walking Tour offers an opportunity to journey through Lewes’s salty past while learning of the explorers who first put Lewes on the map, the pirates that sailed the local waters and the brave United States Life-Saving Service men who rescued victims from perilous shipwrecks. This walking tour includes admission to both the Lewes Life-Saving Station and the Cannonball House Maritime Museum.

Through the end of June, this tour will take place beginning at 1 p.m., Mondays and Saturdays. In July and August, this tour will begin at 1 p.m., Saturdays. The cost is $10 and includes admission into the Cannonball House. Society members, students with ID cards, and children under 12 are free. Tours leave from the Ryves Holt House Museum Gift Shop. Tickets can be purchased at the shop or by calling 302-645-7670.

Lewes Legends Tour: Lewes is rich with historic happenings, legends, and tall tales, many of them involving a touch of the paranormal. From the founding of Lewes in 1631 and the massacre of its settlement the following year, to the unknown sailors’ cemetery at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry, some residents never seem to depart. This 90-minute walking tour will introduce visitors to stories of strange happenings in the town of Lewes and will visit the Ryves Holt House, the Burton Ingram House, and the Cannonball House. Flashlights are recommended.

In July and August, this tour begins at 6 p.m, Wednesdays and is $10 per person. Members and students with ID cards are free. Due to the mature content of this tour, children under the age of 12 are strongly discouraged from attending. Tickets can be purchased at the Ryves Holt House Museum Gift Shop or at 302-645-7670, Ext. 12. Tours leave from outside the Ryves Holt House Museum Gift Shop.

For more information go to www.HistoricLewes.org or call 302-645-7670.