About Zwaanendael Museum
The Zwaanendael Museum is a Delaware state museum in central Lewes, built in 1931 to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Swanendael, the Dutch settlement established nearby in 1631. Its stepped-gable design was modeled on historic architecture in Hoorn, the Netherlands, giving the museum itself a strong visual connection to the Dutch origins of European settlement in the area.
Inside, visitors encounter exhibits and artifacts connected to the history of Lewes and coastal Sussex County, including maritime activity, shipwrecks, military history, changing coastal communities, and local social history. The museum is a compact but useful introduction to the long history of Delaware's coast and pairs especially well with the other historic sites in downtown Lewes.
