Parks & Beaches
The City of Lewes offers several parks and beaches for the enjoyment of its residents and visitors. The following is a brief description and photo gallery for each.
Click here for an Overview of Delaware's State Parks
Lewes Canalfront Park & Marina
1812 Memorial Park
The 1812 Memorial Park is located a stone's throw from downtown Second Street and serves as the entrance to the Otis Smith City Dock.The park was created to commemorate the defense of Lewes against a two-day bombardment by the British fleet on April 6-7, 1813. Many cannon balls from the attack were collected by local residents and preserved to this day. The site was a defense battery during the War of 1812 and is marked by a granite monument placed by the National Society, U.S. Daughters of 1812. Four large guns on the upper lumps were contributed by the government. Between them is a small gun believed taken from a pirate vessel abandoned in the creek. A three-inch naval gun on the lower terrace, used during World War 1, was placed by the American Legion in 1930.
Zwaanendael Park & Herb Garden
Located at the corner of Savannah Road and Kings Highway, the Zwaanendael Park chronicles our heritage and displays the colorful images of summer at its best. The Park is home to the Zwaanendael Museum and the 18th Century Fisher Martin House, which is also the Lewes Chamber of Commerce and Visitor's Center. The park contains a central foundation and an authentic Colonial herb garden.
Mary Vessels Park
Situated at the corner of Market and Front Street, Mary Vessels Park is the ideal location to stop and rest, eat an ice cream cone and watch the people passing by. A large magnolia tree provides a shady umbrella over a delightful gazebo.
George H. P. Smith Park
George H.P. Smith Park is located at the end of Dupont Avenue, where there is a paved parking lot right next to the Children's Playground. Boasting a pond shaded with native flora and inhabited by indigenous fauna, Smith Park is the perfect place for a family picinic and exercise. Facilities to help make your visit enjoyable include a fenced children's playground, a butterfly garden, a walking path with benches an a horseshoe pit. Fishing is allowed and encouraged.
Lewes Beaches
Bay and ocean beaches in and near Lewes, Delaware provide swimming, fishing, boating and a host of other watersports. Weddings are sometimes conducted on one of Lewes' beaches - for additional information or to schedule a beach wedding, contact Lewes City Hall.