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Established by the Dutch in 1631, Swanendael was the first European colony in Delaware. The Zwaanendael Museum commemorates the history of the state, particularly of maritime, military, and social history as it is relevant to the Lewes region.
Exhibits include wreckage from the sloop DeBraak, which was lost off the coast of Delaware in 1798 and is the only known recovered ship of its kind anywhere in the world, artifacts from sailors and ships in the Delaware area, and a second-floor art gallery. The museum is also home to the Zwaanendael merman, a mid-19th century piece of sailor's art made of hair, ivory, glass, and a shrunken monkey's head, among other things.
Address: Zwaanendael Museum, 102 Kings Hwy, Lewes, DE 19958, Phone: 302-645-1148
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