Come Visit the Overfallsand we'll give you a tour you won't forget!

The mission of the Overfalls Foundation is to preserve, teach and honor the lightships and their sailors of the United States and the maritime history of our community through the preservation and display of the Lightship Overfalls (LV-118) and its collection of associated maritime artifacts.

Hours, tours, museum and store information.

Events

Special events and activities for the entire community.

Join / Support / Volunteer

Help fulfill our mission through donations, memberships, and volunteer opportunities.

Built in 1938 for the U.S. Lighthouse Service, the LV-118 was decommissioned by the U.S. Coast Guard in 1972 and has been in Lewes, Delaware since 1973. LV-118, renamed Overfalls in honor of the Overfalls Shoals lightship station located nearby and the American lightship sailors that served there, is now preserved, maintained and operated by a dedicated team of volunteers.

Come visit our facilities and learn the story of how the ship went from near ruin to becoming a National Historic Landmark worthy of ship tours and public events. You will hear about the roles lightships played in American history and see what life aboard a lightship was like. We’ll introduce you to the Delaware Maritime Hall of Fame, explain what a Monomoy is and show you several life-size aids to navigation.

Don’t forget to visit the Ship Store and American Lightship Museum where you can learn more about the history of lightships and purchase ship related clothing, jewelry, original artwork, books, maps, and other items.

Plan Your Visit

The Ship, Ship Store and Museum are now closed for the off-season.

There will be special openings to the public on Saturday, November 11th for Veteran’s Day and on Saturday, December 2nd for the Annual Lewes Christmas Market. The Ship, Ship Store and Museum will be open from 10am-4pm both days.

Ship Tours

Take a guided tour above and below decks of the refurbished Overfalls. The last daily tour starts at 3:30.

Group Tours and Off Season tours can be arranged by contacting:
Bob Murphy: (302) 644-8050. tours@overfalls.org

Lightship Overfalls Weather Station

The Lightship Overfalls Weather Station provides current local weather information and a live streaming camera feed of the downtown Lewes waterfront.

Admission

$5.00 – Adults & Children 15+
FREE – Children 14 and under
FREE – Overfalls Foundation members

The Scuttlebutt

So What Kind of Clock Is That?September 20, 2023
Located above the helm on Overfalls, this is a 24 hour Chelsea Clock. The United States military uses 24 hour timekeeping because it make it easier to differentiate between AM and PM. Two thirty in the morning is 0230 hours (usually referred to as “o-two-thirty”). Two thirty in the afternoon is 1430 (or “fourteen-thirty”). This […]
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Overfalls Foundation Seeks New Board Members!  August 3, 2023
Join our team and be a part of preserving Delaware’s only maritime National Historic Landmark!  The Overfalls Foundation is seeking at least 5 volunteers to be nominated in September and elected in October to serve on the Board of Directors.  The Board is actively involved in the operations of the iconic Overfalls Lightship museum, Ship’s Store, and […]
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Happy Birthday LV118!June 4, 2023
Today is the 85th anniversary of the launching of Lightship Overfalls (LV118) and her christening. First named “Cornfield” to associate her with her first duty station at Cornfield Point, the event marked the first time the ship touched the water and is traditionally known as her birthday. Come on down today and have a tour […]
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