12 Beautiful, Unknown and Historic Delaware Lighthouses

Along the Mid-Atlantic coastline, over 40 lighthouses shine a beacon across the waters they protect, and Delaware is no exception.

Delaware lighthouses are easy to visit, whether you want to walk to the top, view from afar or hop on a lighthouse cruise to see as many as possible in one day.

What type of Lighthouse can you visit?

Whether you climb the stairs, walk the grounds, sail by or stay in the lighthouse keeper’s room, spend time enjoying the beauty of the stunning and historic lighthouses along the Mid-Atlantic Rivers, Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay, along with the lovely views they provide every visitor.

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Delaware Lighthouses

As you visit the lighthouses, imagine the dangers that would have lurked as sailors navigated the waters before the lighthouses existed.

Find out the location of the lighthouses, when and how you can visit, along with how you can rent the keeper’s house for a night!

Lighthouses in Delaware You Can Enter

Fenwick Island Lighthouse

• Address: 146th Street, Fenwick Island, Delaware
• Website
• Open: 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM
  • Memorial Day Weekend – Saturday/Sunday
  • June/September – Friday – Sunday
  • July/August – Thursday – Monday

The Fenwick Island Lighthouse, located in southern Delaware along the Delaware/Maryland line, has a conical 87-foot tower, and sailors can see the light 15 miles out.

Overfalls Lightship Station

• Address: 219 Pilottown Road, Lewes, Delaware
• Website

After serving as a lightship station off Long Island Sound, Cape Cod and Boston, the Overfalls Lightship is now a floating museum in Lewes. 

The Overfalls is one of 17 lightships that remain today and only one of seven open to visitors.

Cherry Island Rear Range Light

• Address: Riverside Drive, Bellefonte, Delaware

On the Delaware River’s western shore, the Cherry Island Rear Range has a constant red light to guide ships heading north to Philadelphia.  

You can view the 35-foot skeletal tower from the northern end of River Road Park. The ground surrounding the tower is open, but you can also get a good view from the parking lot.

Private Lighthouses in Delaware to View

The following lighthouses are privately owned and closed to the public, but you can still catch a peek of them from certain spots close by.

Liston Front Range

Liston Front Range is on the Delaware River and can be viewed several miles south of Port Pen along Route 9, close to the intersection of St. Augustine Road and Bayview Road.

Liston Rear Range Lighthouse

• Address: 405 Port Penn Rd, Middletown, Delaware 19709

Safely view the Liston Rear Range Lighthouse from the Hickory Grove Cemetery at 428 Port Penn Rd, Middletown, DE 19709.

Marcus Hook Rear Range Lighthouse

Address: 313 Lighthouse Road, Wilmington, Delaware

If you want to catch a peek at the Marcus Hook Rear Range Lighthouse, a great spot to see it is from the north side of Fox Point State Park.

Cruises to Delaware Lighthouses

There are several lighthouse tours that take you past historic landmarks in the state of Delaware. You’ll see original lighthouses, ones that have been rebuilt and a few that aren’t your typical light station.

If you happen to be headed to Cape May, NJ, you may catch a glimpse of a few lighthouses in Delaware from the Cape May Lewes Ferry just north of Rehoboth Beach.

Cape Water Taxi

Cape Water Taxi will take you on a 90-minute cruise where you will have time to explore the 49-foot cast iron Delaware Breakwater East End Lighthouse and surrounding area.

If you don’t have time for the cruise, head to Cape Henlopen State Park, where you can view the lighthouse from the park’s northeastern corner.

Delaware Bay Lights

Delaware Bay Lights offers a cruise to the 76-foot Harbor of Refuge Lighthouse that sits just off Cape Henlopen in the Delaware Bay. Their cruise also goes by the East End Lighthouse.

Cape May Whale Watcher

Catch the Grand Lighthouse Cruise that Cape May Whale Watcher offers at 10am on four Saturday mornings throughout late spring and summer.

During the cruise, while sailing through the Delaware Bay’s mid-channel, learn a little about each of the seven lighthouses you will pass, and have an opportunity to take some great lighthouse photos

Lighthouses in Delaware you will see:

• Brandywine Shoal
• Cape May
• Crossledge Shoal
• Elbow of Crossledge
• Fourteen Foot Shoal
• Miah Maul Shoal
• Ship John Shoal