Indian River Life-Saving Station Museum – Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

Indian River Life-Saving Station Museum – Rehoboth Beach, Delaware

It was built in 1876 to be used by the United States Lifesaving Service which was established because of the alarming number of shipwrecks along the coastline.  The building was originally built 400 feet closer to the shore but a sand dune began to form around it almost immediately so it was moved to its present location in 1877.

The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

You will be able to take a tour with a costumed interpreter and learn about what the station was like during that era and some of the adventures the staff faced while on duty.

The lifesaving station is the oldest one still in its original location on the East Coast.  Its lifesaving days ended when the Storm of 1962 filled it with more than two feet of sand.

Marintime commerce expanded after the Civil War and it was necessary to improve the methods of helping ships that were in distress.  The Indian River Life-Saving Station was part of a network of similar facilities which were constructed along the Atlantic seaboard.

The Life-saving Service and Revenue Cutter Serve were merged into the United States Coast Guard.

The station was manned by a keeper and six surfmen from September through May which was considered the height of the shipwreck season.  Watchers in the cupola watched the coastline during the day and at night there were patrols along the beach.  It is estimated that the service saved approximately 177,000 lives over a 44 year span from 1871 through 1915.

The Coast Guard continued to operate the station until 1962 when new technology made the walking sufmen obsolete, but their heroics are chronicled in the museum.

Location: on Route 1 in the Delaware Seashore State Park, 3 miles south of Dewey Beach or 1 mile north of Indian River International Bridge.

Address: 130 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach, Delaware 19971

Phone: 302-227-6991

Hours: Monday – Sunday 8 – 4.

Admission: $4 for Adults, $3 for Seniors, $2 for children ages 6 – 12, and children under 5 are admitted Free.

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