Lewes Public Library
🏢 Sussex County · Lewes, Delaware
Lewes Public Library
Rooted in a 1932 reading room above the Zwaanendael Museum, Lewes Public Library now fills a 28,500-square-foot building at 111 Adams Avenue — with a dedicated Delaware Room, a Teen Tech Suite and free museum passes — and stays open until 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
🕑 Library Hours
| Monday | 10am–8pm |
| Tuesday | 10am–8pm |
| Wednesday | 10am–8pm |
| Thursday | 10am–8pm |
| Friday | 10am–5pm |
| Saturday | 10am–2pm |
| Sunday | Closed |
Hours may vary on holidays; check the library site before visiting.
📍 Location, Contact & Directions
Address: 111 Adams Avenue, Lewes, DE 19958
Phone: (302) 645-2733
Website: lewes.lib.de.us
Plus Code: 87C6QV85+PF (Lewes, DE)
📱 Scan for directions
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👋 Use the Library Online
📖 About Lewes Public Library
Lewes Public Library serves the historic coastal town of Lewes, Delaware — the state's first town — near the mouth of Delaware Bay in eastern Sussex County. It began in 1932 as a small reading room on the upstairs floor of the Zwaanendael Museum, where it remained for some three decades before moving into a room in the west wing of Lewes City Hall. In 1988 the library opened its own 14,000-square-foot building; a 2000 expansion added the Research and Non-Fiction wing and a Children's wing, along with spaces for its Delaware collections. In June 2016 the library moved to its current 28,500-square-foot home at 111 Adams Avenue, more than doubling its space and anchoring a cultural campus alongside area museums and gardens. The library is an independent institution governed by a Board of Trustees of local citizens appointed by the Superior Court of Delaware, and it belongs to the statewide Delaware Library Catalog consortium.
⭐ What makes this library special
- Founded 1932 in a reading room above the Zwaanendael Museum; opened its first standalone building in 1988
- Current 28,500 sq ft building opened June 2016 at 111 Adams Avenue, more than doubling the previous 14,000 sq ft library
- Keeps its Delaware Room — a local-history and genealogy collection — carried forward from the earlier building
- Teen Room with its own Tech Suite, plus study/tutor rooms, a Computer Training Room and community meeting rooms
- Lends free museum passes and takes part in Dolly Parton's Imagination Library for local children
📱 Digital Resources — Free with Your Library Card
Lewes cardholders can stream, research and download free through Delaware's statewide digital collections:
📚 Services
- Delaware Room — local-history and genealogy collection for Lewes and Sussex County
- Free museum passes for cardholders
- Community meeting rooms and study / tutor rooms
- Teen Room with a dedicated Tech Suite
- Computer Training Room and public-access computers
- Wireless (remote) printing, copying and scanning
- Career and social-services support
- Free Wi-Fi throughout the building
🎸 Programs
- Dolly Parton's Imagination Library — free monthly books for enrolled children
- Children's early-literacy programs and storytimes
- Teen programs in the Teen Room and Tech Suite
- Adult book clubs and discussion groups
- Delaware Libraries Summer Reading Program for all ages
📍 Nearby Libraries in Sussex County
Distances are approximate straight-line miles from this library.
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What are Lewes Public Library's hours, and which nights is it open late?
The library is open Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is closed on Sunday. The four late weeknights to 8 p.m. make it easy to visit after work or school.
How did the library grow from a room above a museum to today's building on Adams Avenue?
Lewes Public Library started in 1932 in an upstairs room of the Zwaanendael Museum, later moving into the west wing of Lewes City Hall. It opened its own 14,000-square-foot building in 1988 and expanded in 2000 with new research and children's wings. In June 2016 it moved to its current 28,500-square-foot home at 111 Adams Avenue — more than double the earlier space — while carrying forward popular features like the Delaware Room.
Can I borrow a museum pass at the Lewes Public Library?
Yes. Lewes Public Library lends free museum passes to cardholders, one of several perks alongside meeting rooms, study and tutor rooms, and a Computer Training Room. Passes and availability are listed on the library's website, and a Delaware library card also unlocks the statewide eMedia collections and the Delaware Library Catalog.
Does Lewes Public Library have resources for researching local and family history?
Yes. The library maintains a dedicated Delaware Room with local-history and genealogy materials for Lewes and Sussex County, and cardholders can search a Newspaper Archive of more than 350 historical Delaware, Maryland and Virginia titles spanning the 1860s to 2020, plus genealogy research guides — useful for tracing families in Delaware's first town.
🎨 This library lends museum passes. See how library museum passes work and find other libraries that lend passes museum passes by state.
📜 This library has genealogy & local-history resources. See how library family-history research works and find other libraries with genealogy collections genealogy libraries by state.
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