What is Discoversea?

Updated

Discoversea is the website of the DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum, a physical museum in Fenwick Island, Delaware, focused on recovering and preserving maritime heritage. If you're looking for a shipwreck museum to visit, or want to know what the site represents before planning a trip, this is a museum information site rather than an online store or artifact database.

What the museum is

DiscoverSea Shipwreck Museum opened in July 1995 and describes itself as the product of years of research and hard work. Its stated goal is recovering and preserving maritime heritage, and it presents itself as a hands-on experience where visitors "shake hands with history."

Key facts from the museum's own description:

  • It does not receive state or federal grants.
  • It is funded only by owner contributions and public donations.
  • It is an ever-changing exhibit, expanding and diversifying as new artifacts are recovered.
  • Its collection of shipwreck and recovered artifacts is described as one of the largest in the Mid-Atlantic, covering both regional and worldwide artifacts.

What's in the collection

The museum says its current location houses about 10,000 artifacts at all times, while roughly 80% of the collection is rotated through museum exhibits around the world. Its long-range goal is to expand its facilities so the entire collection can be exhibited in one location.

That rotation matters if you're deciding whether to visit: what's on display can change over time as artifacts are recovered and exhibits are swapped.

Visiting: location, hours, and contact

Location: 708 Coastal Highway, Fenwick Island, Delaware — described as conveniently close to major beach attractions.

Contact:

Hours (the museum asks that you call for availability, since hours are subject to change):

Period Hours
May Sat. and Sun., 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
June – August 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. (closed Wednesdays)
September 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. (closed Tuesday & Wednesday)
October – November Sat. and Sun., 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.
December – March Closed for renovations

Admission: Free, with donations appreciated.

Groups: Motor-coach and group tours are available year round.

Practical takeaways

  • If you want to visit: Check the season against the hours table above, and call ahead — the museum explicitly notes hours can change, and it closes for renovations from December through March.
  • If you want to see a specific artifact: Don't assume it's on display. With about 80% of the collection rotating through exhibits worldwide, only a portion is at the Fenwick Island location at any given time.
  • If you're researching shipwreck artifacts: The site functions as an introduction to the museum and its mission, plus visitor logistics — not as a searchable catalog of the collection.
  • If cost is a concern: Admission is free, though donations are the museum's stated funding source alongside owner contributions.