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All the United States Delaware Lewes Zwaanendael Museum

Zwaanendael Museum

A grotesque Fiji merman dwells within this traditional Dutch-style building.

Lewes, Delaware

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horticulturcat
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Zwaanendael Museum.   Smallbones
Zwaanendael Museum.   Smallbones
The Fiji merman.   Kristen Lou
The Fiji merman.   Kristen Lou
Zwaanendael Museum Sign   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Museum display including wooden shoes!   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Collage can   jens / Atlas Obscura User
Information about the merman exhibit   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Zwaanendael Museum   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Intricate spirals and colorful shutters adorn the exterior.   Nan Palmero
Zwaanendael Museum.   Art Anderson
Zwaanendael Merman Exhibit   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Ancient provisions   jens / Atlas Obscura User
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About

This traditional Dutch-style building houses a not-so-traditional inhabitant: A Fiji merman. From its perch atop a princely blue velvet cushion, the monster-like creature greets visitors in all its grotesque glory.

The Zwaanendael Museum was founded to commemorate the 300th anniversary of Zwaanendael, the first Dutch colony in Delaware. A statue of David Pietersen de Vries, the leader of the group that founded the settlement, crowns the roof.

With its stepped facade, intricately carved spiral stones, and decorated shutters, the building looks a well-preserved sliver of 17th-century Dutch architecture. It was modeled after the old city hall in Hoorn, in the Netherlands.

Not surprisingly, its contents detail the maritime and terrestrial history of the county and its earliest European inhabitants. It’s packed with information on the local history and geography, including exhibits on the shipwrecks and lighthouses dotting the coast.

But one particular item stands out from the rest. The Fiji Merman is perhaps the museum’s most intriguing object. The disturbing creation—the shriveled head of a monkey sewn onto a fish’s body— was made in China in the 19th century. The Martin family, a local family, loaned the strange monster to the museum in the 1940s. After the family died off, the museum purchased it and has continued to display it ever since. 

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Museums And Collections Museums Collections Colonial America Mermaids

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The museum is free to visit, but donations are accepted.

Community Contributors

Added By

horticulturcat

Edited By

Kerry Wolfe, jens, blimpcaptain, Deniseg2266

  • Kerry Wolfe
  • jens
  • blimpcaptain
  • Deniseg2266

Published

March 12, 2018

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Sources
  • https://history.delaware.gov/museums/zm/activities.shtml
  • https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/11307
Zwaanendael Museum
102 Kings Hwy
Lewes, Delaware
United States
38.774072, -75.139192
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Nearby Places

Lewes Town Clock

Lewes, Delaware

miles away

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Lewes, Delaware

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Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lewes

Lewes

Delaware

Places 6
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Lewes Town Clock

Lewes, Delaware

miles away

The Cannonball House

Lewes, Delaware

miles away

Menhaden Fishing Net Reel

Lewes, Delaware

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Lewes

Lewes

Delaware

Places 6
Stories 1

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