Historic Village in Ocean View

Imagine what the busy, sometimes crazy, towns of Coastal Sussex County would have been like in the 1800’s. Dirt roads, one church in town, a general store, farmland everywhere, and many men away from home to work on the boats. Let your imagination come to life at the Historic Village in Ocean View, adjacent to the John West Park. 

Following is a brief description of our Village buildings:

* Tunnell-West House:  Built in 1860 and furnished to represent a typical Civil-war era home.

* Ocean View Post Office:  The first, free-standing post office in Ocean View; built in 1889.

* Cecile Steele's Chicken House:  Exact replica of the chicken house into which Cecile Steele housed her chickens and pioneered the country's broiler industry, exactly 100 years ago.

* Hall's Store Education and Visitor Center: Named in honor of the original name of the Town of Ocean View, Hall's Store showcases a beautiful general store of a bygone era along with a modern center enabling lectures, meetings and other functions.

* Coastal Towns Museum:  A beautiful depiction of our surrounding coastal towns with artifacts befitting of the fascinating history of our beloved Baltimore Hundred. Also on the museum property, be sure to check out one of the oldest barns in Sussex County, the delightful Woodhouseum, and an outhouse, the last two of which were renovated by a local Eagle Scout.

2023 Summer Hours: 

The Historic Village in Ocean View, Delaware is excited to announce our 2023 summer hours. We will be open every Wednesday, starting June 7 to August 30, 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. All of our Village buildings will be open, free of charge, with available docents to provide tours and historical information. The Village will also be open during Town of Ocean View events at the lovely John West Park, including band concerts, movie nights, Cops and Goblins, and the Holiday Market.

Parking is available around John West Park, 32 West Ave, Ocean View, DE.