Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Delaware Fenwick Island Discoversea Shipwreck Museum

Discoversea Shipwreck Museum

A desiccated merman and a walrus penis bone are among the oddities in this eclectic collection of shipwreck treasures.

Fenwick Island, Delaware

J jens profile photo
Added By
jen s
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Merman.   jens / Atlas Obscura User
Walrus penis bone.   jens / Atlas Obscura User
The exterior of the museum.   Map Date © 2017 Google
The museum has its own research and conservation lab   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
  Deniseg2266 / Atlas Obscura User
Treasures from the sea!   blimpcaptain / Atlas Obscura User
Chamber pot from the RMS Titanic   Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
“X” marks the spot   Edward Denny / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

If you’re looking to take a break from the beaches of Delaware’s Fenwick Island, be sure to check out the area's unique Shipwreck Museum. It’s stocked with an abundance of treasures plucked from shipwrecks both local and distant.

You enter through a cheesy seashell shop, complete with a homemade animatronic welcomer and claw game. Go upstairs, and you’ll find the life passion of a diver who personally collected most of these remains from shipwrecks. (Some of the artifacts on display were also donated by the public.) 

The museum holds about 10,000 artifacts, making it one of the largest collections of its kind along the Mid-Atlantic seaboard. It’s full of treasures like gold bars, a desiccated Feejee mermaid, a taxidermy shark, and a bone from a walrus’s penis, known as an oosik. 

There’s also a handmade diorama of a shipwreck recovery scene, which includes blue cellophane, rubber fish, and tiny diving men. It’s an ever-changing exhibit, so there’s no guarantee as to what you’ll uncover.

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Know Before You Go

Make sure you check hours, especially if it's not beach season.

Community Contributors

J jens profile photo

Added By

jens

Edward Denny profile photo Kerry Wolfe profile photo Deniseg2266 profile photo

Edited By

Edward Denny, Kerry Wolfe, Deniseg2266

  • Edward Denny profile photo Edward Denny
  • Kerry Wolfe profile photo Kerry Wolfe
  • Deniseg2266 profile photo Deniseg2266

Published

October 18, 2017

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.discoversea.com/
  • https://exploreoc.com/listing/DiscoverSea-Shipwreck-Museum

Related Tags

Museums And Collections Museums Collections Shipwrecks Mermaids Whale Bones
Discoversea Shipwreck Museum
708 Coastal Highway
Fenwick Island, Delaware
United States
38.457304, -75.052602
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Transpeninsular Line Marker

Fenwick Isle, Delaware

miles away

Chief Little Owl

Bethany Beach, Delaware

miles away

Cecile Steele's Chicken House

Ocean View, Delaware

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Delaware

Delaware

United States

Places 53
Stories 1

Nearby Places

Transpeninsular Line Marker

Fenwick Isle, Delaware

miles away

Chief Little Owl

Bethany Beach, Delaware

miles away

Cecile Steele's Chicken House

Ocean View, Delaware

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Delaware

Delaware

United States

Places 53
Stories 1

Related Places

  • Zwaanendael Museum.

    Lewes, Delaware

    Zwaanendael Museum

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

  • A crystal skull.

    Wilmington, North Carolina

    Museum of the Bizarre

    A curious collection of oddities including a lock of Alexander Hamilton's hair and Harry Houdini's ouija board.

  • Hastings prides itself on its status as the birthplace of Kool-Aid.

    Hastings, Nebraska

    The Hastings Museum Kool-Aid Exhibit

    The home for all things Kool-Aid offers everything except a chance to actually enjoy the drink.

  • Bentside Spinet

    Manchester, England

    RNCM Collection of Historic Musical Instruments

    Over 300 historical instruments from around the world can be found in the Royal Northern College of Music's basement.

  • Outside Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum in Boulder City, NV, with the owner’s custom hearse parked in front.

    Boulder City, Nevada

    Tom Devlin’s Monster Museum

    A professional special effects makeup artist’s collection of horror creatures and one-of-a-kind recreations on display in downtown Boulder City.

  •  The 1962 Chevrolet Bel Air Bubble Top was such an icon, that even the Beach Boys sang its praises. Their song “409,” appeared on both their 1962 album Surfin’ Safari and 1963’s Little Deuce Coupe.

    Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

    Wheels of Yesteryear

    From the 1940 Ford Coupe that started it all 50 years ago, this collection of over 150 classic vehicles celebrates the spirit and history of American car craft.

  • Every tour begins in the basement, featuring a bar decorated in Russian vodka labels.

    Staten Island, New York

    Booze History Museum

    Crammed into several rooms of a Staten Island home, this museum is a vodka-soaked paean to the pleasures of drinking.

  • Stazione Neapolis

    Naples, Italy

    Stazione Neapolis

    A special area of the National Archaeological Museum of Naples is located inside a metro station.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.