FMHA Museum Happenings is published monthly and more frequently as needed to keep you up to date on Fort Miles Museum events.
BATTERY 519 TOURS AND MUSEUM HOURS
This month, indoor tours of Battery 519 are offered:
Fridays and Saturdays: 11 a.m. through Dec. 17. Tours resume at 11 a.m. Jan. 6 and 7.
Note: Battery 519 opens at 10 a.m. and closes at 4 p.m. each Friday and Saturday. For those who do not wish to join a guided tour, access to the free Oil Still Bleeds exhibit is available as is limited access to museum exhibits. Note: The last open date in December is the 17th.
Reservations are recommended for all tours conducted by Delaware State Parks. Visit destateparks.com/programs and click on Fort Miles Historical Area under Choose A Park. For “day of” reservations only: 302-644-5007.
No tours are offered after Dec. 17, 2022. Tours resume Jan. 6, 2023.
MORE FORT MILES-RELATED DECEMBER PROGRAMS
Reservations are recommended for the programs and tours below. Reservations can be made at destateparks.com/programs. For “day of” reservations only or other information: 302-644-5007.
HOMEFRONT HOLIDAYS: 1940s DINNER AND DANCE
5:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 17
NEW. Swing back to the 1940s with this holiday party, proudly presented by First State Heritage Park and the Fort Miles Historic Area. Pull out your pinstripes and do up your Victory Rolls to celebrate the holidays as if it’s 1942. We’re re-creating the Christmas dinner served to troops stationed at Fort Miles during World War II and bringing out the smooth stylings of Madison Coleman and the World War Tunes band. We’re offering swing dance lessons to help you cut a rug. This holiday evening takes place in historic Battery 519, an underground bunker built to defend Delaware’s coasts during World War II. The $90 ticket includes dinner, musical entertainment, swing dance lessons and a guided tour. A ticketed cash bar will serve during the evening.
FORT MILES LANTERN TOUR
5:30 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 10
Tour Battery 519 by lantern light as your state parks guide reveals U-Boats on the prowl, sailors in distress and insights into a soldier’s life at Fort Miles during World War II. Tours meet at the Fort Miles Orientation Building. For ages 10 and up with a paying adult. $6 per person.
SEASIDE HISTORY HIKE
11 a.m., Wednesday, Dec. 14
A park historian leads a walk across a sandy trail toward Delaware Bay. See World War II relics, uncover the Delaware Breakwater Quarantine Station and hear tales of pirates. Tours meet at Seaside Nature Center. Wear walking shoes and dress for the weather. For ages 7 and older with an adult. Limit 15. Online registration ends 24 hours before the program. After that, call 302-655-5007. $3 per person.
OIL STILL BLEEDS EXHIBIT CONTINUES
Oil Still Bleeds is a tribute to Delaware’s forgotten servicemen who were at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. The free exhibit is designed around a 650-pound relic from the battleship USS Arizona, which was sunk during the attack and still bleeds oil to the lagoon surface. The exhibit includes two interactive touch screens to educate visitors about the Pearl Harbor attack and the sinking of the Arizona.
This exhibit and the 16-inch artillery barrel outside the main entrance represent the bookends of WWII. Oil Still Bleeds represents the beginning of the war. The surrender ceremony ending the war took place under the 16-inch barrel on board the USS Missouri. This is one of the few sites where visitors can visualize the beginning and end of World War II.
In December, Oil Still Bleeds will be open for viewing from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. The museum will be closed Dec. 23, 24, 30 and 31, reopening Jan. 6 and 7.