Free & Cheap Things to Do in Rehoboth Beach

Parks & Nature

A mile-long wooden boardwalk along the Atlantic, shorter and quieter than Maryland or New Jersey's neighbors but rich in classic seashore character. Free benches every few yards face the ocean, free restrooms and showers, and full wheelchair-and-stroller accessibility. The boardwalk's eateries (Thrasher's fries, Grotto pizza, funnel cakes), shops, Funland amusement park, and the Bandstand all sit just steps from the sand.

Address: Rehoboth Ave & The Boardwalk, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Tip: Bikes allowed on the boardwalk only 5–10am from May 15 through September 15 (no time limit other times of year). Leashed dogs permitted only September 16–May 14, when lifeguards are off. The whole boardwalk is smoke-free, including the bandstand plaza and dune crossings. Free public parking is hard to find in season — try residential blocks north of Rehoboth Ave.

Parks & Nature

Delaware's longest rail trail — a 5-mile crushed-stone path on a former Penn Central railroad bed, connecting Rehoboth Beach to Lewes via mature hardwood and conifer forests, open fields, and scenic coastal-marsh vistas at the Wolfe Glade and Holland Glade crossings. Easy contour, suitable for hikers, bikers, joggers, and strollers. Free, dawn to dusk.

Address: Hebron Rd off Route 1, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971 (trailhead)

Tip: No parking at the official Rehoboth Beach trailhead on Hebron Road — park in downtown Rehoboth and bike to the trail, or use the Lewes Kings Highway trailhead opposite Cape Henlopen High School. Interpretive signs along the route ID plants and wildlife. The trail's eastern end is adjacent to Cape Henlopen State Park — easy to pair.

Family Fun

A nostalgic family-run amusement park on the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk, in operation since 1962. 18 classic and modern rides — carousel, Sea Dragon, kiddie coasters, Haunted Mansion — plus arcades, Skee-Ball, and games. Free to enter; pay only for the rides you ride, with individual tickets at just 75¢ each and rides costing 1–6 tickets. A genuine budget pick for families with kids.

Address: 6 Delaware Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Tip: Open seasonally — typically opens early May with limited weekend hours, then full schedule from Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day. Buy tickets in bundles for the best per-ride value. The Haunted Mansion is the unofficial classic for older kids. Visit early evening when the boardwalk lights come on; lines double after dinner.

Arts & Culture

An open-air concert venue just steps from the boardwalk that has hosted free summer concerts since 1963 — over 40 bands per season, tribute acts, regional musicians, and the occasional national act. The concert series runs from mid-June through Labor Day weekend, Friday through Sunday nights at 8pm. All performances sponsored by the City of Rehoboth Beach. Always free.

Address: 5 Rehoboth Ave (at the Boardwalk), Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Tip: Bring a beach chair or blanket — limited bandstand seating fills up. Mid-June through Labor Day, Fri–Sun 8pm. 2026 highlights include Zac Brown Band, Fleetwood Mac, Journey, and Elton John tribute acts. Arrive 30 minutes early on weekends for a good spot. Free wherever you sit on the surrounding plaza.

Iconic Landmarks

Delaware's oldest candy maker, established in Rehoboth Beach in 1926 and on the boardwalk corner since 1927. Hand-makes salt water taffy in over 24 flavors, plus caramel corn, fudge, chocolates, and brittles — all on premises. The iconic Dolle's name is a Rehoboth Beach institution. Free to walk in and smell the candy boil; pay only for what you take home.

Address: 1 N Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Tip: Open year-round (unusual for boardwalk shops). The current location is just 50 feet up Rehoboth Ave from the iconic original corner spot — same family, same recipes. Salt water taffy is the must-try; the key lime truffles get strong reviews too. A 1/2-pound mixed-flavor bag runs around $7.

History & Culture

A community history museum housed in Rehoboth Beach's restored 1929 Ice Plant building, telling the story of how this tiny Methodist camp-meeting town became Delaware's #1 summer destination. Exhibits cover the Beach Patrol, historic storms, Funland, the Methodist camp meeting era, and local cuisine. Operated by the Rehoboth Beach Historical Society. Admission is on a voluntary donation basis.

Address: 511 Rehoboth Ave, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Tip: Open year-round but hours vary by season — summer (Memorial Day–Oct 30): Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri 10am–4pm, Sat–Sun 10am–2pm, closed Wednesdays. Winter: Fri 10am–4pm, Sat–Sun 10am–2pm. Closed January and February entirely. Pick up the free Kids Activity Guide at the front desk (ages 7–10). Allow 45–60 minutes.

History & Culture

The original 1876 U.S. Life-Saving Service station at Indian River Inlet, restored and operated as a maritime museum by Delaware State Parks. Tells the story of the precursor to today's U.S. Coast Guard — the lifesavers who patrolled these treacherous shoals on foot through wind and snow to rescue shipwrecked sailors. On the National Register of Historic Places. 15 minutes south of Rehoboth Beach on Coastal Highway.

Address: 25039 Coastal Highway, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Tip: Open April–September with reduced winter hours; self-guided tours available year-round. The wooden architecture is the National Register draw — a one-and-a-half story board-and-batten station with a lookout cupola. Pair with a stop at the adjacent Delaware Seashore State Park beaches ($10 DE / $20 out-of-state vehicle fee, or walk in free). Last admission 30 minutes before closing.

Parks & Nature

Rehoboth's own way into Cape Henlopen State Park: a little over five miles out and back on crushed stone and elevated boardwalk, skirting a 900-acre saltwater lagoon with two scenic overlooks and the Great Dune rising 80 feet behind it. Gordons Pond is one of only four places in North America rated a migration superhighway for waterfowl, so the birding is exceptional.

Address: Gordons Pond parking area, Ocean Drive, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Tip: Walking or biking in costs nothing - the fee is only for parking in the state park lots at either end. The south trailhead is the Rehoboth side; the north end comes out at Herring Point in Lewes. Bring binoculars in spring and autumn migration.

Arts & Culture

A free art campus on three and a half wooded acres in Henlopen Acres, a mile from Rehoboth Avenue, built around the 1743 Peter Marsh Homestead on the National Register of Historic Places. Six galleries carry more than two dozen exhibitions a year, and a historic formal garden sits behind the homestead.

Address: 12 Dodds Lane, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Tip: Galleries are open Monday to Saturday 10am-4pm and Sunday noon-4pm, free year-round. The Homestead building itself only opens May 1 through October 31. It is an easy walk or cycle from the boardwalk and the best free rainy-day stop in town.

Markets & Food

A Tuesday market in Grove Park, next to the visitor centre and the Rehoboth Beach Museum, where Sussex County growers bring produce, flowers and prepared food alongside local makers. Free to walk through, and a cheaper lunch than anything on Rehoboth Avenue.

Address: Grove Park, Rehoboth Beach, DE 19971

Tip: Tuesdays 10am-2pm, May through October. Grove Park is a block off Rehoboth Avenue, so it pairs naturally with the Rehoboth Beach Museum next door.