Sail on the Kalmar Nyckel

“Calmare Nyckel” by Jacob Hagg (1922).

Get your tickets on your own
for Saturday, Sept. 30

Have you ever been on the Kalmar Nyckel, the official tall ship of Delaware?

Then come sail the Christina River with your friends and neighbors in this replica of the ship that first brought the Swedes to Wilmington and Philadelphia in 1638. 

To keep costs down, though this is a different type of BYO: Just Buy Your Own tickets online here.

Cost: $40 for adults and $25 for youths 12 and under. 

As of July 10, 2023, the website said 49 tickets were still available. But there’s no guarantee how long they will last.

Simply order your tickets now, go to the ship’s dock at 1124 E. 7th Street in Wilmington and enjoy riding along a river the way the early Swedes did.

By Sept. 17, email Jim@realphillyhistory.com and tell him how many are going … and if you have room in your car for any extras … or need a ride.

Jim will keep a running list of those going and do his best to get people transportation, with no guarantees.

Check-in time at the ship is 1 p.m. It departs at 1:30 p.m. and returns at 3 p.m. 

Before or after the voyage, enjoy the nearby Copeland Maritime Center (CPC) and Wilmington’s historical riverfront. It’s just 200 yards from Fort Christina National Historic Landmark and the original ship’s landing site at “The Rocks” in 1638.

Hours for it are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tickets: $5 for adults and $3 for youths 5 to 17.

If this trip proves to be popular, we may try it again next year with bus service. The bus cost is $1497, not including a tip for the driver. That’s adding an extra $30 or so per person, plus tip. So we’re going on our own this year.