Dolle’s sign to be hung on Rehoboth Beach Museum June 29

It’s not going to be at the same Boardwalk location, but the iconic Dolle’s sign in Rehoboth Beach will be hung back up Wednesday, June 29.

The Rehoboth Beach Historical Society and the city announced June 28 the sign will be installed on the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal side of the Rehoboth Beach Museum. Milton’s Rogers Sign Co., which removed the sign in December, will be handling the installation.

Nancy Alexander, museum director, said the Dolle’s sign represents many happy memories for people who visit the city.

“Whether it is their first visit or one of many over the years, the sign is a symbol to so many people that vacation has begun,” said Alexander in a prepared statement.

The installation of the sign on the museum has been 18 months in the making. Dolle’s Candyland owner Tom Ibach announced in December 2020 that he would be moving his store from its Boardwalk location by the beginning of the 2021 summer season, and the sign would be taken down by the end of 2021. The sign was removed Dec. 15.

The candy shop had been at the northeast end of Rehoboth Avenue since 1927. The original Dolle’s sign was installed in the early 1960s. The one removed in December was installed in the 1980s.

In the time between the announced move and the removal, the Rehoboth Beach Museum expressed interest in taking ownership of the sign. Ultimately, Ibach agreed to give the museum the sign after first offering it to the city.

A couple weeks after the sign was removed, the city’s board of adjustment unanimously approved variance requests from the museum asking to exceed the allowable square footage for a sign and to allow a wall-mounted sign to extend beyond the limits of the wall.

More than 250 donors contributed in excess of $35,000 to bring the sign to the museum.

The museum, 511 Rehoboth Ave., will host a brief ceremony at 3:30 p.m. to welcome the sign to its new location. Following the official remarks, attendees will be invited to come inside to view other signs in the museum’s collection.

Those include one recently acquired from Nicola Pizza as well as signs from Gus & Gus, the Miss Delaware Pageant and the former Front Page restaurant.

As a safety precaution, the city said the bike path behind the museum will be closed during installation, which is expected to begin around 7 a.m. The city’s canal dock also will be closed during the process.