It's hard to not love a lighthouse! I have enjoyed visiting this lighthouse and climbing the steps…read moresince Mid Atlantic Center for the Arts took over stewardship in 1988. During my first climb there was easily readable 19th Century graffiti in pencil - now mostly worn off from many hands steadying themselves on the walls and over written by 'new' graffiti. The view from the top is breathtaking from all 360° The grounds are nice, with a mini-museum featuring historical & nature displays, the birdwatch areas & the bunker over the dunes on the beach. This is a great place to bring the family as there's quite a bit to see in this relatively small area... Don't forget your camera!

We came today to visit the Lighthouse for the very first time and we were met with a very rude and…read more condescending male attendant inside the Lighthouse taking the admittance fee to go upstairs. We asked a few questions about how Lighthouse works and the man was completely rude. We have found all other people in this area to be very nice, but this particular man was rude and not a good representative for the State of NJ or the Lighthouse

LOWER TOWNSHIP/CAPE MAY: Cape May has a lot of military history and the World War II Lookout Tower…read moreplayed a key role in keeping New Jersey and Delware safe. Fire Control Tower No. 23 is one of a series of towers with observation decks that was used to triangulate the position of enemy ships and direct the artillery fire from nearby coastal batteries. This tower is all that remains in NJ and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Leashed dogs are allowed to explore the property and you can learn about the history through signage dotted along the path. There is also a Veterans Memorial eternal flame sculpture. Dogs are not allowed inside the building, but it is still an impressive stop on your visit.

I've been curious about these strange concrete cylinders that dot the skyline of Cape May and…read moreRehobeth/ Dewey/Bethany Beach DE (directly across the bay from Cape May). This was the first opportunity to learn about them, and I of course took it! These were built during WW II as part of the Fort Myers Delaware Bay defense system. They were observation posts used to report enemy ship activity, directing nearby artillery. They were not in service for long as advances in technology made them obsolete. This is one of two that have been restored & are open to the public- the other is at Cape Henlopen State Park in Delaware. I had an interesting chat with a volunteer, who told me that people often think these were used for spotting fires, which was never their purpose. He told me you can go inside and climb stairs to the 6th level & look out the slotted view. I elected not to as I've recently fractured my ankle & I didn't think my physical therapist would be happy with me climbing all those stairs just yet. I'm looking forward to a return visit once my rehab is complete. Note: They have reduced hours in the off season (October to April).

I absolutely lose my mind over historical gems such as the Physick Estate that have the entire…read morehouse to peruse! The tour guide was fantastic & really went through every possible detail on the family & the history. Came with my friends on the first day of our CM vacation on a weekend. Pretty easy enough to purchase tickets ahead of time at the gift store. All in all a perfect way to spend a few hours learning about the local history! Highly recommend!!!!

Whenever I'm traveling I do my best to look up if there are any museums or historical points of…read moreinterest I can check out. Even though Cape May is known mostly as a Jersey Shore resort community, there's a lot of eye candy in the form of Victorian architecture - including some historic estates. One of these is the Emlen Physick Estate, and since they offer tours of the house I thought it would be a great way to spend part of my afternoon. Located on Washington St slightly away from the main hustle and bustle of CM, the Emlen Physick Estate sits on a sizeable piece of land somewhat inward from the street. The property contains the main house, a carriage house which now holds the gift shop and a restaurant, and another building used for administration. The estate is run by Cape May MAC, who worked to restore the house back in the 70s. In addition to the standard estate tour, they also offer trolley tours and evening "haunted" tours on the property. The Estate was built for Dr. Emlen Physick, who came from a prominent family. I won't give away the details of the tour, but they did a really good job discussing the history of the property, Physick and his family, as well as all of the architecture and decor of the estate. Our tour guide did a great job with every aspect of the tour, including answering our questions. One thing I noticed was that the promo pictures here on Yelp show historical interpreters guiding the tour, but we didn't have that. Our guide was great, but a historical interpreter would have been a funner touch. The tour took about 45 minutes to an hour, and afterwards we were given free-reigns to explore the carriage house which had merch and a small self-guided tour area. Overall, I enjoyed my time at the Emlen Physick Estate; it's definitely worth taking the time to explore and a welcome contrast to the typical beach things to do in the area.

Considering they've only bern open for one month at the time of this review (July 2023), they've…read moredone a nice job creating this public tour. The Cape May Point Science Center is located in the former St. Mary's Retreat, run for a century by the Sisters of St. Joseph. The Sisters are a quiet Roman Catholic group, and they reject any display of material wealth. As a result, the 38,000 square foot building is largely as it was at the turn of the 20th century, with modest improvements and careful maintenance. I admit half the reason I signed up for a tour was to get a look inside. The Sisters did not give tours, run layperson retreats or welcome outside visitors. The Science Center is now working to use the space for environmental study and education. Cape May is a key area for migratory bird traffic as well as being in a location that has both bay and ocean marine environments. During the tour they talked about how these are connected- for example, each spring, horseshoe crabs come ashore to lay eggs, which migrating birds stop and eat. The tour consists first of the history of the building, (before it was a retreat it was a home for aged and I'll former slaves, and, before that a hotel) then to the ecological and scientific studies ongoing. They host different community events from yoga and nature journaling to night sky viewing. I'm looking forward to their adding curation as they grow. It was an interesting tour where I learned a good bit, seeing part of the interior and the tranquil courtyard was also quite cool.

From the owner: The Cape May Point Science Center is dedicated to providing unique opportunities and funding for…read moreenvironmental advocacy, education, and research.

State of NJ heritage sight. Site of a revolutionary massacre (damn Redcoats!) and an amazingly…read moreawesome example of "Flemish Bond" architecture. Never even heard of this style before. 10 minutes from Salem. Interpretative signs give a good explanation of the significance of the sight. The house is not open due to budget cuts. (Boo Hiss!)

Great historical home. Park staff very knowledgeable and willing to answer questions.read more

Hey bro, that sexy lingerie you're wearing won't make you look like a superhero. But this Cape May…read more The Cape May historical district is one of the prettiest areas of the entire United States to wander around. It's walkable for most of the year except in the bitter winter months, in which case you'd have to wrap up very warm and keep the walk to a minimum. The summer sunlight and the gentle colours of Spring and Autumn are the best complement to these gorgeous coloured houses anyway. You might describe this as paradise, especially if you like history and the kind of buildings that you associate with Postcard Row in San Francisco. The whole center of town is filled with them, and many number of streets are lined with perfect gorgeous multicolored old Victorian style houses. It gives the town such a wonderful charm and makes it such a wonderful destination to visit on the East Coast. While you are in town make sure you try the ice cream delights at Fine Fellows.

We visited Cape May the weekend before New Year's Eve since we had heard that it was nicely…read moredecorated for the holidays. This quaint little beach town with its Victorian houses and little local stores along cobblestone streets was so pleasant to walk and enjoy. The entire town was decorated in holiday lights, snowmen, reindeer and even the grinch! The center of town had a large lighted Christmas tree in a gazebo in a small park. Everything is walking distance and the local bars, restaurants and bed n breakfast inns are all In close proximity. Congress hall is a great breakfast place as well as Uncle Bills pancake house where we had an amazing breakfast at a great price. The Virginia hotel is a great place to stay and the dining experience is 5 star! Everyone was friendly and the town was clean and just overall pretty. For a beach town it was pretty busy and full for the holidays! There were tour buses which sounded like people were having a great time on with music and laughter! I guess I'll check it out again during the next 3 seasons! A nice, quick and relaxing weekend getaway!

This is the second year in a row that my husband and I booked a ride with Revolution Rail. This…read moretime around we decided to try the twilight tour and let me tell you, we were not disappointed! The staff were extremely friendly, knowledgeable,and informative. The sights were beautiful! We enjoyed complimentary S'mores, and listened to the staff tell us about the history of the railroad we were riding on. We saw a beautiful sunset, and even heard a little story about the famous Jersey Devil. We will definitely be booking again! Thank you Revolution Rail for another incredible experience!

It was 'cute' but should be 1/4 of the price. Even though…read morecape May is notoriously expensive for $100 you could go on the dolphin watching boat, rent kayaks or bikes, get a birding boat tour - just about anything here . And I've done those and they are worth the money. This was a well run activity, professional. I knew it was an hour and a half "trip" but it is actually just 20 minutes riding the bike rails in One Direction and then you turn around and do the same thing back for 20 minutes. There's a few stops where teenagers give a very memorized explanation about one of the parks you stop at (which you can drive to and walk around for free). If $100 is a drop in the bucket for you then you should do this.

my husband & I were taken back our waitress ! Samantha was so perfect for our comedic…read morepersonalities! She in a very helpful accommodative young woman ! She is on her way to a very bright future Of course we loved this restaurant & a supervisor Evan also became a nice addition to our experience while on our vacation! 1st for AC & the Landshark restaurant

Service was amazing. The waitress was super attentive. Location is great, right on the beach. The…read moreahi tuna nachos were ok not great but the drinks were very good. The glasses are plastic when you sit outside, but good quality.

Another visit to the museum and even though this visit I did the self guided tour, I still learned…read moreadditional things I didn't hear before. I love supporting this small museum. So much rich history that we weren't taught about in history class.

My museum bestie & I lucked out as we entered this beautiful gem of a museum thinking we would only…read morebe able to hang out for a short time -- well we walked right into the beginning of a tour that lasted well over an hour! I hate that I can't recall her name but she was fantastic at explaining the history & evolution of HT & all the others that were involved. She even offered to chat up with folks well after the museum close time had passed. I love my huge massive MET museum but can feel the history in these smaller places that NEED to remain open. So much history here -- bravo to all that helped to preserve this HT museum. Walked out nearly 90 mins later utterly in love!

It doesn't take long to see it (even if you read every sign and plaque), but still one of the most…read morefun things to do in the Cape May area. The history of the tower and the network it was a part of is interesting and little known. Parking easy in a dirt lot across the road. Entry is paid (and it's probably not "worth it" but you're helping preserve a piece of history) but you can buy a combo entry to the lighthouse to safe a few bucks.

Bit of history from bad times in WW2. Lots of stairs, so not for those with mobility issues or poor…read morestamina!