BLACK LEGACY OF HISTORIC
CAPE MAY TROLLEY TOUR
This tour celebrates Cape May’s Black history as an essential part of its National Historic Landmark status. In 2024, documentation of the Black community’s contributions led to Congress approving the updated designation, originally based on Cape May’s vast collection of late 19th- and early 20th-century wood-frame buildings. Hear these newly documented stories and see the homes, businesses, churches, and schools that showcase the community’s innovation and resilience.
CLUELESS AT THE PHYSICK ESTATE
Death of the Party
When the guest of honor at the birthday party is found dead, everyone is suspect. Was it the daughter, the business partner, the maid or…??? Hear their stories and accusations and see if you can guess “whodunit” in the interactive murder mystery at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., as this original mystery unfolds from room to room. Don’t miss this chance to challenge your imagination and deduction skills in a one-of-a-kind historic Cape May setting. Accessible with advance notice.
EMLEN PHYSICK ESTATE TOUR
The 2025 Physick Estate Tour, The Art of Home, explores the rich artistry of Victorian life. Designed by architect Frank Furness, the home showcases Stick Style architecture with intricate moldings, custom furniture, and vibrant wallpapers. Beyond décor, the era’s artistic traditions shine through unexpected details like mourning jewelry made from hair and whimsical “rogue taxidermy” in parlor shades. Even functional elements, from pocket shutters to ceiling medallions, were crafted with elegance. Each room tells a story of beauty, memory, and creativity, making the Physick Estate a living masterpiece of 19th-century design and expression. Tour Cape May’s 1879 Victorian House Museum and learn about its key role in Cape May’s decades-long renaissance story as you appreciate its beauty and craftsmanship.
MANSIONS BY THE SEA TROLLEY TOUR:
THEN AND NOW
This trolley tour examines Cape May’s development and evolution through the lens of architectural practices, social changes and local history. You’ll see the homes and grand seaside “cottages” of the 1800s along with the modern designs of today, travelling from the historic district eastward, covering a large swath of the city. See some of the most magnificent structures ever erected in Cape May. This tour is newly updated and expanded to a full 60 minutes.
HISTORIC DISTRICT TROLLEY TOUR
Known as the “Queen of the Seaside Resorts” for its quaint Victorian cottages and pristine beaches, Cape May is the oldest seaside resort in the country, and in 1976, the entire city was declared a National Historic Landmark. Possessing one of the country’s largest collections of 19th century seaside wood framed buildings, the historic district features a variety of styles of Victorian architecture. Tour guides will explain Cape May’s history and architecture and how and why it has survived and thrives to this day. The tour is newly updated with contributions of Cape May’s Black community recently documented and entered into the New Jersey Register of Historic Places and into the National Register of Historic Places. Offered year-round either separately or as combo tours. Begins and ends at the Ocean Street Trolley Stop.
Learn More
Cape May MAC (Museums+Arts+Culture), as a nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to the preservation, interpretation and cultural enrichment of the greater Cape May region for its residents and visitors, proudly joins the chorus of voices decrying racism, prejudice, discrimination and injustice, in all its forms, in every corner of our nation. As the steward of three historic sites and the storyteller of more than 200 years of area history, Cape May MAC is well aware that, “Those who fail to learn from history are condemned to repeat it.” We will continue to strive to serve a broad and diverse community, to illuminate all the threads with which the fabric of history is written, seek out all voices, and include and encourage full participation.