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.
VOICES FROM BEYOND HOUSE TOUR
Experience an unusual tour in Cape May MAC’s 1879 Emlen Physick House. In the Voices from Beyond Tour, you will hear actual spirit voices captured by Cape May MAC staff over the past 10 years. View historical photos of the Physick family and their staff alongside photos of apparitions seen inside the house. Learn about the equipment and tools used throughout history in paranormal research. Who could these voices belong to and what is keeping them connected to the Physick House Museum? Draw your own conclusions on this new and exciting paranormal tour.
STRANGE VICTORIAN OBSESSIONS
HOUSE TOUR
Victorians were fascinated with mystery and illusion and this tour through first floor rooms in the 1879 Physick House Museum shares that fascination. Learn about the famous Harry Houdini who captivated Victorian audiences with his intricate escapes, the Goddess of Mystery, Ionia, a Belgian beauty who Victorians worshipped for her spectacles of magic, The Great Lafayette, who became known as the world’s greatest magician, and Pepper’s Ghost, an illusion still used today, with Sherlock Holmes, Jack the Ripper and more.
CHERRY HOUSE HAUNTING TALES TOUR
The Cherry House, built in 1849 in the Federal style, is situated on one of Cape May’s oldest residential streets. It has been the subject of paranormal investigations and recordings of numerous unusual experiences. Home to Beth and Frank Acker along with their dog, Bella, the Ackers will relate the outcome of paranormal investigations at the house and the strange occurrences they’ve experienced on this guided tour of the first and second floors.
CLUELESS AT THE PHYSICK ESTATE
Everyone is suspect during Clueless at the Physick Estate, a “whodunit” similar to the popular board game. Join fellow amateur sleuths and encounter characters inside the 1879 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.
HISTORIC HAUNTS HOUSE TOUR
Tour select rooms with your guide and learn about Victorian Spiritualism in Cape May’s only Victorian house museum, the Physick House Museum, widely reputed to be haunted. In the museum, guides will compare the methods of spirit contact used by the Victorians with those of today’s paranormal investigators. Select rooms on both floors are included in the tour.
GARDENS OF CAPE MAY TOUR
Saturday, May 10
Here is your invitation to explore Cape May’s unique natural areas and the private plants, blooms and landscape designs of area gardeners. See both public and private gardens and take home ideas for your own garden. Smell and see what’s blooming and flourishing in several different seashore locations dominated by sunlight, ocean breezes, and sand and salt, each uniquely situated. Cape May’s Emlen Physick Estate gardens are included, the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate will host nature and garden-themed local vendors, plus a complimentary wine tasting by Cape May Winery.
