Cape May MAC celebrates the history and enriches the life of greater Cape May. We breathe life into the stories and places of the past and foster unforgettable experiences in history, arts, and culture.

Travel in time—along the stairs, streets, and scenes that have drawn generations to our shores.

America’s oldest seashore resort welcomes you.

Our Mission

Cape May MAC is a multifaceted not-for-profit organization committed to promoting the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Cape May region for its residents and visitors, by:
  • Fostering a greater understanding and appreciation for the Victorian lifestyle and for the architecture, decorative arts, history and livelihoods of the Cape May region.
  • Preserving and restoring the Emlen Physick Estate, the Cape May Lighthouse, the World War II Lookout Tower (Fire Control Tower No. 23) and other landmark structures in the Cape May region.
  • Encouraging the performing arts in the Cape May region through presenting performances, conducting educational outreach and providing support services to other arts and cultural organizations.
  • Providing professional development to teachers and educational outreach to schoolchildren and adults in subject areas corresponding to the organization’s public programming.
  • Supporting the efforts to preserve the greater Cape May region’s historic architecture through the sponsorship of cultural and heritage tourism, and through providing support services to other non-profit organizations in the areas of cultural, heritage and ecological tourism.
  • Acquiring, preserving, exhibiting and interpreting objects pertaining to the Victorian period and to the architecture, decorative arts, and history of the Cape May region.

Our Vision

Preserving Cape May’s rich heritage and assuring its vitality through superior cultural programs.

2023 Economic Impact Study

Our History

Since its founding in 1970, Cape May MAC has helped transform Cape May from a “summer only” beach resort to the country’s leading Victorian theme destination.

Some highlights of Cape May MAC’s 50 year history include:

  • Restoring and maintaining the landmark 1879 Emlen Physick Estate, operating a Victorian house museum and Carriage House that hosts changing exhibits in the Carroll Gallery and a museum shop.
  • Restoring and maintaining the 1st order 1859 Cape May Lighthouse, a working lighthouse that it operates as a maritime museum with a museum shop and interpretive display in the adjoining 1893 Oil House.
  • Restoring and maintaining the 1942 World War II Lookout Tower (Fire Control Tower No. 23), that operates as museum of the Cape May region in World War II and memorial to area veterans.
  • Interpreting 200 years of Cape May history and architecture through an extensive array of trolley tours, walking and historic house tours.
    Offering a year-round calendar of events  that range from outdoor summer festivals to themed weekends to tours of local wineries.
    Since the launching of the Cape May Music Festival in 1990, offered high quality classical and classic music at affordable prices for residents and visitors.
  • Serves the needs of young families by providing mostly free educational programs and field trips for thousands of area schoolchildren, while hosting a wide range of family programming at our historic sites.

Diversity, Equity, Accessibility & Inclusion Team Mission Statement

The DEAI Team aims to foster MAC’s policy of providing equal opportunity to all persons without regard to race, color, creed, age, national origin, sex or sexual orientation and to provide equitable representation and distribution of minorities and women throughout the staff and volunteers. It also seeks to express this diversity in the content of tours, special events and presentations.