Tours & Museums

Take a Tour of the Shore!

Hop through history and discover Cape May County’s rich past! Around the county you’ll find multiple historical sites, museums, and tours around town, showcasing each shore town’s unique past and present culture.

Cape May Point Lighthouse

The present tower, which is the third documented lighthouse at the southern tip of New Jersey, has been an aid-to-navigation for mariners and attraction for visitors since it was built in 1859. More than 2.5 million visitors have climbed the lighthouse since it opened to the public in 1988.
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Emlen Physick Estate

Cape May’s only Victorian House Museum!
A visit to the Physick Estate today offers a look back at our Victorian past as evidences by its architecture, decorative arts, customs, and the lives of one particular Cape May family, the Physicks. Emlen Physick Jr., his widowed mother, Frances Ralston, and his maiden aunt, Emilie Parmentier, moved into their home when it was completed in 1879.
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Hereford Inlet Lighthouse

The Hereford Inlet Lighthouse was built in 1874 and is the most important historic structure on Five Mile Beach. The Lighthouse is open to the public and continues to function as an active navigational aid maintained by the United States Coast Guard. Visitors to the Lighthouse will learn about the history of the building and the local area. The Lighthouse grounds are a great place to relax and take in the ocean air, and a stroll the gardens will allow visitors to enjoy the beauty of the seashore right up to the seawall at Hereford Inlet.
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Historic Cold Spring Village

Historic Cold Spring Village is a non-profit educational institution established as an Early American open-air living history museum. Its purpose is three-fold: historic preservation, history education and heritage tourism.
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Naval Air Station Wildwood (NASW) Aviation Museum

Naval Air Station Wildwood (NASW) Aviation Museum is a non-profit museum located at the Cape May Airport inside historic Hangar #1. Commissioned in April 1943, NASW served as an active dive-bomber squadron training facility during World War II. Today, Hangar #1 has been restored and transformed into an Aviation Museum that houses a number of aircraft, engines, special exhibits, and educational interactive displays. The museum invites visitors to explore aviation and military history through “hands-on,” fun and educational activities for the entire family! Bring the kids and travel back in time to this 92,000 square foot sampling of the 1940’s. Friendly leashed pets are welcome.
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Ocean City Historical Museum

The mission of the Ocean City Historical Museum, Inc. is to delight, inspire and educate the public about the story of Ocean City, New Jersey and to collect, preserve and promote items relevant to its heritage, traditions and memories.
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Trolley Tours

Hop on one of Cape May MAC’s cheery red trolleys and take a guided tour the easy and comfortable way. Knowledgeable guides will tell you everything you want to know about America’s first seaside resort, from our Victorian heritage to our seashore and maritime history and more, with plenty of fun facts sprinkled in.
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The Wetlands Institute

Fun is a major part of every visit to The Wetlands Institute, as everything here combines both education and entertainment!
We are open weekends throughout the Fall and Winter for self-guided tours of all the Institute’s facilities. In the Spring and Summer, we offer naturalist-led programs including back bay boat rides, paddleboarding, kayaking, live animal interactions, family entertainment and guided beach & dune walks.
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World War II Lookout Tower

In 2009, Cape May MAC opened Fire Control Tower No. 23 to the public after an award-winning restoration. Visitors can climb the six floors and view interpretive panels and exhibits along the way, learning about the role Cape May played during World War II. Part of the immense Harbor Defense of the Delaware system known as Fort Miles, the World War II Lookout Tower has played a major part in coastal defenses.
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