(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Cape May MAC (Museums+Arts+Culture) launched the Cape May Christmas Candlelight House Tour in 1973 and ever since it has been a highlight of the Christmas season in Cape May, America’s only National Historic Landmark City. On three nights in December visitors travel to homes, inns, B&Bs, churches and hotels, stepping across the thresholds to take in interiors beautifully decorated for the holidays. This self-guided tour is one of Cape May MAC’s largest fund-raisers. ​​​​​​​The three Christmas Candlelight House Tours of the 2021 season are Saturday, December 4, 11 and 18, from 5:30pm to 8:30pm, but the tour on December 4 is already sold out!

Enjoy strolling musicians along the historic streets of Cape May and beautiful holiday decorations. Maps and wristbands for ticket purchasers are provided in advance or at central locations at the start of the tour and must be presented at each participating location for entry. Tour is limited. A trolley shuttle travels on a planned route with limited stops, but walking is encouraged. Advance purchase is highly recommended.

Featured properties on Saturday, December  11 include: Angel of the Sea, 5 Trenton Ave; Beauclaire’s B&B Inn, 23 Ocean St.; The Bedford Inn, 805 Stockton Ave.; The Colonial House Museum, 653½ Washington St.; John F. Craig House, 609 Columbia Ave.; Kiwanis Club of Cape May, 1041 Beach Ave.; The Mason Cottage, 623 Columbia Ave.; The Queen Victoria B&B, 102 Ocean St.

Featured properties on Saturday, December 18 include: The Abbey, 34 Gurney St.; Angel of the Sea, 5 Trenton Ave; Antoinette’s Apartments & Suites, 717 Washington St.; Beauclaire’s B&B Inn, 23 Ocean St.; The Bedford Inn, 805 Stockton Ave.; Cape May Presbyterian Church, Decatur and Hughes Streets (500 Hughes St.); The Colonial House Museum, 653½ Washington St.; The Dormer House, 800 Columbia Ave.; Humphrey Hughes House, 29 Ocean St.; John F. Craig House, 609 Columbia Ave.; The Kurtz Family Residence, 910 Washington St.; The Luther Ogden Inn, 815 Kearney Ave.; Ocean Victorian, 25 Ocean St.

Christmas Candlelight House Tours include admission to Cape May’s Victorian House Museum authentically decorated for Christmas, the Physick House Museum at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., and the exhibit “An Old-Fashioned Christmas: Holiday Traditions through the Years” in the Carroll Gallery in the Carriage House located on the grounds of the Physick Estate. The exhibit’s main attraction is a display featuring a Dept. 56 Dickens Village, model trains and vintage Christmas memorabilia, all beneath the boughs of a giant Christmas tree. While there, letters to Santa can be deposited for mailing to the North Pole.

Admission to the Christmas Candlelight House Tour is $45 for adults and $30 for children (ages 3 to 12). The tour is limited; it is strongly recommended that tickets be purchased online by visiting www.capemaymac.org or reserved in advance by calling 609-884-5404.

Any remaining tickets on the day of the tour may be purchased at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth, Washington and Ocean Streets. Properties on the tour are subject to change.

Last season, Cape May MAC announced a new way to experience Cape May at Christmas: the Virtual Christmas Candlelight House Tour Video. This virtual video tour created in 2020 is an intimate look inside 10 Cape May homes and inns, with the stories behind each that can be enjoyed over and over. What began as a response to COVID-19 continues today as a timeless Cape May experience, for viewing anytime, anywhere. It is available for purchase for $30.  Click here for more information.

Cape May MAC (Museums+Arts+Culture) 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. Cape May MAC membership is open to all. Visit capemaymac.org/support/membership to learn more. For information about Cape May MAC’s year-round schedule of tours, festivals and special events, visit capemaymac.org. For information about historic accommodations, contact Cape May Historic Accommodations at capemaylodging.com. For information about restaurants, accommodations and shopping, call the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May at 609-884-5508.

Photo ourtesy of Cape May MAC