Friends enjoy a wine-tasting during a recent Cape May Wine Trail event. Photo by Susan Krysiak courtesy of Cape May MAC
(CAPE MAY, NJ) -- Presidents' Day Weekend, February 14-17, 2025, includes Valentine's Day this year, and there's a surprising array of things to enjoy in Cape May with tours, activities and events presented by Cape May MAC (Museums+Arts+Culture). The organization's main mission is promoting the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Cape May region for its residents and visitors. Cape May County residents: this holiday weekend is a good time to explore your hometown.
Cape May Wine Trail - Cape May County vineyards are producing delicious wines and here is your chance to enjoy them with round-trip transportation via Cape May MAC trolley! Board the trolley at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., and travel to Bellevue Tavern in Cape May Court House for lunch. Then it’s back on board the trolley for an afternoon of touring and sampling wine selections at Jessie Creek Winery and Briganti by the Bay Vineyards. Guests will receive a souvenir tasting glass at Jessie Creek Winery and an educational tasting and tour at Briganti by the Bay. The tour is offered Sunday, February 16 at 10:45am. This event is for adults ages 21 and over.
Brunch & Bingo at the Inn of Cape May - Laugh along with your friends and make new ones as you play a little bingo, compete for prizes and enjoy a fashion show by Lace Silhouettes/Cotton Company. It’s all over a scrumptious breakfast buffet at The Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean St. Cape May.
Channeling Dinner with Craig McManus - Enjoy a three-course prix fixe dinner at the Inn of Cape May followed by a two-hour channeling session with Medium Craig McManus. McManus will read the energies in the room and channel messages from the spirits of departed family and friends. While he does not read everyone present and cannot control where messages come through, he will bring through as many messages from spirits as possible during the two-hour channeling. Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean St. This event is not recommended for people under the age of 16. No refunds within 14 days of the event.
Historic District Trolley Tours - Take this classic Cape May trolley tour and enjoy this seaside resort in winter! Tour guides will explain Cape May’s history and architecture and how and why it has survived and thrives to this day. This tour begins and ends at the Ocean Street Trolley Stop. Bring a blanket to snuggle in.
Emlen Physick Estate Guided Tours - Gain insight into architectural features within the 1879 Emlen Physick House and learn about the lives of one Victorian family, as you tour Cape May's Victorian House Museum, voted New Jersey's prettiest building by popular vote! For the fullest experience, combine this tour with a Historic District Trolley Tour.
Underground Railroad Trolley Tour - Cape May was part of the Underground Railroad and this trolley tour, part of the National Park Service's Network to Freedom and one of just 13 sites nationwide on the Park Service's Travels with Tubman app, tells of those dangerous days. Hear how legendary anti-slavery fighter, Harriet Tubman, walked these streets, as did prominent railroad businessman and former enslaved person, Stephen Smith, whose railroad cars carried hundreds to freedom. This tour is offered Monday, February 17 at 11:00am. Portions of this tour are not accessible. This tour begins and ends at the Ocean Street Trolley Stop.
Cape May Lighthouse - Bundle up! Challenge yourself to climb the 199 steps up the original, cast-iron spiral stairway to the top of the 1859 Cape May Lighthouse this winter and see a staggering view of the Delaware Bay and Atlantic Ocean, the surrounding nature trails of Cape May Point State Park, and Cape May Point Borough.
Mansions by the Sea Trolley Tour - You’ll hear how the rich lived in the early 1900s in the most elegant part of town on this trolley tour that includes the eastern beachfront. Today, new, beachfront second homeowners have continued the tradition, running the gamut from the mere wealthy to the fabulously rich. This tour is offered Saturday, February 15 at 11:45am. This tour begins and ends at the Ocean Street Trolley Stop.
Ghosts of Cape May Trolley Tour - What was that shadow? Was it the undead of Cape May’s past wandering their beloved haunts? You might scoff, you might shudder, but rest assured: on board this evening trolley tour with an experienced guide you will begin to wonder what’s beyond when you hear the tales of hauntings unearthed in Cape May by renowned psychic medium and author Craig McManus. This tour begins and ends at the Ocean Street Trolley Stop.
Stories of Cape Island Trolley Tour - Hear how whalers centuries ago eked out a dangerous but lucrative living near Town Bank and how the area’s rich farming heritage continues to be a source of tremendous community pride. Learn about the Union Bethel community in 1831 in which Black residents thrived and the diverse community that continues to contribute to the vibrancy of island life today. Offered Sunday, February 16 at 10:30am. This tour begins and ends at Ocean Street Trolley Stop.
Crafts & Collectibles in Winter - It may be chilly outside, but Cape May Convention Hall will be warm and bustling during the annual two-day Crafts & Collectibles in Winter show. Saturday and Sunday, February 15 and 16, from 10:00am to 4:00pm. Admission is $2.
To purchase tickets online visit capemaymac.org or for more information call 609-884-5404. Cape May County residents may use a Museum Pass for free admission to some tours, activities and events, available through the Cape May County library. For more information, ask at your local library branch.
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. We operate and manage the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate, the 1859 Cape May Lighthouse and the 1942 World War II Lookout Tower, and are the leading organization to offer visitors tours, activities and events year-round in America’s National Historic Landmark City. Cape May MAC is the organization that saved the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate from demolition, helping secure the City of Cape May as a nationally recognized historic destination.
