12 tips for a delightful 2024 Cape May Christmas Candlelight House Tour
(This story was updated in 2024. It was originally published Dec. 1, 2016.)
For 51 years, visitors have come to Cape May, N.J. in December to partake in a time-honored and beloved holiday tradition — the Christmas Candlelight House Tours. On three evenings in 2024, Saturdays, Dec. 7, 14 and 28, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., more than a dozen hotels, bed & breakfast inns, private homes and churches open their doors and welcome you to step inside, take in the lovely decorations and enjoy their unique beauty at Christmas. Cape May’s Victorian charm attracts so much festivity here during the holidays. Join us this year and make new memories!
Here are 12 ways you can prepare to make the most of your evening:
1. Manage Your Expectations. Don’t expect to see every property on the tour. All properties on tour are open for three hours, you will be using a map to decide where to go, and there are 12–20 properties on average to choose from. Aim to see and enjoy six properties and you won’t be disappointed or unprepared if there are long lines; most people manage to see approximately half the properties in an evening. Each property is special in its own way, so your experience will be your own, making this a wonderful, custom tour unique to you.
2. Everyone Should be Prepared to Walk. Cape May is a wonderfully walkable city and is best appreciated on foot along its gaslit sidewalks. Shuttles will not be offered in 2024. Instead, an Express Trolley will travel between the Emlen Physick Estate and the Angel of the Sea, and another between the Emlen Physick Estate and the West Cape May CVS area. These Express Trolleys will pick up and drop off passengers only at their end points, with no stops along the way as in years past (hence the “Express”). Not to worry. The majority of properties are clustered within a 20-minute walk (a 3/4-square-mile area) in the Historic District with some just a few minutes from each other, and that makes walking the most efficient way to see the most properties with the least time spent waiting. Therefore, be prepared for an evening of walking in the Historic District by wearing comfortable and supportive walking shoes and dressing in layers. Weather in December can range from briskly cold to mild and pleasant. (For guests who cannot walk or choose not to walk, see #12 below).
3. Purchase Tickets in Advance. Avoid the rush and avoid disappointment. The tour is limited and tickets may not be available the day of your tour. Purchase online, by phone 609–884–5404 or in person at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street. Are you part of a large group? Groups of 20 or more receive a discounted rate when booking ahead. Call Susan Gibson well in advance of your tour at 609–224–6030 for more information.
4. Obtain your Map and Wristband in Advance. When you purchase your ticket, you will get a map with all the properties listed and a wristband you show to be admitted to each property. If purchasing tickets in person, you will be given a map and wristband right away. If purchasing tickets online or by phone, you will need to obtain your map and wristband in advance, the day before or the day of the tour, at Hill House office at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington Street. Please plan ahead and leave yourself plenty of extra time. Traffic coming into Cape May on these days and evenings is very heavy. If you are attending the first of the three tours, consider that the Cape May Christmas parade is scheduled the same night, and traffic detours are in effect. Once you start your walking tour, consider attaching your wristband through a buttonhole of your coat, where it’s clearly visible. The volunteers who greet you at each property will see it right away and that helps keep you moving.
5. Review your Map Ahead of Time. Or Not. This is a self-guided walking tour, so you decide which properties to visit, and the norm is that you will likely not be able to see all of them, as noted above. The properties tend to be clustered into several zones shown on the map. So, use your map as a guide toward zones of properties and just explore! Are you more regimented? Review your map ahead of time. Maps will be available online approximately a week in advance of the tour for downloading in pdf format. Are there particular properties you especially want to see? Put them in rank order! Check this link as your tour approaches for a list of properties for each evening.
6. Parking, Starting Point. Parking is a challenge but here are some helpful hints: 1. Emlen Physick Estate. The lot fills by 5pm. 2. Cape May Elementary School on Lafayette Street. This is a city parking lot with limited spots that might be available in the evening. 3. Acme lot at Lafayette and Ocean Streets. This is a private paid parking lot. 4. Street parking on the east side of town near Angel of the Sea on Trenton Avenue: New Jersey Avenue to Cape May Avenue, Philadelphia to Pittsburgh Avenue. Beach Avenue. You can start to visit properties in any order. Please observe all parking and traffic regulations.
7. Restrooms are marked on your map. Check back here closer to the date of your tour!
8. Bring a Flashlight! A flashlight or your mobile device will illuminate the map as you walk and navigate.
9. Etiquette Inside. Please dispose of food and drinks prior to entering a property or trolley. Please ask permission before taking photographs inside properties.
10. The Colonial House Museum. Some people have trouble finding The Colonial House Museum at 653 1/2 Washington Street, and some nights it is included on the tour. It is tiny, not visible from the sidewalk and located directly behind The Hugh Boutique B&B, 653 Washington Street (City Hall is on your left). Face the inn and walk around the right along the parking lot.
11. Safety and Help Along the Way. The streets of Cape May are busy at this time of year. For your safety, and the safety of others, please observe the following: Stay Alert — Be Aware of automobile traffic around you — Cross the Streets at Intersections only — Walk on Sidewalks only — Do Not Walk in Roadways. If you need assistance during your tour, look for individuals with illuminated vests who can help direct you.
12. Consider a Holiday Lights Trolley Ride if Walking is Not Your Thing. The Christmas Candlelight House Tour is a self-guided walking tour within approximately a 3/4-mile-square area. If walking is a challenge for you, consider an alternative: the Holiday Lights Trolley Ride. These half-hour trolley rides will be running the same evenings and take you through the Historic District to see exterior holiday lights and decorations. We have an accessible trolley available with advance notice. Walkers or strollers are not permitted on board trolleys but may be stowed at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth where the Holiday Lights Trolley Rides depart. Take note: while we are adding more of these tours on these evenings, they tend to sell out quickly, so we suggest purchasing your tickets well in advance.
Susan Krysiak is Director of Media Relations for the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) in Cape May, N.J. and an award-winning writer and editor. For more information on Cape May’s holiday season tours and events, visit www.capemaymac.org
