Annual Victorian Weekend to Celebrate Historic Landmark City

CAPE MAY — Cape May’s 42nd annual Victorian Weekend, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC), highlights the city’s Victorian architecture and history with a long holiday weekend of house tours, walking tours, living history programs, food and wine events, a crafts and antiques show, murder mystery dinners, trolley tours and more, from Oct. 10 through Oct. 13.
These special events during Victorian Weekend will help bring to life our history:
Join us Oct. 12 at 4 p.m., as a master storyteller, distinguished constitutional lawyer and award-winning author David O. Stewart presents “The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution — the 3rd Annual Lessons of History Distinguished Lecture Series — at Cape Island Baptist Church, 115 Gurney St. The lecture traces the struggle at the Philadelphia Convention to create the world’s first constitutional democracy and will explore the conflicts and hard bargaining that invented a government to meet the crises of the not-quite-united states — huge debts, hostile neighbors, armed rebellion, and the very real prospect of dissolving into three nations or more. The lecture is Oct. 12 at 4 p.m. at Cape Island Baptist Church, 115 Gurney St. A Meet the Lecturer reception to follow at 5:30 p.m. at The Queen Victoria Bed & Breakfast, 102 Ocean St. Admission lecture $30, lecture and reception $50. For tickets or further information, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.
New in 2014! Come to the Carriage House Gallery during Victorian Weekend and learn all about the famous fires that have shaped Cape May in the Carriage House Gallery Exhibit: “Cape May Ablaze.” From the pages of “The First Resort,” author Ben Miller brings alive 150 years of dramatic fires that have shaped Cape May’s history. At the Carriage House Gallery on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Admission is free. Open daily; times vary.
What in the world were they wearing under those Victorian garments? Discover what proper ladies and gentlemen wore during Show Us Your Undies Brunch & Fashion Show, with an overview (or underview!) of Victorian undergarments, at the Carriage House Café & Tearoom on the grounds of the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Grand Oak Plantation will show you what shaped the fashionable Victorian lady; you’ll even see what the proper gentleman had to cope with to dress for the day. Oct. 13 at 10 a.m. $25 includes fashion show and brunch.
Oct. 12 you’re invited to the Victorian Weekend Crafts & Antiques Show on the lawn of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Crafters and antiques dealers from throughout the region will display and sell their unique and hand-made wares from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free and free parking is available.
Do you wish for the chance to peek inside some of Cape May’s glorious Victorian homes? You’ll want to enjoy these interesting house tours during Victorian Weekend:
Cape May’s Designer Show House returns in 2014-15 for its ninth year with an exciting project that highlights the best of Cape May: the city’s Victorian architecture beautifully preserved, the creativity of those who come here, and the joy of celebrating holidays here. The Ocean Victorian, 25 Ocean St., will open its doors to the public Oct. 10 as the 2014-15 Cape May Designer Show House, with the theme “Celebrating Holidays,” presented by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) and sponsored by DesignNJ magazine. The Ocean Victorian is located within steps of Cape May’s beaches in a majestic row alongside some of Cape May’s most recognized historic structures. Visitors will see how the region’s top designers creatively portray a different holiday in each of 12 rooms in this circa 1880 Cape May landmark. Each visitor will receive a full-color program book with information about the designers, products and vendors. Admission is $20. During Victorian Weekend, self-guided tours are offered 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. daily and guided tours are offered every evening at 7 p.m.
Peek around the corners! You’ll see inside a selection of charming private cottages and homes not normally open to the public during the Private Homes Tour Oct. 11, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Admission is $20; children (3-12) $15.
Combine a love of chocolate with a love of architecture and you get the Chocolate Tasting Tour! Historic Inns and B&Bs offer delicious chocolate delicacies for you to taste as you tour their property during this house tour Oct. 11, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Admissions is $20 for adults and $15 for children ages 3-12.
The Victorians were fascinated with spirits from beyond. Learn about some of Cape May’s regal Victorian residences, reputed to host more than the living, on the Historic Haunts Combo Tour, offered Oct. 10 through Oct. 12 at 7:15 p.m. then get into the spirit of things on a guided tour of the historic (some say haunted) Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. that includes a discussion of Victorian spiritualism. Admission is $22 for adults, $14 for children (ages 3-12). Opt for just the Historic Haunts House Tour on Saturday and Sunday at 7:45 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $7 for children (ages 3-12).
Who was Dr. Emlen Physick? You’ll get to know this Victorian gentleman whose Estate’s grounds at 1048 Washington St. are home to the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) during The Dr. Is In, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 12. He’ll be happy to tell you about Victorian cures for your medical ailments, and will share his view of the world.
Enjoy a guided trolley tour of Cape May’ Historic District, followed by a guided tour of Cape May’s only Victorian house museum, the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., during the Combination Trolley/Physick Estate Tours, featuring the new house tour theme for 2014, “Dr. Physick Throws A Party!” Tours are offered daily; hours vary. $20 for adults, $12 for children (ages 3-12). If you only have time to tour the house the Emlen Physick Estate Tour is also offered daily at various times. Admission is $12 for adults and $7 for children.
Enjoy food and wine events during Victorian Weekend that celebrate the Cape May region’s delicious wines and famous restaurants:
Combine a visit to the 9th annual Designer Show House with a lunch at the Carriage House Cafe & Tearoom on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., during Victorian Weekend with the Designer Show House Luncheon Package. Beautiful living spaces will spotlight the creativity of local and regional designers, with each room celebrating a different holiday in this year’s 2014-15 Designer Show House, “Celebrating Holidays” at the Ocean Victorian, 25 Ocean St. During Victorian Weekend, lunch packages are offered daily at 11:30 a.m. If you prefer an evening guided tour, combine a visit to the 9th annual Designer Show House with dinner at one of Cape May’s fine restaurants with the Designer Show House Dinner Package. During Victorian Weekend, dinner packages are offered Friday, Sunday and Monday at 5:30 p.m. Make reservations for these tour packages by calling 609-884-5404, ext. 115 or at the Carriage House Visitors Center at the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St.
Why not celebrate Oktoberfest during Victorian Weekend? Come to the award-winning Mad Batter Restaurant 19 Jackson St. at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 10 for the Mad Batter Beer Dinner featuring Local Microbrews. This four-course comfort food dinner is paired with local microbrews. Admission is $65 per person. Seating is limited to 60.
The Red Store is designated by New Jersey Monthly magazine food critics as one of the Top 25 restaurants in New Jersey. Owner and chef Lucas Manteca, who grew up in Buenos Aires, brings his extraordinary culinary experience and creativity to each dish. Take a trolley shuttle, from the Washington Street Mall at Ocean Street, to The Red Store’s farm, Fincas del Mar, enjoy a tour and then lunch at the Red Store during Cape May Farm to Table with The Red Store, Oct. 11 at 10:15 a.m. Admission is $45.
Join the Impromptu Players who will set the scene for a new original mystery, “Where There’s No Will” during Murder Mystery Dinners offered Oct. 11, Oct. 12 and Oct. 13 at 7 p.m. Why are Guy Fortunato, his son Cabrino Fortunato, and his daughter in law Alice, so anxious to reside in the Bellevue hotel? Their distant cousin John Whacker, the former owner, died without leaving a will. No one should contest the right of the Fortunatos to occupy and restore the hotel as they see fit. So who are the suspicious characters lurking around night and day, rummaging through the belongings of the deceased? Enjoy a four-course dinner as you contemplate the clues, interact with the cast and help solve the mystery. Saturday’s dinner is at the Carriage House Café & Tearoom, 1048 Washington St. Sunday’s and Monday’s dinners are at Aleathea’s Restaurant at the The Inn of Cape May, 7 Ocean St. $50 per person.
Build up an appetite with a walking tour of the Historic District, and then enjoy a Southern-style breakfast buffet with mimosas at the historic Chalfonte Hotel, 301 Howard St. during the Champagne Brunch Walk Oct. 12 at 10 a.m. Admission is $20, $15 for children (ages 3-12). The Historic District Walking tour is available for purchase separately subject to availability; admission is $10 for adults, $7 for children (ages 3-12).
Stroll around Dr. Emlen Physick’s neighborhood on tree-lined Washington Street and hear about the families who lived there and the architecture of the homes, then combine afternoon tea with your guided walk. Explore one of Cape May’s great mysteries – why the Victorian Doctor chose to live in this area of Cape May, during Dr. Physick’s Neighborhood Walking Tour & Tea, Oct. 10 at 2:30 p.m. and Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. Admission is $20 and includes afternoon tea at the Carriage House Café & Tearoom on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St.
New in 2014! It’s a bountiful buffet for chocolate lovers! Enjoy dozens of different chocolate creations and return as often as you like for more of your favorites during Chocolate Lover’s Feast at The Blue Rose Inn, 653 Washington St. Oct. 12, at 2 p.m. Admission is $35. This is a limited event so reserve early.
Learn more about the red and white wines of Bordeaux during the Cape May Wine School Oct. 12 at 1 p.m. This themed class will help refine your palate, at the Washington Inn, 801 Washington St. Admission $30.
Enjoy gracious, yet casual, dining at the Carriage House Café & Tearoom on the grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. with an a la carte menu that includes signature sandwiches, salads and tea sandwiches, as well as homemade soups and quiche, plus an Afternoon Tea Luncheon and a kids’ menu. New in 2014! Loose tea service with teas from the House of Tea in Philadelphia. If you have a busy schedule, everything is available for takeout, too. Open daily 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. For reservations call 609-884-5111.
Spend an afternoon at the award-winning Cape May Winery, 711 Town Bank Road on the Winery Cellar Tour & Tasting. Tour the vineyard to see how the grapes are grown and then visit the winery where you’ll be introduced to the winemaker’s art. Savor a barrel tasting accompanied by cheese and fruit. Admission is $20 and the tour is offered at 3 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Tickets must be purchased in advance at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth or the Hill House office or the Carriage House Visitor’s Center at the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., during hours of operation.
Taste while you tour during Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery Tour. Learn how the grapes are grown and the process that turns them into delicious Hawk Haven wines at the Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery, 600 S Railroad Ave, Rio Grande. Tour includes a gourmet cheese tasting on the vineyard-view crush pad. Tours is offered Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 1 p.m. and tickets are $20 if purchased at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth, the Hill House office or the Carriage House Visitor’s Center at the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., during hours of operation.
What’s brewing in Cape May? Some great spirits, as you’ll find out on the Self-guided Wine & Brewery Trail, a self-guided tour of two area wineries, Natali Vineyards and Hawk Haven Vineyard, plus the Cape May Brewing Company. Take a tour at each stop and sample some of their products. Admission is $13 and includes map with directions. Tour is offered from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily during Victorian Weekend. Purchase tickets at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth or the Hill House office or the Carriage House Visitor’s Center at the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., during hours of operation.
Spend the afternoon touring the wineries of Cape May County on the Self-guided Wine Trail. Visit Natali Vineyards and Hawk Haven Vineyard & Winery, and taste wines at each. Admission is $10 and includes a map with the wineries listed. During Victorian Weekend, the tour is offered 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Purchase tickets at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth or the Hill House office or the Carriage House Visitor’s Center at the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., during hours of operation.
Trolley tours during Victorian Weekend are offered daily and include the following:
New in 2014! Experience Cape May’s history up close, through the eyes of those who lived it during the Cape May Time Capsule Trolley Tour. Meet characters from the past who visited, lived and worked in Cape May, as your trolley travels through town. Costumed historical interpreters bring to life the town’s Victorian heritage. This tours is offered during Victorian Weekend Oct. 12 at 2:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. and Oct. 13 at 1 p.m. Admission $22.
Enjoy an evening guided trolley tour through the historic district of Cape May and learn about Cape May history, Victorian architecture and seaside lore during the Gaslight Trolley Tours. These tours are offered during Victorian Weekend Oct. 10 and Oct. 12 at 8:45 p.m. and Oct. 11 at 8:30 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $7 for children (ages 3-12).
Board a MAC trolley tour for a 45-minute evening ride through the haunted streets of Cape May when you take the Ghosts of Cape May Trolley Tour. The paranormal findings of ghostwriter Craig McManus come alive as your guide translates McManus’ spooky stories. Ride past the flickering gas street lamps, the haunted properties of Cape May and experience the spine-tingling tales exposed by McManus. Offered every evening during Victorian Weekend. Hours vary. Admission is $12 for adults and $7 for children (ages 3-12).
The Ghosts of the Lighthouse Trolley Tour takes you through parts of West Cape May to the Lighthouse, with tales of ghostly activity throughout. Participants will be met at the Lighthouse by a costumed Lighthouse Keeper who will relate a ghostly tale inside the Lighthouse with time available to climb. The tour begins and ends at the Ocean Street trolley stop, Washington Street Mall at Ocean Street. Offered Oct. 10 at 8 p.m., Oct. 11 at 8:15 p.m. and Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. Admission is $22 for adults and $15 for children (ages 3-12).
Get acquainted with Cape May on the Historic District Trolley Tour as knowledgeable guides present entertaining and educational stories about the nation’s oldest seashore resort. This 45-minute tour is offered daily; hours vary. Tours leave from the Washington Street Mall Information Booth, Washington Street Mall at Ocean Street. Admission is $12 for adults and $7 for children (ages 3-12).
Take the Mansions by the Sea Trolley Tour featuring a century of beachfront development, from Victorian cottages of the 1870s through the most up-to-date of today’s housing. It includes some of the most magnificent structures ever erected in Cape May. The Victorian Weekend schedule is Oct. 10 at 2:15 p.m., Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 at 10:45 a.m. The tour takes about 45 minutes and admission is $12 for adults and $7 for children (ages 3-12).
Do you love a scary story? The perfect time and place for them is traveling Cape May after dark on streets lit by flickering gaslight. Listen to your guide tell some spine-tingling tales during the Tales of Terror Trolley Ride. During Victorian Weekend, the tour is offered Oct. 10 at 7:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.; Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. and 7:45 p.m. and Oct. 12 at 7 p.m., 7:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. Admission is $12 adults, $7 children (ages 3-12).
Discover points of interest, activities and special events sponsored by both MAC and other non-profit organizations throughout Cape May during the Welcome to Cape May Trolley Tour. It’s a perfect introduction to town. Offered daily; hours vary. Admission is $12 for adults, $7 for children (ages 3-12).
Feel like stretching your legs? Walking tours are available during Victorian Weekend, including these that highlight Cape May’s history:
Learn about the Great Fire of 1878 that destroyed a large part of what is now Cape May’s historic district during Cape May On Fire Walking Tour. This walking tour led by an interpreter, with living history presentations along the way, is Oct. 11 at 10:30 a.m. and begins at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth at Ocean Street. Admission is $10 for adults, $7 for children (ages 3-12). Limited to 30 participants.
New in 2014! Stroll around Dr. Emlen Physick’s neighborhood on tree-lined Washington Street and hear about the families who lived there and the architecture of the homes during Dr. Physick’s Neighborhood Walking Tour. Explore one of Cape May’s great mysteries – why the Doctor chose to live in this area of Cape May. Offered Oct. 10 at 2:30 p.m. and Oct. 12 at 2 p.m. Admission is $10 adults, $7 children (ages 3-12).
Explore Cape May on bicycle and discover its history at your own pace with the Cape May Bike Tour booklet, published by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC), as your guide. Stop along the historic streets of Cape May, West Cape May and Cape May Point and read about over 50 of the area’s landmark architectural treasures depicted for easy identification with photos. The booklet includes suggested routes and a map with descriptions and is also a great companion for a self-guided walking tour of Cape May. $5 per booklet. Available daily at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth, Washington Street Mall at Ocean Street, and the Carriage House Visitors Center at the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St.
Discover the fun of exploring Cape May and uncovering its architectural elements from a kid’s perspective with the Cape May Family Treasure Hunt. Each treasure hunt packet is $5 and contains a clues sheet and map that will take you on a self-guided discovery tour, set to your own pace (answer sheet also included). Only one packet needed per family. The packet is available daily in the Hill House office at the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., during regular hours of operation and at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth. The Cape May Family Treasure Hunt is co-sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) and Preservation New Jersey.
Discover the Historic District of Victorian Cape May at your own pace with the Self-Guided Audio Tour of Cape May, featuring Acoustiguide Inform hand-held units. The walking tour comes complete with a map and index for 96 historic buildings on 69 sites. Available in the Hill House office at the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Offered daily, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Rental fee is $10 per unit.
The grounds of Cape May’s original haunted house, the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., have been transformed for the spooky season into Scarecrow Alley at the Physick Estate. Scarecrow Alley is a highlight of the Estate’s Halloween decorations. Walk the grounds and vote for your favorite ghoulishly gruesome or foolishly funny scarecrow. Oct. 10 through Nov. 2. Admission is free to the grounds.
Don’t miss these local theater productions during Victorian Weekend:
“East Lynne Theater presents “Within the Law”: This Broadway sensation had the enviable record of being the most popular and financially successful play to hit New York in 10 years. Part of its charm lies in the fact that it’s a drama, comedy, romance, and mystery all rolled into one hit. Mary Turner, a sales clerk in a big Manhattan department store, is falsely accused of shoplifting. Her pleas for justice solicit a sneer from the store owner, but she warns him that, although she is no thief, if he doesn’t pay his employees a decent wage, there will be more thefts. After her prison term, Mary learns how to fight society and wealth with their own weapons, so she can seek revenge on those who wronged her by staying just “within the law.” Victorian Weekend performance schedule as follows: Oct. 10 and Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. Additional show Oct. 12 at 7:30. First Presbyterian Church, 500 Hughes St. Admission: $30 general, $25 seniors (age 62+), $15 students and children 12 and under free
Cape May Stage presents “Other Desert Cities”: Written by Jon Robin Baitz and directed by Roy Steinberg, Brooke Wyeth returns home to Palm Springs after a six-year absence to celebrate Christmas with her parents, her brother, and her aunt. Brooke announces that she’s about to publish a memoir dredging up a pivotal and tragic event in the family’s history – a wound they don’t want reopened. In effect, she draws a line in the sand and dares them all to cross it. Victorian Weekend performance schedule as follows: Oct. 10 and Oct. 11 at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 at 3 p.m. The Robert Shackleton Playhouse is located at the corner of Bank & Lafayette streets. Admission: $35 adults $30 seniors (62+) and $15 students.
Cape May’s 42nd annual Victorian Weekend is sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC), 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. MAC membership is open to all. For information about MAC’s year-round schedule of tours, festivals, and special events, call 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278, or visit MAC’s Web site at www.capemaymac.org. For information about restaurants, accommodations and shopping, call the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Cape May at 609-884-5508. For information about historic accommodations, contact Cape May Historic Accommodations at www.capemaylodging.com.