Christmas Candlelight House Tours Begin Dec. 4

CAPE MAY— In 1974, the first Christmas Candlelight House Tour put Cape May on the path to becoming what it is today, a major Christmas destination.
Now Cape May’s oldest and most beloved holiday tours, sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC), return for their 37th year. Get into the spirit of Christmas with a visit to a score of Victorian gems decked out in their holiday finery and lots of good-old fashioned cheer on the first Christmas Candlelight House Tour of the holiday season on Sat., Dec. 4 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Victorian Cape May is transformed into an old-fashioned winter wonderland for Christmas Candlelight House Tours. Experience the feelings of yester-year on this self-guided tour of Victorian homes, churches, inns and hotels dressed up in their holiday best.
There is plenty of good old-fashioned cheer, Christmas carols by candlelight, strolling musicians, and vintage holiday decorations to help you get into the Christmas spirit.
The Victorian properties featured on this tour include the following: Beauclaire’s B&B Inn at 23 Ocean St., Bedford Inn at 805 Stockton Ave., Cape May’s sixth annual Designer Show House at 115 Ocean St., Congress Hall Hotel at 251 Beach Dr., The Dormer House at 800 Columbia Ave., The Fairthorne Inn at 111 Ocean St., First Presbyterian Church of Cape May at Hughes and Decatur streets, The Henry Sawyer Inn at 722 Columbia Ave., The Hotel Macomber at 727 Beach Ave., The Mason Cottage at 625 Columbia Ave., The Mission Inn at 1117 New Jersey Ave., The Primrose Inn at 1102 Lafayette St., The Puffin at 32 Jackson St., The Queen Victoria Bed & Breakfast at 102 Ocean St., The Saltwood House at 28 Jackson St., The Southern Mansion at 700 Washington St., The Summer Cottage Inn at 613 Columbia Ave., The Thomas Webster House at 933 Washington St. and Victorian Lace Inn at 901 Stockton Ave.
Christmas Candlelight House Tours also include a visit to Cape May’s authentically decorated Victorian house museum, the Emlen Physick Estate at 1048 Washington St., and the exhibit “An Old-Fashioned Christmas: Holiday Traditions through the Years” in the Carriage House Gallery located on the grounds of the Physick Estate. The exhibit features working LGB trains weaving through a Christmas village, decorated trees and old-fashioned toys. Christmas artifacts ranging from the Victorian era through today will also be on display. Enjoy the images and traditions of the holidays and reminisce.
Two conveniently located hospitality centers, the Carriage House at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., and the Episcopal Church of the Advent, Franklin and Washington streets, will be open from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., allowing visitors to rest and enjoy warm beverages and traditional goodies. Free shuttle service on a heated trolley is provided throughout the evening.
Admission to the Christmas Candlelight House Tour is $25 for adults and $20 for children (ages 3 to 12). The tour is limited; it is strongly recommended that tickets be reserved in advance by calling 609-884-5404 or 800-275-4278 or visiting www.capemaymac.org. 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 tour are subject to change.
Additional Christmas Candlelight House Tours will be held on Saturdays, Dec. 11 and 18.
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.