Halloween Happenings Fright and Delight in Victorian Cape May

CAPE MAY – There are many exciting Halloween Happenings sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) in Victorian Cape May during the week leading up to Trick or Treat night, Oct. 31. Seaside spirits are anticipating All Hallow’s Eve as they take up residence in their favorite historic haunts. Embrace the “other side” of Cape May and get in the “spirit” of the season with Halloween-themed tours and events including ghost trolley tours, spooky tours of Cape May’s original haunted house – the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate – psychic teas, murder mystery dinners and much more from Oct. 24 through Oct. 31.
Tour Cape May’s original haunted house during a Phantoms of the Physick Estate Tour. For young children, there is a special kid-friendly, self-guided version of the tour during the daytime featuring spooky sounds, special effects and scary stuff. The kid-friendly tour is $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages 3-12). An evening self-guided tour of terror is geared toward adults and older children, with special effects, ghosts and ghouls, scary characters and sounds. The evening tour is $15 for adults and $12 for children (ages 3-12). On Sat., Oct. 29, kid-friendly tours are 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. and tours for braver souls are from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Cape May’s Victorian gems display the “spirit” of the season on the Phantoms of Cape May House Tour, Sat., Oct. 29 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Enjoy a self-guided Halloween-themed tour through a selection of Cape May’s homes and inns. Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for children (ages 3-12) and includes admission to the Phantoms of the Physick Estate Tour.
The grounds of the Emlen Physick Estate at 1048 Washington St., Cape May’s original haunted house, are transformed for the spooky season at Scarecrow Alley. Stroll the grounds and pick your favorite ghoulishly gruesome or foolishly funny scarecrow. Each scarecrow will have a numbered photo displayed in the Carriage House Gallery where visitors can cast a vote. Winners of the Third Annual Scarecrow Contest will receive prizes in various categories, with a People’s Choice Award and $200 going to the creators of the scarecrow that gets the most votes. Admission to the grounds is free.
The popular Murder at the Physick Estate returns with “Doorway to Darkness,” a new play by John K. Alvarez. Is there life after death? Do spirits wander on an ethereal plane? Are there ghosts roaming Cape May? With the Physick Estate as a backdrop, a psychic and a scientist plan to address these questions once and for all. Plans go awry when a seemingly innocent children’s nursery rhyme turns the evening upside down. Afterwards, meet your evening’s performers over coffee and dessert in the Carriage House Tearoom & Café. Performances take place at the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. on Wed., Oct. 26 and Fri., Oct. 28 at 6:45 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. $25 adults, $20 children (ages 3-12).
Ghosts of Cape May Trolley Tours are offered Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 27 through Oct. 30. A MAC guide will relate the paranormal findings of ghost writer Craig McManus as the trolley rolls past reputedly haunted properties. Tour times vary. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children (ages 3-12).
Ghosts of the Lighthouse Trolley Tours take you along the ghostly path that leads to the Cape May Lighthouse as you listen to the guide relate ghost stories that have been unearthed by psychic medium Craig McManus. Feel the presence of the spirits of the Light. Climb to the top or stay below. The tour is offered Sat., Oct. 29 at 8 p.m., departing from the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for children (ages 3-12)
A guide spins macabre stories from the Victorian era as the trolley makes its way through the ghostly, gas-lit streets of Cape May on Tales of Terror Trolley Rides. Tours are offered Thursday through Sunday, Oct. 27-30. Tours leave from the Washington Street Mall Information Booth at Ocean Street except for Sat., Oct. 29, which leaves from the Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Tour times vary. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for children (ages 3-12).
The Historic Haunts Combo Tour combines the Ghosts of Cape May Trolley Tour with a visit to the 1879 Emlen Physick Estate where you will see a home séance room of the 1890s and learn of the Victorians’ fascination with spiritualism. The tour is offered Fri., Oct. 28 at 7:15 p.m. Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for children (ages 3-12). A house-only portion of this tour is available as the Historic Haunts House Tour on Fr., Oct. 28 at 7:45 p.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children (ages 3-12).
Dr. Physick’s aunt, Emilie Parmentier returns to her home in “spirit” for a special afternoon tea at the Carriage House Tearoom & Café, 1048 Washington St. Madame Parmentier’s Psychic Tea is a Halloween-themed tea complete with wandering fortune-tellers, odd phrenologists and strange characters. Learn what the future holds for you (all in good fun, of course) on Sat., Oct. 29 at 2:30 p.m. Admission is $25.
On All Hallow’s Eve, Mon., Oct. 31, there are spooky characters with treats for all the good little boys and ghouls waiting on the porch at Cape May’s original haunted house, the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St. Trick or Treat at the Physick Estate is from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and is free.
All trolley tours start at the Washington Street Mall Information Booth at Ocean Street unless otherwise noted.
Halloween Happenings in Victorian Cape May 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 or to purchase tickets to Halloween Happenings 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.