Every year since 1974, Christmas Candlelight House Tours sponsored by the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) have drawn thousands of visitors and local residents to Cape May to celebrate the holiday season.
An annual tradition that is a beloved part of the Cape May experience, Victorian inns, homes, churches, and hotels open their doors and welcome visitors to share the warmth and hospitality of the season. Kindle the spirit of Christmas on the first of three Christmas Candlelight House Tours, Saturday, Dec. 3 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
You will be welcomed with plenty of good old-fashioned cheer and enjoy Christmas carols by candlelight, strolling musicians and vintage holiday decorations on these self-guided tours.
Featured properties include the following: Beauclaire’s B&B Inn, 23 Ocean St.; The Bedford Inn, 805 Stockton Ave.; Congress Hall Hotel, Congress Place; The Episcopal Church of the Advent, Franklin & Washington streets; The Fairthorne Inn, 111 Ocean St.; First Presbyterian Church of Cape May, Hughes & Decatur streets; The Henry Sawyer Inn, 722 Columbia Ave.; The Hotel Macomber, 727 Beach Ave.; The Mason Cottage, 625 Columbia Ave.; The Mission Inn, 1117 New Jersey Ave.; The Primrose Inn, 1102 Lafayette St.; The Queen Victoria, 102 Ocean St.; Saltwood House, 28 Jackson St.; The Summer Cottage Inn, 613 Columbia Ave.; The Thomas Webster House, 933 Washington St.; and the Victorian Lace Inn, 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’s main attraction will be the Dickens Village collection beneath the bough of a giant Christmas tree. This impressive Department 56 collection was generously donated by Ernie and Betsy Heegard.
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 heated trolleys is provided throughout the evening.
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. 10 and 17.
The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC) 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.
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.
Upper Township – Again, kids drinking and being loud half the night near a local business. No matter how often authorities are called they say call the owner. Management does nothing except say; they do what they are…
