CAPE MAY – For the third consecutive day, the Cape May Lighthouse, located in Cape May Point State Park, and the World War II Lookout Tower (Fire Control Tower No. 23) on Sunset Boulevard near Cape May Point, are closed to the public July 3 until a stalemate is broken between the legislature and Gov. Christie over the Fiscal Year 2018 New Jersey budget.
The Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts & Humanities (MAC), a not-for-profit organization committed to promoting the preservation, interpretation, and cultural enrichment of the Cape May region for its residents and visitors, manages, maintains and opens to the public the Cape May Lighthouse and the World War II Lookout Tower, according to a release.
In 2016, close to 83,000 people visited these two historic sites. They are especially popular during summer holiday weekends. In 2016, for example, over three days from July 2 to July 4, a total of 2,332 people visited these two historic sites. In 2017, July 4 falls on a Tuesday and means an added vacation day for many. MAC anticipated the possibility of 3,000 visitors to these two sites over this extraordinarily long four-day holiday weekend from Saturday to Tuesday. Over two days, MAC has lost an estimated $9,000 in revenues due to this government shutdown.
If no budget agreement is immediately reached, the following scheduled tours and programs are cancelled or closed July 3:
- Cape May Lighthouse
- World War II Lookout Tower
- A Day in Cape May Package
- Exploring Our History Package
- July 3 Dinner & Fireworks
- July 4 Dinner & Fireworks (if state parks to not reopen by 4 p.m. July 3)
In the event the impasse continues, additional programming would be affected daily. Visitors turned away for admission to these two historic sites this weekend were angry, disappointed and frustrated.
“Hundreds of visitors have been turned away daily to these two historic sites,” stated Zuckerman. “Each day they are closed means dollars lost in support of MAC’s historic preservation mission. Just this May we completed a major repainting project at the Cape May Lighthouse. We are sorely disappointed this political impasse continues. It is disrupting thousands of visitors’ plans for the holiday weekend and hurts non-profit organizations such as MAC.”
Members of the public are advised to call 609-884-5404 or visit www.capemaymac.org for changes and updates to MAC scheduled tours and events this holiday weekend.
