Attractions
There’s More to Explore at the Jersey Shore
The Jersey Cape is more than just 30 miles of pristine beaches. Visitors come to the Cape because of our white sandy beaches, warm gentle surf and cool ocean breezes, but our diversity is what keeps them returning year after year.
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History
Discover Cape May County’s history - and have fun doing it! Climb to the top of the Cape May Lighthouse and stop by the Hereford Lighthouse, relive the county’s patriotic experiences during World War II at Naval Air Station Wildwood or see what life was like here in mid 1800s with a visit to Historic Cold Spring Village.
Museums
Most towns have local museums filled with history, artifacts and knowledgeable people - the Sindia Museum in Ocean City, the George Boyer Museum in Wildwood or the Sam Azeez Museum in Woodbine housed in an historic synagogue. The Cape May County Museum in the John Holmes House is one of the oldest structures in the county, c. 1755, with period rooms, displays of furnishings, costumes, tools and decorative and practical objects from the 17th to 20th centuries.
Tour
The county is filled with buildings and sites on the National Register of Historic Places including most of Victorian Cape May, the state’s only National Historic Landmark City. Tours of the town - by trolley, foot or even horse and carriage - are a wonderful way to learn about Cape Island’s history, great fires, presidential visits and more.
The Arts
Enjoy the Ocean City Pops, the Cape May Jazz Festivals - both spring and fall - or catch a play at Cape May Stage, a professional Equity theater in a small, intimate setting. For classical music lovers, the Cape May Music Festival is 6 weeks of pure enjoyment with chamber groups, the Bay Atlantic Symphony, pianists and others who perform at convention hall and Church of the Advent. The East Lynne Company, another Cape May theater, produces plays of American heritage as well as works of and by American literary figures. Film festivals are a more recent addition to a growing, year-round arts calendar. For the antique lovers, shops are everywhere especially along the Route 9 corridor that runs the length of the country.
Outside
In July and August, resorts sponsor an abundance of summer concerts, most of them free, outside and under the stars, with the ocean and sunset as a backdrop. Sit on the sand, spread out a blanket or grab a beach chair and enjoy. Outdoor art shows along Boardwalks, promenades and tree-lined paths at historic sites showcase talent that often gets inspiration from local scenes.
Nature
To visit Leaming’s Run on Route 9 in Swainton is to leave the world behind and be enveloped in acres of flowers, gardens, birds and butterflies. From early summer to late fall, the gardens, flowers and birds change with the seasons.
Sites to See
For youngsters, there’s no more natural place to have fun than the Wetlands Institute with salt marsh trails, aquariums filled with turtles and horseshoe crab exhibits - or check out those crabs up close and personal along the bay especially in the spring when literally thousands come ashore to lay eggs that help provide nourishment for migrating red knots. Cape May Nature Center right on the harbor in Cape May is busy with harbor safaris, guided kayaking trips, biking tours, gardening programs, family hikes, and beach explorations. And don’t forget the Cape May County Zoo - it’s home to hundreds of animals including zebras and giraffes who live in the natural savanna.
Golf & Birding
A dozen or more golf courses - public and private, 9 holes or 18, are located throughout the county. Birding enthusiasts already know that Cape May is the birding capital of North America - and novices and would-be birders are always welcome to join the fun. Cape May Point is a great place to start with marked, easy-to-follow trails to help even the novice birder spot ducks, swans, osprey, and other shore birds and wildlife along the way.
Belleplain State Forest & Parks
Straddling the border the Cape May-Cumberland border, Belleplain State Forest encompasses 21,000 acres of Pinelands. One of Southern New Jersey’s premier camping destinations, it¹s a great place for hiking, biking, bird watching, canoeing and exploring. The county also maintains several parks, open to the public at no cost. One of the newest attractions, the Villas Wildlife Management Area is quickly becoming a favorite spot for birdwatchers, walkers and anyone who just wants to see nature up close and personal.
The Jersey Cape is more than just 30 miles of pristine beaches. Visitors come to the Cape because of our white sandy beaches, warm gentle surf and cool ocean breezes, but our diversity is what keeps them returning year after year.
.
History
Discover Cape May County’s history - and have fun doing it! Climb to the top of the Cape May Lighthouse and stop by the Hereford Lighthouse, relive the county’s patriotic experiences during World War II at Naval Air Station Wildwood or see what life was like here in mid 1800s with a visit to Historic Cold Spring Village.
Museums
Most towns have local museums filled with history, artifacts and knowledgeable people - the Sindia Museum in Ocean City, the George Boyer Museum in Wildwood or the Sam Azeez Museum in Woodbine housed in an historic synagogue. The Cape May County Museum in the John Holmes House is one of the oldest structures in the county, c. 1755, with period rooms, displays of furnishings, costumes, tools and decorative and practical objects from the 17th to 20th centuries.
Tour
The county is filled with buildings and sites on the National Register of Historic Places including most of Victorian Cape May, the state’s only National Historic Landmark City. Tours of the town - by trolley, foot or even horse and carriage - are a wonderful way to learn about Cape Island’s history, great fires, presidential visits and more.
The Arts
Enjoy the Ocean City Pops, the Cape May Jazz Festivals - both spring and fall - or catch a play at Cape May Stage, a professional Equity theater in a small, intimate setting. For classical music lovers, the Cape May Music Festival is 6 weeks of pure enjoyment with chamber groups, the Bay Atlantic Symphony, pianists and others who perform at convention hall and Church of the Advent. The East Lynne Company, another Cape May theater, produces plays of American heritage as well as works of and by American literary figures. Film festivals are a more recent addition to a growing, year-round arts calendar. For the antique lovers, shops are everywhere especially along the Route 9 corridor that runs the length of the country.
Outside
In July and August, resorts sponsor an abundance of summer concerts, most of them free, outside and under the stars, with the ocean and sunset as a backdrop. Sit on the sand, spread out a blanket or grab a beach chair and enjoy. Outdoor art shows along Boardwalks, promenades and tree-lined paths at historic sites showcase talent that often gets inspiration from local scenes.
Nature
To visit Leaming’s Run on Route 9 in Swainton is to leave the world behind and be enveloped in acres of flowers, gardens, birds and butterflies. From early summer to late fall, the gardens, flowers and birds change with the seasons.
Sites to See
For youngsters, there’s no more natural place to have fun than the Wetlands Institute with salt marsh trails, aquariums filled with turtles and horseshoe crab exhibits - or check out those crabs up close and personal along the bay especially in the spring when literally thousands come ashore to lay eggs that help provide nourishment for migrating red knots. Cape May Nature Center right on the harbor in Cape May is busy with harbor safaris, guided kayaking trips, biking tours, gardening programs, family hikes, and beach explorations. And don’t forget the Cape May County Zoo - it’s home to hundreds of animals including zebras and giraffes who live in the natural savanna.
Golf & Birding
A dozen or more golf courses - public and private, 9 holes or 18, are located throughout the county. Birding enthusiasts already know that Cape May is the birding capital of North America - and novices and would-be birders are always welcome to join the fun. Cape May Point is a great place to start with marked, easy-to-follow trails to help even the novice birder spot ducks, swans, osprey, and other shore birds and wildlife along the way.
Belleplain State Forest & Parks
Straddling the border the Cape May-Cumberland border, Belleplain State Forest encompasses 21,000 acres of Pinelands. One of Southern New Jersey’s premier camping destinations, it¹s a great place for hiking, biking, bird watching, canoeing and exploring. The county also maintains several parks, open to the public at no cost. One of the newest attractions, the Villas Wildlife Management Area is quickly becoming a favorite spot for birdwatchers, walkers and anyone who just wants to see nature up close and personal.