Jersey Shore, New Jersey
Cape May
America's oldest seaside resort, at the very southern tip of New Jersey: streets of painted Victorian houses, beaches, a lighthouse you can climb and a concrete ship sinking off Sunset Beach.
Photo: The J. Stratton Ware House, a Victorian house in Cape May, Bmzuckerman, CC BY 4.0
Cape May was a seaside resort by the early 1800s. After a fire in 1878 it was rebuilt with the Victorian houses that make the whole town a National Historic Landmark district. Gingerbread trim everywhere you look.
At Cape May Point, the 1859 lighthouse looks over beaches and marshes known for bird migration. At Sunset Beach, the wreck of the concrete ship SS Atlantus sits just offshore.
Outdoors and nature
Trails, lookouts, waterfalls, beaches and time on the water come first.
Sunset Beach
A Delaware Bay beach with the SS Atlantus wreck offshore and a nightly flag ceremony in summer.
Higbee Beach Wildlife Management Area
Dunes, fields and a quiet bay beach known for migrating birds.
Cape May beaches
Wide sandy beaches along Beach Avenue. Beach tags needed in summer.
Sights and attractions
Museums, landmarks and the places people come here for.
Victorian historic district
Streets of painted Victorian houses, a National Historic Landmark district.
WWII Lookout Tower
A World War II fire control tower you can climb.
Season Seasonal, check official site.
Markets, shops and festivals
Main streets, markets and the dates worth planning around.
Book a tour or activity
Cruises, tours and experiences people book here. Each one goes to the operator's official page, and you can still add it to your trip.
Cape May whale and dolphin watching
Boat trips to see dolphins and whales.
Season Trips run roughly March–Dec (check before you go).
Cape May–Lewes Ferry
A ferry across Delaware Bay to Lewes, Delaware.
Part of our Cape May and the Wildwoods guides.
Make it a weekend
Why stay the night
- Sunset Beach's flag ceremony happens every summer evening.
- The lighthouse and Cape May Point fill a morning.
- Fall bird migration is worth a weekend.
Nearby and worth the drive
By ferry across Delaware Bay.
Free beaches, a boardwalk and amusement piers.
Ready-made trips with Cape May
Good to know
- Beach tags: Cape May beaches need beach tags in summer: capemaycity.com.
- Tourism: capemaychamber.com.
- We list only places we can check against an official source. Hours, seasons and prices change, so confirm before you go.
Photos on this page
Photo: The J. Stratton Ware House, a Victorian house in Cape May, Bmzuckerman, CC BY 4.0
Photo: Gulls on the beach in Cape May, Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: The wreck of the SS Atlantus off Sunset Beach, TypoBoy, Public domain
Photo: Cape May Lighthouse, King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: The Emlen Physick Estate, Staib, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: Washington Street Mall, Cape May, WhisperToMe, CC0