Cape May is the Shore's Victorian town: a National Historic Landmark at the southern tip of New Jersey, known for blocks of preserved nineteenth-century houses, a walkable downtown on the Washington Street Mall, and wide Atlantic beaches.
Cape May County·South Shore·Official site ↗
141 Miles verified June 8, 2026. Hours and prices may have shifted.
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Cape May is the Shore's Victorian town: a National Historic Landmark at the southern tip of New Jersey, known for blocks of preserved nineteenth-century houses, a walkable downtown on the Washington Street Mall, and wide Atlantic beaches. It is a full destination rather than a quick beach stop, pulling history travelers and birders as much as beachgoers. Unlike Ocean City up the coast, it is not a dry town.
History Cape May is one of the country's oldest seaside resorts, a vacation spot since the eighteenth century, when visitors arrived by steamboat and rail. A major fire in 1878 destroyed much of the town, and the rebuild in the Victorian style of the day is why Cape May now holds one of the largest concentrations of Victorian architecture in the United States. That building stock earned the whole city National Historic Landmark status, and preservation has shaped it ever since.
What makes it unique The Victorian core is the whole identity, and few American beach towns wear their history this openly. The setting helps: Cape May sits at the end of a peninsula, which makes it one of the best fall bird-migration spots in North America. The wider area extends the draw, from the quiet bay side at North Cape May to Cape May Point, where the lighthouse and Sunset Beach mark the literal end of the state.
Interesting facts
Summary Cape May suits travelers who want history and a full town, not just a beach day. Come for the Victorian streets and the birds, and expect a polished, busy place in season.
Soccer fans mob D'Arcy's Tavern in Bradley Beach for U.S. World Cup opener
Throughout the rapturous first half these fans paid their national team the ultimate compliment: None of them scrolled their phones.
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Airbnb, the short-term rental platform, is providing the tickets that will be distributed by the Raritan Bay Area YMCA, Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Coastal & Northern New Jersey and Boys & Girls Clubs in New Jersey.
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Source ↗Route 317 bus terminus; Cape May–Lewes Ferry nearby
Very walkable Victorian downtown; bus and ferry connections
NJ Transit 317 — Cape May
Cape May's paper of record — a weekly covering Cape May, West Cape May, Cape May Point and Lower Township.
A Cape May weekly covering local happenings and events; doubles as an eat/shop/do guide.
County-wide weekly founded 1968, covering all of Cape May County. Broader than the city; partly paywalled.
Outbound links. 141 Miles does not control content on third-party sites for Cape May.
No dogs on city beaches (except service animals). Dogs allowed at Higbee Beach and Delaware Bay
Beach Ave Beaches
Beach Ave meters
Virtual parking meters along Beach Ave
Washington St Mall
Washington Street Mall area meters
Shade structures under 10×10ft allowed. Larger structures banned
No camping or fires on beach
Broadway Beach — no surfing during daytime guarded hours. Bodyboarding with fins OK. Off-hours surfing allowed
Fishing allowed at Brooklyn Ave storm pipe area only (quarter-mile stretch)
Smoking banned on all NJ public beaches (state law since 2019). Fines $250–$1,000
Glass containers prohibited on beach
Alcohol prohibited on beach (local ordinance)
No upcoming events.
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