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It started with Charles Dickens. His imagination unleashed A Christmas Carol into the world. Mickey was my first. Muppets is my favorite. No matter the adaptation, the Victorian time-period and Christmas are forever linked in my being. I am eager to take the Cape May Christmas House Tour, to soak up all of the Victorian Christmas vibes.
Cape May, New Jersey, has one of the largest collections of 19th Century frame buildings, in the United States. Visitors’ are whisked back in time as eyes glimpse dramatic gabled roofs, ornate gingerbread trim, and extraordinary stained glass. Admiring the buildings from the outside, infects one with a strong yearning to step inside. The perfect way to get a peek inside, is by taking the Cape May Christmas House Tour.

Tour Maps in hand, we watch the clock, waiting for the doors of the Mainstay Inn, to open. The tour officially begins at 5:30pm. There’s no official starting or ending spot for the Cape May Christmas House Tour. Since Mainstay Inn is one of the tour’s busiest locations, seeing it first, is a good idea. The Mainstay Inn’s decorations, pair nicely with the home’s cozy atmosphere.

Excitement for Victorian architecture kindled, we find the closest trolley stop.
The hop-on-hop-off trolley, is included with the tour. Trolley stops are clearly marked. Some stops are for a single building, while others include multiple tour sites.

The well-known sites have long entrance lines, while less famous sites, have no lines at all.
Intricate woodwork, warming stoves and fireplaces, and stained glass, greet guests inside the houses. The Abbey, a private rental house, is particularly stunning.

I’m in love with their stained glass.

Along with a chance to see inside of the houses, you are given information about the sites’ history. Some stories sound like they could be a popular, television, drama series.
The most interesting tales are found at Angel Sea Inn.

No spoilers. You need to hear the stories for yourself. Most of the houses have staff or owners roaming the home, ready to answer questions and point out interesting architectural features, but Angel Sea Inn gathers visitors for an official house tour. The Inn is also a combination tour house and cookie stop.

Friendly staff hand out pieces of delicious, traditional shortbread, munched while listening to carolers.

The Cape May Christmas House Tour, map, indicates two more cookie stops. The Montreal Beach Resort does not offer a hotel tour, but has a spread of holiday treats in their lobby.

All of the cookie stops include hot chocolate and hot apple cider. You are not permitted to bring food or beverages onto the trolley. The drinks are the temperature of lava. If your desire is to nibble cookies, while sipping a hot chocolate, be sure to add extra time into your evening schedule.

The Episcopal Church of the Advent, is a cookie stop.

It is also an excellent spot for a bathroom break. If you have an interest in historic churches, and/or impressive, organs, make the church one of your stops.

Cape May is a beautiful place to visit during the most wonderful time of the year. Porch lights twinkle, and houses are adorned with fresh greens and decorations, popular in the Victorian era. Many of the indoor trees, on the Cape May Christmas House Tour, have themes.
The Bedford Inn created a seashore themed tree,

and a lovely bird-watching (a well-loved Cape May activity) themed tree.

In addition to the Christmas decorations, my favorite item in the Dormer House Bed and Breakfast, is the vintage typewriter.

The highlight of the Cape May Christmas House Tour, is the Emlen Physick Estate. Emlen Physick was the grandson of the famous Philadelphia physician, Dr. Philip Syng Physick. Dr. Philip Syng Physick is considered the “Father of American Surgery.” If you visit Philadelphia, you can take a tour of Dr. Philip Syng Physick’s House.
Visitors exiting the trolley, are invited into the Estate’s foyer. A man, dressed in Victorian garb,
introduces himself as Dr. Physick. Dr. Physick monologues the history of the Physick family and home.

Introduction concluded, we are permitted to explore the home’s first floor. I have an obsession with Victorian dinner parties and menus. I’m thrilled that the Physick Estate’s dining
room, includes a detailed Christmas party, menu.

The table is adorned with authentic place settings. We are curious as to why the table centerpiece is a vase of celery. The staff member explains that celery was a difficult vegetable to grow, thus making it a luxury. In Victorian times, celery was placed in a special, celery vase, as a way to flaunt wealth.

Happy to learn a new historic food fact, I continue chatting with the staff. We bond over our affection for, vintage, Christmas décor.

On the Cape May Physick Estate’s property, is a small museum and gift shop. During the holiday season, the building transforms into pure Christmas joy. Miniature trains whizz around a miniature, historic, London.

Thousands of Christmas ornaments dangle overhead in a blizzard of sparkles, shine, and colors. It is a sight to behold in person.

Due to time, we leave two of the Cape May Christmas House Tour, homes, unexplored. Crowd level, lines, trolley waits, and hot chocolate sips, should be calculated into the evening’s schedule. Some sites are opened every weekend, while others are only open one weekend during the tour season.
Tickets can be purchased in person at Cape May’s Emlen Physick Estate or online. Tours should be purchased, well in advance, as they often sell out. Before the tour begins, prioritize which sites you want to see. You may not get to experience every site in a single evening.
To enhance your holiday experience, spend the entire day in Cape May, New Jersey. Visit downtown shops. Sample peanut butter at Cape May Peanut Butter Company.

Stop by Congress Hall’s Winter Wonderland to browse wares in their Vendors Village and/or take a spin on the merry-go-round. Book a reservation at one of Cape May’s fantastic restaurants for a pre-tour meal. Cape May is an ideal destination to indulge in holiday merriment. Glowing lights and creative baubles, combined with yummy cookies and hot chocolate, make the Cape May Christmas House Tour, worth adding to your holiday activity list.

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