Emlen Physick Estate

The 1879 Stick Style mansion designed by Frank Furness is the most ambitious surviving Victorian house in Cape May, and the only one that offers regular guided tours of fully restored interiors. The 18-room house was the residence of Dr. Emlen Physick Jr., a local physician, and it preserves period furnishings, costumes, and decorative arts from the 1880s through the early 1900s.

Tours are run by the Cape May MAC (Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts) and last about 45 minutes. The grounds also host the Carriage House Café and Tearoom, the Cape May Stage theatre, and the seasonal Christmas-lit "Yuletide" tours, which are a highlight of an off-season visit.

things to do sight museum
A story
When the estate came up for demolition in 1970, a group of locals founded MAC — the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts — specifically to save it. That fight is widely credited with kickstarting the preservation movement that turned the whole town into a historic landmark.

Other places in Things to Do