Arts and culture Cape May, New Jersey

emlen physick estate (1879), frank furness, architect. victorian house museum @ 1048 washington street.



beach tags required in order use cape may beaches.

cape may has become known both victorian gingerbread homes , cultural offerings. town hosts cape may jazz festival, cape may music festival , cape may, new jersey film festival. cape may stage, equity theater founded in 1988, performs @ robert shackleton playhouse on corner of bank , lafayette streets. east lynne theater company, equity professional company specializing in american classics , world premieres, has mainstage season june–december , march, school residencies throughout year. cape may home mid-atlantic center arts & humanities (mac), established in 1970 volunteers succeeded in saving 1879 emlen physick estate demolition. mac offers wide variety of tours, activities , events throughout year residents , visitors , operates 3 cape may area historic sites—the 1879 emlen physick estate, cape may lighthouse , world war ii lookout tower. center community arts (cca) offers african american history tours of cape may, arts programs young people , transforming historic franklin street school, constructed in 1928 house african-american students in segregated school, community cultural center.

cape may home of so-called cape may diamonds . show @ sunset beach , other beaches in area. these in fact clear quartz pebbles wash down delaware river. begin prismatic quartz (including color sub-varieties such smoky quartz , amethyst) in quartz veins alongside delaware river eroded out of host rock , wash down 200 miles shore. collecting cape may diamonds popular pastime , many tourist shops sell them polished or faceted stones.

the cape may area world-famous observation of migrating birds, in fall. on 400 bird species having been recorded in area hundreds of local birders, cape may arguably top bird-watching area in entire northeastern united states. cape may bird observatory based nearby @ cape may point.

cape may destination marine mammal watching. several species of whales , dolphins can seen in waters of delaware bay , atlantic ocean, many within 10 miles (16 km) of land, due confluence of fresh , saltwater make nutrient rich area marine life. whale , dolphin watching cruises year-round attraction in cape may, part of ecotourism / agritourism industry generated $450 million in revenue in county, of in state.

fisherman s memorial

the cape may fisherman s memorial, @ baltimore , missouri avenues, erected in 1988. consists of circular plaza reminiscent of giant compass, granite statue of mother , 2 small children looking out harbor cove, , granite monument listing names of 75 local fishermen died @ sea. names begin andrew jeffers, died in 1893, , include 6 people died in march 2009 sinking of scalloping boat lady mary. granite statue designed heather baird jerry lynch. memorial maintained city of cape may , administered friends of cape may fisherman s memorial. visitors leave stone or seashell on statue s base in tribute fishermen.