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Suggest a Feature →Cape May, New Jersey
Victorian beaches at the tip of Jersey. The Coast Guard's training ground.
Training Center Cape May is the only Coast Guard enlisted recruit training center in the United States — every enlisted Coastie goes through here. Located at the southern tip of New Jersey's Cape May peninsula, the station sits adjacent to one of the most intact Victorian resort towns in America.
Cape May the city is a National Historic Landmark — the largest collection of Victorian architecture in the country, with ornate painted-lady bed-and-breakfasts, a thriving whale-watching industry, and one of the best beaches on the East Coast. It's also a world-class birding destination sitting at a major Atlantic flyway convergence point.
The area has a year-round local community that coexists with serious summer tourism. In summer, Cape May is packed with visitors. In the shoulder seasons, it's peaceful, affordable, and genuinely beautiful.
Must Eat
The spots worth eating at before you PCS out.
The Rusty Nail
"Cold beer, fresh crab, and Cape May Harbor views."
A casual waterfront spot on the harbor serving fresh local seafood — blue crabs in season, fish sandwiches, clam strips — with cold beer and no pretension. Popular with locals and the Coast Guard community alike. Go in the afternoon before the dinner crowd.
George's Place
"The Cape May breakfast institution. Cash only, get there early."
A classic diner serving enormous breakfasts — pancakes, eggs, and house-made scrapple — to locals since 1953. Counter service, cash only, and lines out the door on summer weekends. Arrive early or go on a weekday.
Lobster House Restaurant
"Fresh off the boat. One of the best fish houses on the Jersey shore."
A working fish market and restaurant on the commercial docks. The lobster and crab come off the boats that tie up outside. The raw bar is excellent. The fish market is open independently and worth shopping for home cooking.
Outdoor
Get outside. The land around military installations is usually the best reason to be there.
Cape May Beach
"Some of the best beach walking on the East Coast. Wide, clean, and beautiful."
Cape May's beaches are wide, clean, and remarkably well-maintained. Beach tags required in summer (nominal fee). The beach glass hunting here is famous — Cape May diamonds (quartz pebbles tumbled smooth) wash ashore. Walk south toward Cape May Point for increasingly empty beach.
Whale and Dolphin Watching
"Some of the best whale watching on the East Coast. Humpbacks in summer."
Multiple operators run whale and dolphin watching tours out of Cape May Harbor. Humpback whales are commonly seen June through October. Bottlenose dolphins are nearly guaranteed. A 2-hour trip can be a genuinely spectacular wildlife experience.
Sunset Beach
"Flags from retired ships. Sunsets over Delaware Bay. A daily ceremony."
A small beach at the tip of the peninsula facing west over Delaware Bay. Every evening in season, a flag retirement ceremony takes place — retired US flags are lowered from a flagpole while taps plays over a speaker. Tourists and locals gather. It's quiet and moving.
Culture & History
Places with stories. Most military towns sit on deep history — dig in.
Historic Washington Street Mall
"A Victorian pedestrian mall lined with shops, galleries, and restaurants."
The heart of Cape May's commercial district — a pedestrian-only brick street lined with Victorian storefronts, art galleries, boutiques, and restaurants. The architecture alone is worth the walk. More pleasant in shoulder season when summer crowds thin out.
Cape May Stage
"A professional equity theater in a converted church. Surprisingly excellent."
A small professional theater operating in a restored church building. Equity productions run year-round. The quality is consistently above what you'd expect from a beach resort town — Cape May Stage has been presenting serious theater for decades.
Family
Stuff to do with the kids. Rated by people who have brought actual children.
Cape May Zoo
"A genuinely impressive free zoo. One of New Jersey's best-kept secrets."
Cape May County Park & Zoo is a full-scale zoo with lions, giraffes, bears, and reptiles — completely free admission. For a county zoo, the quality and variety of the animal collection is remarkable. Worth an entire afternoon.
Cape May Miniature Golf
"Classic Jersey shore mini golf. Exactly what it sounds like."
Multiple mini golf courses operate in the Cape May area. The one near the beach is appropriately tacky and perfect for family evenings. Not profound, but reliable entertainment when you need to wear out kids before bedtime.
Day Trips
When you need to remember there's a world outside the gate.
"The boardwalk, casinos, and one of the world's great people-watching spots."
An hour north on the Garden State Parkway, Atlantic City has the famous Boardwalk, casinos, live music, and an endless parade of humanity. Veterans and military get comped rooms at most major casinos — worth a weekend.
"History, cheesesteaks, and world-class museums."
Under two hours north, Philadelphia has the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Reading Terminal Market, and a restaurant scene that rivals any major American city. An easy day trip with unlimited things to do.
"The Jersey shore's most unhinged boardwalk. Immediately north."
Five miles north, Wildwood is the most classically Jersey shore experience available — massive boardwalk with thrill rides, games, and fried everything. Free beach (no tags). The Doo Wop architecture preservation makes it an actual design landmark.
Cape May is a walkable town — bike rentals are widely available and faster than driving in summer. Get bikes and leave the car parked.
Fall migration season (September–November) makes Cape May one of the best birding spots in North America — even if you've never birded before, the scale of migration is visible and impressive.
The Cape May-Lewes Ferry connects Cape May to Delaware — a great way to start a road trip south without backtracking through South Jersey.
Beach tags are required May through September. They're cheap and you buy them on the beach. Don't try to sneak on — it's a small town and the tag checkers are diligent.
Summer in Cape May is packed. Traffic on weekends from Memorial Day through Labor Day can turn a 5-mile drive into 45 minutes. Housing near the base is expensive because it's a vacation market — inland is the better value. The off-season (October–May) is genuinely peaceful and the town doesn't fully close down, but many businesses are seasonal.
This guide is built by people who've been stationed here. If there's a spot we got wrong or a gem we missed, tell us.