Cape May Ghost Tours and More!

There are probably as many ghosts in Cape May as there are shells on the beach. Just about everyone who has a home or vacations here regularly has their own ghost story. As I mentioned in my last ghost post, Are There Really Ghosts in Cape May we have one of our own named Margaret. She is mostly a prankster but likes to make herself known by hiding things and returning them or turning on faucets. Having our own ghost makes us feel like we are in the Cape May cool kids club.

Do you have any curiosity at all about spooky happenings in the houses, hotels, bed & breakfasts, restaurants and so on? If so, I highly recommend doing a ghost tour. My husband and I took a tour recently and found it to be great fun. Our tour was through Cape May MAC and featured Craig McManus, the world-renowned psychic medium and author. The tour lasted about an hour and meandered through the streets of the historic district starting at the Washington Mall information booth. You will not go into any houses, but you will feel like you did. What makes this tour so unique is that Craig is relaying fascinating history overlaid with his own very personal stories. He describes his spooky experiences with ghostly apparitions in spine tingling detail. He interjects just the right amount of humor at the same time. Who knew there was once a brothel and some of the ladies are still in residence? He even tells a tale about a cat ghost (get it—tells a tale about a cat).

There are many other ways that you can get your haunting fix in Cape May with Cape May MAC. Craig does seances sometimes at the Physick Estate from time to time—especially in October. There is a Graveyard, Ghosts and Mansion Combo Tour that starts with a trolley ride to historic Cold Springs Presbyterian Cemetery to visit the grave of Dr. Emlen Physick. You will end at the Physick Estate where you can hear EVP (electronic voice phenomena) and speak to staff about their own experiences. EVP is used by those who investigate the paranormal to record the voices of spirits trying to communicate with us from beyond the grave.

Another fun trolley tour is the Ghosts of the Lighthouse Trolley Tour. You will hear all about Craig McManus’s paranormal findings. It has been said that some have felt the presence of the lighthouse keepers from long ago. The Ghosts of Cape May Trolley Tour which also features tales of local hauntings by Craig. And Spirits & Oddities which adds a macabre twist to the spooky stories.

If your interested in something a little more theatrical than spine tingling, there are annual presentations at the Physick Estate. Gloomy Apparition II is the one this year. A new visitor to the Estate causes quite the commotion with the resident spirits. Who knows what will happen next?

You can find all the details about these tours and more here.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that there is also another ghost tour available in Cape May. Ghost Capers Haunted Cape May also does evening tours through the streets. This lantern lit walking tour departs in front the post office on the corner of Washington Street and Franklin Street. This tour has a bit more Cape May history from early colonial days of plantations, through the Civil War and late 19^th to early 20^th Century. They also have a book “Stories From Haunted Cape May” that you can buy on Amazon.

It is a short read that is a great compliment to any Cape May library.

Another hauntingly good book you might want to add to your collection is “Cape May Haunts: Elaine’s Haunted Mansion and Other Eerie Beach Tales—also available on Amazon. It starts with the author’s real life account of her experience with the ghosts that inhabit Elaine’s on Lafayette Street. The introduction literally gave me chills.

So do you believe in ghosts? Have you ever encountered a spirit in Cape May (or anywhere for that matter)? I would love to hear about it. As always, add a comment or email me.

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