Cool Cape May 2021-22

[274] activities
Cape May mac
New name, new brand... but the same mission for the organization that saved Cape May. Prepare to be entertained and inspired!
In 2020, the Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts
& Humanities (MAC) became Cape May MAC
(Museums + Arts + Culture), launching a new
name and brand, and a Carroll Gallery exhibit
devoted to its half-century history remains
open through October 2021. The organization
celebrates five decades of carrying out its mission
to promote the preservation, interpretation and
cultural enrichment of the Cape May region,
and the commitment and countless hours of its
thousands of staff and volunteers over the years.
To know Cape May is to know the story
of MAC. In 1970, a band of energetic historic
preservationists created this not-for-profit
organization and fought to save the 1879 Emlen
Physick Estate from demolition. By persistence
and guile they succeeded, an acknowledged
turning point that moved the city toward its
National Historic Landmark City status. Had they
not won that tough fight, Cape May would look
very different today.
Cape May MAC, as it has for decades,
continues to offer the following to the Cape
May community, of which you are a part, simply
because you are reading this book...
Emlen Physick Estate
Cape May MAC’s flagship historic site, the 1879
Emlen Physick Estate, is at 1048 Washington
Street. There you will find the Physick House
Museum, the Carroll Gallery in the Carriage
House, the Carriage House Museum Shop, and
interpretive panels about each outbuilding.
The Physick House Museum is Cape May’s
only Victorian house museum and a must-see
as one of the nation’s best examples of Stick
Style architecture. Entertaining guides tell of the
Physick family and delve into this gem, designed
by Frank Furness, Victorian America’s great
modern architect. The grounds are dog-friendly
and the gardens are beautiful. Outdoor festivals
support Cape May MAC’s preservation efforts.
Free exhibits are offered year-round in the
Carroll Gallery, and parking is free.
Cape May Lighthouse
Climb the 199 steps for a one-of-a-kind view.
Since 1988, when Cape May MAC restored the
historic site and opened it to the public, over
2.5 million people have climbed to the top. The
1048 WASHINGTON STREET & VARIOUS LOCATIONS l CAPE MAY l 609-884-5404 l capemaymac.org