Are you looking to swap the familiar streets of Gloucester City for something a bit more spirited?
Cape May, just around an hour and a half away from Gloucester City, might fit the bill.
Cape May may be best known for its Victorian charm and oceanfront views, but once the sun sets, another side of this seaside town begins to stir. Cape May, which has been a popular seaside resort for hundreds of years and a fishing spot for Native Americans long before that, has accumulated a rather sizable number of ghostly spirits roaming this charming little town.
Today, we explore some of Cape May’s most haunting legends.
The Inn at Cape May
The Inn at Cape May – Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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The Inn at Cape May, a charming, sprawling hotel overlooking the Atlantic, was built in 1894 and has sheltered several ghosts and ghouls over the years.
Walk inside, and you’ll feel like you took a step back in time, with ornate Victorian chandeliers and furniture adorning the lobby of this five-story hotel. It’s not just the ancient furniture, though; inside the inn live the ghosts of undead guests who never checked out.
Originally named The Colonial, the hotel quickly became a favorite among visitors, especially Philadelphians vacationing in the summer or winter. It featured steam heating and amenities such as gas lights.
Who haunts the Inn of Cape May? According to guests, phantom children are heard running down the halls, knocking on doors, and laughing. As the local legend goes, two children staying at the hotel drowned in the ocean after slipping away and going on an ill-advised adventure while their parents were attending a beach party.
Some visitors have even called the front desk to complain – imagine their shock upon being told that no children have checked into the hotel!
The Southern Mansion
The Southern Mansion – Upstateherd, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Southern Mansion, now restored in all of its glory and offering paid accommodation, is a beautiful place to spend a weekend in Cape May. Before its current owners bought it in 1994, though, it served as a boarding house, during which time it fell into disrepair. Before that, it was wealthy businessman George Allen’s summer getaway for over eight decades.
George and his extended family spent many a happy summer at this beautiful Italian-style abode. It seems their nostalgia for this house has never died. His niece, Ester Allen, can sometimes be spotted dancing in the garden, her perfume wafting through the air.
The Cape May Lighthouse
The Cape May Lighthouse – King of Hearts, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The Cape May Lighthouse has been standing tall since 1859, but it wasn’t the first lighthouse on this spot. At least two prior lighthouses stood here; one built in 1823 and another in 1847, both of which succumbed to beach erosion and fell into disrepair.
This majestic lighthouse, 199 stairs tall, is popular among tourists. At night, though, a translucent lady in white often peers down to the ocean below. Holding a child in one hand and a lantern in the other, she seems to be searching for someone or perhaps awaiting a loved one’s return. Did her husband die at sea while traveling back to her? Who is she searching for?
Nobody knows, but if you’re brave enough to visit the lighthouse at night, you might get a chance to see – and maybe ask – her yourself.
The Hotel Macomber
The Macomber Hotel – Public domain image
The Hotel Macomber is centrally located, making it a favorite among visiting businessmen and vacationers. It’s also one of Cape May’s most haunted spots.
A number of ghosts are purported to haunt this hotel, but the most famous is “The Trunk Lady.” She is believed to be Irene Wright, a woman who came to Cape May once a year and stayed in room 10 of this hotel every time.
Paranormal investigators have captured strange voices in this room and other strange phenomena, including doors banging when the hotel was empty and flickering chandeliers.
The Emlen Physick Estate
The Emlen Physick Estate – Public domain image
The Emlen Physick Estate is Cape May’s only historic house museum. Built in 1879 for Dr. Emlen Physick Jr., this sprawling Victorian mansion features an iconic stick figure exterior design and unique inner furnishings.
After Dr. Physick passed, the house was owned by several residents, none of whom stayed there for long. They reported seeing strange apparitions of phantom ladies—and dogs! Dr. Physick was quite the dog lover and owned several hounds, and residents have reported seeing them run under the table, only to disappear. The ladies are believed to be his two aunts, who used to reside in the house with him.
One of the best ways to explore Cape May’s haunted legends while visiting is to join one of the nightly Cape May ghost tours that take place in the city.