United States
New Jersey (NJ)
Jersey Shore
Cape May County
Cape May
Things to Do in Cape May
Emlen Physick Estate
See all things to do

Emlen Physick Estate

See all things to do
See all things to do
Emlen Physick Estate
4.5
#9 of 49 things to do in Cape May
Historic SitesHistory Museums
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Write a review
About
March Tour Times: Friday: 1:45pm Saturday: 12:30pm, 1:45pm Sunday: 1:45pm The 1879 Emlen Physick Estate is Cape May's only Victorian house museum. Designed by renowned American architect Frank Furness, the home has been fully restored. Its 15 rooms open a window into Victorian times in Cape May. Guided and self-guided tours are offered. Each year, a new theme is interpreted in the museum, which has been restored and is operated by the non-profit Cape May MAC (Museums + Arts + Culture). The organization also offers guided daytime and evening trolley tours of Cape May, as well as the Cape May Lighthouse and the World War II Lookout Tower. Check website for more information.
Duration: < 1 hour
Suggest edits to improve what we show.
Improve this listing
Tours & experiences
Explore different ways to experience this place.
Full view

Top ways to experience Emlen Physick Estate and nearby attractions

The area

Address
Reach out directly
Best nearby
Restaurants
139 within 3 miles
Washington Inn
1,275
0.4 mi$$$$ • Seafood • Vegetarian friendly • Vegan options
Vintage
31
120 ft$$$$ • American • Pub • Gastropub
Oyster Bay Steak & Seafood
788
0.5 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Seafood
Cape May Peanut Butter Co.
499
0.6 mi$ • Dessert • American • Vegetarian friendly
Mario's Pizza & Italian Eatery
413
0.6 mi$ • Italian • Pizza • Vegetarian friendly
C-View Inn
286
0.5 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Bar • Pub
Freda's Cafe
521
0.6 mi$$ - $$$ • American • International • Vegetarian friendly
Union Park Dining Room
1,554
0.7 mi$$$$ • French • American • Steakhouse
410 Bank Street
745
0.7 mi$$$$ • Cajun & Creole • Seafood • Fusion
Hemingway's Steaks & Seafood Restaurant
972
0.6 mi$$ - $$$ • American • Steakhouse • Bar
See all
Attractions
82 within 6 miles
Cape May Tennis Center
6
294 ftSports Complexes
Cape May Stage Professional Equity Theater
270
0.7 miTheaters
Cape May Beach
2,272
0.7 miBeaches
Washington Street Mall
594
0.7 miShopping Malls
Cape May Fire Department Museum
73
0.5 miSpeciality Museums
Harriet Tubman Museum
34
0.5 miSpeciality Museums • History Museums
Out of the Past Antiques
78
0.7 miAntique Shops
The Colonial House
21
0.4 miHistoric Sites
Our Lady Star of the Sea Church
38
0.6 miChurches & Cathedrals
Spirit of Cape May
117
0.7 miShips
See all

See what travelers are saying

  • Camper17180353661
    2 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Memorable
    I have been to the physick estate multiple times and I love it each and everytime we go. If I lived close to cape may I would love to be a guide to this gorgeous estate. I love touring the second floor but during the candle light tour we wasnt permitted to go to the secong floor. Its just amazing absolutely beautiful
    Visited December 2023
    Traveled with family
    Written December 16, 2023
  • Robin L
    Adams, Massachusetts197 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    Wonderful Victorian House
    Wonderful Victorian house with nice furnishings. Our energetic tour guide Carol was excellent. I loved some of the old kitchen tools, the old hand lawn mower, the old record player. Lots of interesting old things. The number of people for each tour is limited, so go online and book ahead to make sure you get your spot.
    Visited July 2024
    Traveled as a couple
    Written July 28, 2024
  • Cheri D
    Yardville, New Jersey490 contributions
    5.0 of 5 bubbles
    So much history here!
    You can tour this old historic home, which we did do many years ago, but that wasn't what we were there for on this day. They have an annual Scarecrow competition where local businesses and residents compete for the best scarecrows. We really enjoy this, however, the grounds are small, but there are enough of them to enjoy. You can also eat at the restaurant in the gift shop. Restrooms are located in the back in another building. To our surprise on this day, they had a Fall Festival and a local blues band that we were following for years was playing. It was very crowded. Parking is limited in the parking lot so it was difficult to find a spot today, but we did. I would recommend visiting the home when you visit.
    Visited October 2023
    Traveled as a couple
    Written September 28, 2024
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

Popular mentions
4.5
4.5 of 5 bubbles715 reviews
Excellent
377
Very good
232
Average
64
Poor
21
Terrible
21
Robin B
Phoenix, AZ1,478 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Group size too large
Sep 2022
This is a beautiful, well-preserved mansion designed by architect Frank Heyling Furness. He also designed the woodwork in the home and a lot of the furniture. Our tour took about 45 minutes to an hour and visited the first and second floors. Our docent was very good. The problem I had was the group size. There were almost forty people. They split us into two groups, but that still left 18 in our group. In addition, two parties in our group talked loudly continually throughout the tour, making it difficult to hear the docent. Really, for the cost of visiting the mansion, group size should really be limited to ten or fewer.
Written September 28, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dge74
Langhorne, PA34 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
A pleasant surprise
Dec 2019
My wife and I stay in Cape May at least once a year. In all those visits, we never have visited the Physick Estate. During our New Year's Eve stay, we decided to take a tour of the Estate as a part of the Trolley Car tour of the town. What a great tour ! The two tour guides (Mrs. Physick and her sister) stayed in character the entire tour. It was great to see how a Victorian era Cape May mansion looked like during Christmas. We were happy we finally took the time to visit this site, particularly during the Holidays
Written January 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Susan Krysiak
Thank you for taking the time to compliment the Physick Family Christmas Tour! We love this tour as well, as it is a living history experience. We are so glad you were able to experience the Physick House museum decorated for Christmas.
Written January 27, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
DanM
Ohio385 contributions
2.0 of 5 bubbles
Don’t waste your time or miney
Jun 2021 • Family
The estate grounds were nice, but certainly not to the level of an ‘attraction’. We were shocked at the lack of original aspects of the home. Everything was of the time period but very little owned by the people of the home… oh yeah, except for the hanging lamps that we heard them
Drone on and on about more than anything else. The tour consisted of a lot of donations and collections of antiques… most not original but ‘they may have had things like this’. The tour guides were dry at best. At $20 a person, you are better off reading a short paragraph on the house and standing in the sidewalk looking at the house. It is not worth it AT ALL!
Written July 25, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Richard Stuart
5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
A Beautiful Frank Furness Home Restored
Aug 2021
The tour of this amazing Victorian home built by famous American Architect Frank Furness was well paced, informative and a pleasure. There are pictures in the rooms showing the state of decay the house was left in prior to its ongoing restoration and preservation as a museum. The amount of work they have done is astonishing. The house is incredible and it's history is interesting. There was something to gaze at in every room. And, it is haunted! We went during the day but there are ghost tours as well. A great way to spend an hour and a half.
Written August 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Justin W
Hasbrouck Heights, NJ6,231 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Do not miss seeing the mansion when it is decorated for Christmas
Dec 2022
I had the best tour for the holidays at the Physick estate. The mansion was so beautifully decorated for the Christmas holidays and the tour guide was especially nice and took her time to explain the stories about the family and the people who lived here.

All the rooms were decorated for the Christmas holiday season and there was garland and bows all over the house. The Christmas trees were in several rooms so you got the see the Victorian version, the table top version and the smaller tree version in the bedrooms. The woodwork was decorated with strands of garland and the house itself was decorated with lights, candles, and all sorts of homemade decorations. It looked like the family was preparing for the holidays in each room.

The Kitchen and Dining Rooms looked like everything was being prepared for the Christmas meal. There was all sorts of food items out and the menus and recipes were all out so that we could see what the cooks were making for the holidays.

The clothes were lined out in the bedrooms so that people knew what to wear and there were all sorts of presents that needed to be wrapped in the bedroom as if the family had just left for a moment.

Even the tour guide said that the house was haunted but did not elaborate on it. It is an excellent tour and should not be missed when visiting Cape May.
Written December 29, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Wendy C
Morgantown, PA14 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Beautiful estate.
Apr 2023 • Couples
This was recommended by the volunteer at the Cape May Lighthouse. We opted not to take the trolley ride/tour combo and just walk there. It is about 2 miles from the Washington Street shops and an easy walk. You can see all the historic buildings on the way. The Mansion house is a great story and the estate is beautiful. It was worth the walk! May not be for small children - you literary can not touch anything.
Written April 11, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cheri D
Yardville, NJ490 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
So much history here!
Oct 2023 • Couples
You can tour this old historic home, which we did do many years ago, but that wasn't what we were there for on this day. They have an annual Scarecrow competition where local businesses and residents compete for the best scarecrows. We really enjoy this, however, the grounds are small, but there are enough of them to enjoy. You can also eat at the restaurant in the gift shop. Restrooms are located in the back in another building. To our surprise on this day, they had a Fall Festival and a local blues band that we were following for years was playing. It was very crowded. Parking is limited in the parking lot so it was difficult to find a spot today, but we did. I would recommend visiting the home when you visit.
Written September 28, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
SteveBressi
The Villages, FL979 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Nice Visit
Sep 2021
If you enjoy Victorian Architecture and decor, you will enjoy this 45-Minute tour. I found the back-story to be interesting. The grounds are nice to walk around, and they have a gift shop. Money spent goes to a worthy cause, to maintain a piece of Americana.
Written September 27, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Camper17180353661
2 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Memorable
Dec 2023 • Family
I have been to the physick estate multiple times and I love it each and everytime we go. If I lived close to cape may I would love to be a guide to this gorgeous estate. I love touring the second floor but during the candle light tour we wasnt permitted to go to the secong floor. Its just amazing absolutely beautiful
Written December 16, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
corptool
Monroe Township, NJ582 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
History Restored
Aug 2021
This manor is an interesting piece of local history that I'm glad has been restored. The background story about Dr. Emlen Physick and his family farm/estate was well worth visiting. I took the downtown trolley and estate tour combination - it was a very interesting and informative afternoon. I recommend it. More for adults than children.
Written August 29, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
2
…
Showing results 1-10 of 708
Is this your Tripadvisor listing?
Own or manage this property? Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and much more.
Claim your listing

Emlen Physick Estate - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

All Cape May HotelsCape May Hotel DealsLast Minute Hotels in Cape May
All things to do in Cape May
Day Trips in Cape May
RestaurantsFlightsVacation RentalsTravel StoriesCruisesRental Cars