
Cape May is one of our favorite Jersey Shore towns and we love it in the winter just as much as in the summer. With fewer crowds at the beach and in the downtown area, Cape May is a great day trip or weekend in the winter or early spring.
We recently spent the day at this Jersey Shore gem and started our visit with a stop at the Cape May Lighthouse. The tower is 157.5 feet tall, so be ready to climb the 199 original cast iron spiral steps up to the Watch Gallery. Every 30 steps or so there’s a landing with a small window, so you can take a breather and catch a new view. Wear comfy shoes and remember that the staircase is narrow so kids will need to walk on their own. Anyone with motion sensitivity should consider the circular pattern of the steps, especially when walking back down.
It takes about 10 minutes to reach the top, and the view is worth it. You’ll be met by someone from the Cape May MAC who will share the history of the lighthouse and the surrounding area. Ask about the still-working beacon at the top, renovations to the lighthouse over the years and the area’s military history.
Take your time at the top, looking at the rips where the Delaware Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean. This is the southernmost part of Cape May, and New Jersey. As you walk around for a 360-degree view, you’ll see the ocean, more lookout towers, swampland, and a residential area.
The lighthouse is open daily from April through November, and Fridays-Sundays in the winter; check the website for operating hours and ticket availability. The cost is $12 for adults, $8 for kids ages 3-12 as well as veterans, and free for active military. If you live in the area, ask about a membership.
Cape May Point State Park Nature Center is right next to the lighthouse. Inside, you’ll find an aquarium-meets-museum. There are live fish, turtles and snakes in tanks, plus taxidermy birds, a beaver and huge hermit shell crabs.
Through a few small exhibits, you’ll learn about the animals that live in New Jersey and how ecology impacts the area. You can touch snake skin, see what life is like under a log and look at all the types of shells that line our beaches. And it’s free!

Across the parking lot is a wooden walkway where you can bird watch. There are binoculars that make it easier to spot ospreys, herons and egrets.
There is a lot of World War II history in the area, which was explained by the docent at the lighthouse. There is a bunker on the beach that you can walk to after you climb down; this is accessible by a wooden walkway close to the museum. The bunker is not open to the public, but you can walk around and see the massive former home of fighters during the war, with its 7-foot-thick walls. Imagine German submarines lining the coast, and members of the Coast Guard and Navy deploying planes at what is now the Coast Guard base.
A short drive away on Sunset Boulevard (Rte. 606) is a World War II Lookout Tower where soldiers would radio back-and-forth to the lighthouse.
Continue down the road and you’ll come to Sunset Beach, which is well-known for two things: incredible sunsets, and the SS Atlantus sticking out of the ocean. It was one of several concrete ships constructed during World War I, but it snapped loose during a storm in 1926. Nearby, you can take the kids to play a round of mini golf at Sunset Beach Mini Golf and grab lunch from The Grille when it reopens in the spring.
The Nature Conservancy preserves many gorgeous parts of NJ, including in southern New Jersey, so plan to visit Garrett Family Preserve or South Cape May Meadows. You can look for butterflies and birds, walk the trails, smell the wildflowers and relax in nature.
See the view from the top of the lighthouse on our Instagram reel.
Get the latest on the best things to do with your family in and around New Jersey by signing up for our newsletter and following us on Facebook and Instagram!
Read More:
Eco-Friendly Travel in and Near Cape May: 9 Spots to See
Visit Cape May’s Beaches and Victorian Houses