Cape May’s Christmas Candlelight House Tours run on three Saturday nights in 2026: December 5, 12 and 19, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Cape May MAC calls it the town’s longest-running Christmas tour: a self-guided evening walk through gaslit streets into homes, inns, B&Bs, churches and hotels decorated for the holidays. Cape May is about 20 minutes south of Wildwood by car, so it’s an easy evening trip from the island. Here’s how the tour works, how to pair it with the Wildwoods’ own holiday events, and where to stay.
Christmas Candlelight House Tour, 2026
| Dates | Saturdays, December 5, 12 and 19, 2026 |
|---|---|
| Time | 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. |
| Format | Self-guided walking tour of more than a dozen homes, inns, B&Bs, churches and hotels in the Historic District |
| Map and wristband | Pick up at the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St (Hill House business office): Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or tour day 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. |
| Tickets | Through Cape May MAC; buying ahead is highly recommended |
| Dinner package | December 12 and 19 only: a 3-course dinner at the Washington Inn at 4 p.m. before the tour |
Details from Cape May MAC (Museums + Arts + Culture), which runs the tour, as of October 25, 2026. Check capemaymac.org for tickets, prices and any changes.
How the tour works
Cape May MAC started the Candlelight House Tour in 1974, and 2026 is its 52nd year. You walk at your own pace with a map, stepping inside decorated Victorian and more modern interiors, most within a 20-minute walk of each other in a three-quarter-square-mile part of the Historic District. An express shuttle runs between the Physick Estate and the one or two stops farthest out. Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress in layers; you’ll be in and out of the cold all evening.
Because you need your wristband before you start, plan to reach the Physick Estate well before 5 p.m. on tour day, or pick it up on the Friday if you’re already down the shore.
More Christmas in Cape May
Tickets and prices for every tour are on capemaymac.org; Cape May MAC highly recommends buying Candlelight tickets in advance. Cape May MAC also runs other holiday tours through the season, including a Spirited Cape May Christmas Trolley Ride, an Evening Yuletide tour of the 1879 Physick Estate, the Lamplighter Christmas Walking Tour, a Holiday Inns Tour and Santa’s Trolley Rides from the Physick Estate. Dates and times for each are on capemaymac.org. If you go in daylight, the Cape May Lighthouse is a few minutes from town.
Pair it with the Wildwoods’ holiday weekends
- December 4 and 5: the Jaycees Christmas Parade (Friday, 6 p.m.) and downtown tree lighting the same night, then North Wildwood’s tree lighting at the Hereford Inlet Lighthouse on Saturday at 5 p.m. The lighthouse lighting starts at 5 p.m. in North Wildwood and the Cape May tour at 5:30, a drive of more than 20 minutes apart, so on December 5 choose one or arrive at the tour late.
- December 12: the Family Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting at the Wildwoods Convention Center runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., indoors, which leaves time to drive to Cape May for the 5:30 tour.
- December 19: a HenVille holiday market day at MudHen Brewing in Wildwood (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.), then Cape May for the last tour night.
The full Wildwoods schedule is in our Christmas in the Wildwoods 2026 guide, and December Restaurant Week runs November 27 to December 6.
Where to stay
Coastal Sands Inn, 4110 Atlantic Ave, Wildwood, is the Coastal Collection hotel open from mid-October through April, including every December weekend. It’s a short walk from the Wildwoods Convention Center, so you can do a Wildwood day and a Cape May evening from one room. Book Coastal Sands
Planning summer 2027? Beachside Resort, Sunset Beach Hotel, Sunrise Inn and Paradise Inn reopen in April. See why some guests base a Cape May trip in Wildwood on our hotels near Cape May page.
Quick answers
When are the Cape May Christmas Candlelight House Tours in 2026?
Saturdays, December 5, 12 and 19, 2026, from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Where do you pick up Candlelight House Tour wristbands?
At the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St, Cape May, in the Hill House business office: Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. or tour day 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
How far is Cape May from Wildwood?
About 20 minutes by car from Coastal Sands Inn in Wildwood to Cape May’s Historic District.
Is there a hotel open in Wildwood in December?
Yes. Coastal Sands Inn at 4110 Atlantic Ave is open from mid-October through April.
