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There are plenty of photo-ops on a visit to Historic Cold Spring Village in Cape May. 

Pick a Weekend with an Event to Visit Historic Cold Spring Village

In my opinion, a special event makes visiting Historic Cold Spring Village even better. We went on the Seafarer’s Weekend, which was filled with pirates wandering about, a pirate ship, and golden coins strewn about the village that the children could collect and trade in for pirate booty! The kids absolutely loved the pirate-themed shows, the pirates walking around and hunting for golden coins.

I would suggest checking the village's website to look at the upcoming events and choosing one your family would enjoy. The event really made the day special for my kids. Other events still on tap for this year include the Inventors & Makers Weekend, Revolutionary War Encampment, Civil War Encampment, Lower Township Rotary Pumpkin Festival, and the Annual Ghoul Spring Village.  

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Kids were entertained by pirates on the weekend we visited.

Make Time to Watch the Themed Shows at Historic Cold Spring Village

When we first arrived at the gate to get our tickets, there was a schedule of events on display. The shows we saw that day consisted of a band playing pirate songs in full pirate getup, a puppet show that delighted our kids aged 20 months through to 7 years old (adults also found it amusing), a group singing seafarer songs (we were more into that than the kids were), and a show on how to become a pirate, which the kids thoroughly enjoyed. The kids were made honorary pirates with full membership cards, given inflatable swords, taught to battle, and learned how to talk like pirates. 

In addition to the shows, there were pirate-themed demonstrations and tables where pirate trinkets were sold. Some of the demonstrations were interactive and cost extra money. For instance, for $5 each our kids were given "swords" that seemed to be made out of pool noodles and got to duel a pirate, who obligingly lost to them. They were thrilled when they claimed victory and got to ring the bell signifying to the village they won. They were also each given a skull ring as a prize that they cherished even after we got home. 

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The village is home to Levi, a very patient, loving horse.

Historic Cold Spring Village: Top Attractions for Families 

If your children are animal lovers, be sure to visit the Corson Gandy Barn that houses Levi, the sweetest and most docile horse ever. My 20-month-old could not get enough of petting him and feeding him grass that he gingerly and graciously took from her excited hands. There were also two calves that allowed the children to pet them, plus some chickens and pigs hanging out in the mud.

There is a woodworking shop, blacksmith shop, bookbindery, tinsmith, and print shop where you can stop to see demonstrations. Outside on the porch of the D. Taylor Shop, the kids stopped to watch a woman in 19th-century clothing weave baskets, some of which they sell in the Country Store along with other artisan wares, candy, and books.

The tiny, one-room Marshallville School will probably come as a surprise to your children. And stop by the Cape May Point Jail to play some games children played 200 years ago. Our kids really got a kick out of this! Games included trying to roll a large hoop or ring with a stick, throwing a "spear" through a hanging hoop, a bean bag toss, and a ring toss. 

Our young pirates were excited to visit the 19th-century village.

Group Tours, Ghost Walks, and the Junior Apprenticeship Program

For an additional cost, there are group walking tours of the village that are led by an experienced interpreter dressed in clothes representative of the time. These walking tours run for about 1.5 hours. Also for an additional fee are ghost walking tours, held on Friday and Saturday nights at 8pm. These are supposed to be family-friendly and run for an hour. In the tour, a village guide will lead you through the village by lantern light while talking about the paranormal activity the staff has encountered over the years.  

Although my children are too young to consider this, I thought the Junior Apprenticeship Program was a pretty neat offering and wanted to highlight it. The junior apprenticeship program educates kids ages 11-14 on what life was like in the 1800s. The apprentices will spend 2 days a week working alongside museum artisans to learn about the customs, crafts, trade, and architecture of the 19th century. The program is competitive and applications are due in June. 

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A visit to the brewery at Historic Cold Spring Village is a nice way to end the day.

Where To Eat and Drink in Historic Cold Spring Village

My kids found the Ice Cream Parlor and Bakery to be one of the village's top attractions! You can get a cup of coffee in the bakery. The baked goods were limited to cookies and some crumb cake squares while we were there.

For a full meal, you can eat at the Cold Spring Grange restaurant, which operates as a buffet. The restaurant building was once a meeting hall for farmers and residents of Cold Spring Village. The Cold Spring Grange is open Thursday through Saturday from 12-5pm and on Sunday serves brunch from 10am-3pm. Check the Facebook page for up-to-date menu offerings. 

The Cold Spring Brewery was a big hit with our whole family. There is both indoor and outdoor seating and a pretty good beer list with some unique options. The indoor space has a rustic, barn feeling and had a live band playing while we were there. The outdoor area was very large and wooded, which made it well-shaded. There were lots of seating options, from Adirondack chairs to picnic benches with umbrellas and barrels that functioned as high tops. There were also fire pits and a game of corn hole. Best of all, there were other children there. So our kids played with the others while we adults enjoyed our beverages. 

The village's jail has old-fashioned games like ring toss and bean bag toss.

Know Before You Go to the Historic Cold Spring Village

• Open Thursday through Sunday from 11am-4 pm.
• Tickets cost $14 for adults, $12 for kids 4-12; children under 3 are FREE! HCSV members and active-duty military are free. Military veterans, AAA, and WHYY memberships will receive discounts on admission. 
• Parking is FREE. We arrived at 11:30am and there was still plenty of parking.
• For an interactive map of the village to check out beforehand, click here. At the village when you arrive they give you a newspaper that has a map of the village as well. 
• You can bring food into the village. There are also some food options in the village. There is the Cold Spring Grange restaurant (just outside of the village), a bakery which had sweets and coffee, an ice cream parlor, and a snack shack with hot dogs (veggie dogs as well), nachos, and soft pretzels. Varying food trucks could be on site too depending on the event going on that weekend. 
• The grounds are stroller-friendly and appeared fairly handicap accessible, with ramps on some of the buildings. There are two bathrooms in the village (modern ones!) but at times there was a line. 

Photos by the author