Day Tripper: Take a Trip Back in Time 1800s
Step back into a day living in the 1800s with a visit to Historic Cold Spring Village
THE DOG DAYS of summer are here. School’s been out for a full month and you’ve likely exhausted the countless options of activities on the island. Maybe you picked up that season pass for the Ocean City Waterpark, spent a few nights at Castaway Cove, played a dozen rounds of mini golf and hit the escape rooms on the Boardwalk. There had to be a concert at the Music Pier that caught your interest. Maybe you just spent some time on the beach or on a boat in the bay.
Weve previously covered ideas for day trips like a create-your-own lighthouse tour or visiting the Wildwood Aviation Museum. But you’ve probably done those, too.
You know what they say – variety is the spice of life. And with that in mind, look no further than Historic Cold Spring Village for your next day trip. Approximately 30 miles southwest of Ocean City’s limits in Cape May sits the states largest open air history museum.
“These are the trips people remember,” Olivia Pasciucco, HCSV public relations and curatorial assets manager, said. “You’re going to remember going into buildings with people in costumes showing you how people lived their lives in early Cape May.”
Historic Cold Spring Village is basically Cape May County’s version of colonial Williamsburg.
“It’s like youre stepping back in time, life if you saw Cape May County in the 1800s,” Olivia added.
It wouldn’t be hard to spend an entire day at the village. There are 27 restored historic buildings spread out over a 30 acre site.
Interpreters, dressed in period clothing of course, are located throughout the grounds and in each house offers different demonstrations, educating visitors in the process. You can see a blacksmith craft iron in front of you, and in another house you could see someone weaving a basket or spinning yarn.
“You have people from all over: kids, adults, seniors, people with different learning abilities, we cater to everyone,” Olivia said. “It’s rewarding to see everyone take home a piece of it.” That’s taken in both the literal and figurative sense – it isn’t just knowledge being shared at the village. There are crafts for kids to do throughout the grounds, too.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a day trip without food and drink options. When you get hungry you can check out the bakery or village eatery. For the sweet tooth, there’s an ice cream parlor, too. And for those over the legal drinking age, Cold Spring Brewery is open Tuesday through Sunday.
Historic Cold Spring Village has a full calendar of events to round out the summer and kick off fall for those looking for additional layers of fun.
Up first is the Seafarers and Maritime Celebration on August 8 and 9 which is a pirate and viking takeover of the village where local experts teach about maritime life and sailing, among other things.
“They’ll show different crafts they made during the viking age,” Olivia described. “We have a group of pirates that come and sing sea shanties.”
A week later on August 15 and 16 is Native American History weekend, where the focus is on the indigenous people of Cape May County. August 22 and 23 is Becoming Cape May, which is pretty self-explanatory, focuses on the settlers of the Cape and colonial life.
The month of August rounds out with Hands on History on the August 29 and 30, which is centered toward children’s crafts.
“They go around to each building and do a craft to take home,” Olivia said. “It’s very interactive and fun for all ages.”
Moving into September, there’s Revolutionary War Weekend (September 5 and 6) and Civil War Weekend (September 12 and 13), which are both heavy hitters, according to Olivia. And that’s just the start of the fall calendar.
Any of these events pique your interest? Or maybe visiting the village itself is enough. Historic Cold Spring Village is open Thursday to Sunday from 11am to 4pm until Labor Day weekend. Tickets can be bought at the gate or online for $12 for children 4-12 and $16 for anyone 13 and older.
Either way, it’s a one-of-a-kind experience that can be had roughly 45 minutes south of wherever you’re reading this story.
“You spend the whole day in the past, you time travel and that’s the most family fun,” Olivia said. “There’s literally something for everyone and something people can take with them, be it a craft or a piece of knowledge.”
It’s good to get out of your comfort zone and try something new. Believe me, no one appreciates the old reliable activities as much as I do, but at the end of the day a fun, relatively inexpensive day of unique family fun awaits.
“It’s full of memories that will last,” Olivia concluded.
Isn’t that what it’s all about?
For more information about Historic Cold Spring Village, visit HCSV.org or its social media pages @HSCVillage on Instagram and TikTok and Historic Cold Spring Village on Facebook.
By Anthony J. Mazziotti III
Photos courtesy of HCSV, SJNC, Frank Weiss