Visiting Historic Cold Spring Village

Nestled in the woods just north of the Cape May Canal lies a collection of historic buildings that tell the story of early life in the United States. It’s well worth a visit and an easy drive from Cape May or any of the other nearby shore towns.

The story of Cold Spring Village began in 1973 when husband and wife Dr. Joseph Salvatore and Patricia Anne began collecting 18th and 19th century houses from all over Cape May County and relocating them on a plot of land between Route 9 and Seashore Road. Historic Cold Spring Village opened to the public in 1981 as a living history museum and was listed on the New Jersey Register of Historic Places in 2016.

On the Route 9 side of the village in a beautiful building that once served as a meeting place for a fraternal organization and later a municipal hall, you will find the Welcome Center. The Welcome Center includes an exhibit on early Cape May County History and an orientation video that serve as a great starting point for visiting the village.

Also on this side of the village, outside the admission gates, are a few points of interest. Down along the side of Route 9 is the famous Cold Spring that the area is so named for. It was this freshwater spring in the midst of saltwater marshes that once drew visitors from nearby Cape Island and was planned to be the centerpiece of a resort town that never came to fruition.

Nearby to the spring on Route 9 you will see a railroad station that looks like it’s been there a while, but these buildings too come from elsewhere in the area. The station is from just up the road in Rio Grande, and the tower comes from Woodbine Junction in Dennis Township.

Wandering from building to building on your visit to the village you will encounter characters dressed in period attire who will tell you the history of each building and demonstrate the various trades and aspects of early American life, such as fiber arts, blacksmithing, tinsmithing, basketweaving, printing, and bookbinding.

One part of the village not to miss is the farm, especially if you are visiting with kiddos. In addition to the scenic 1880 Lewis Corson Gandy Barn, you can see pigs and the village horse Levi, and might even be able to catch a special demonstration of farming equipment by the village farmer.

There are a few choices for dining or grabbing a snack at the village. The Cold Spring Grange is the village’s full-service restaurant and is accessible without admission into the village and is now offering takeout in the time of COVID-19. It’s located in the first building that the founders collected and is the only HCSV building to be on its original land.

Also accessible without entry into the village is Cold Spring Brewery. Located in a restored barn from Upper Township, Cold Spring Brewery is New Jersey’s only non-profit brewery and serves up beers brewed in a style true to the time period of the history that Cold Spring Village portrays. My favorite is the 6.8% Cold Spring Red Ale, perfect for an afternoon by the brewery’s fire-pit.

Within the village you’ll find a bakery where you can grab a cold beverage and casual lunch, and an ice cream parlor for scoops and sodas.

When planning your visit to the village, be sure to take a look at their events calendar. Just about every weekend throughout the season has a special theme full of related activities and demonstrations – including a paranormal weekend, Civil War weekend, seafarers weekend, and more.

If you’re really into the paranormal, there is plenty going on at Cold Spring Village. It’s said that water fuels paranormal activity, and the village sits right on a freshwater spring. Quartz is another material said to assist with spirit manifestations, which you’ll find plenty of in the region’s sandy beaches and soil. Add old historic buildings and antiques to the mix and you’ve got a “perfect storm” for hauntings. Many of the village’s employees have had experiences, from seeing and hearing spirits in the buildings, to witnessing (and even having conversations with) Native American spirits wandering the village grounds. On Thursday and Saturday evenings throughout the season, you can do Ghost Walks with psychic medium Bob Bitting, who takes you through the history and hauntings of the village’s most active spots on a tour that ends after dark. You might even see for yourself one of the shadow people frequently seen around the village.

There is much to do in Cape May County with all of its sunny coastal towns, but there is no place that gives a true sense of the county’s rich heritage and history like the charming and enlightening Historic Cold Spring Village.