Congress Hall
Congress Hall, the grand seaside hotel first built in 1816 by Thomas Hughes (mocked as "Tommy's Folly") and rebuilt after the great fire of 1878, is one of Cape May's most reported hauntings. Guests and housekeepers describe a man in a Victorian-style suit walking the third-floor hallway, then vanishing through a wall or closed door. Some accounts tie the activity to spirits who lingered after the 1878 fire, and certain rooms reportedly drop sharply in temperature. With more than two centuries of history and four U.S. presidents among its guests, the hotel is a fixture on Cape May ghost tours, which often start or pass through the property. Cape May Magazine's feature "The Ghosts of Congress Hall" documents the staff and guest accounts in detail, describing a watery presence and the lingering atmosphere visitors report along the long Victorian corridors.
📍 251 Beach Avenue, Cape May, NJ 08204, Cape May, NJ · Get directions