The Summer Cottage Inn

The Summer Cottage Inn was commissioned to be built in 1867 by Samuel Harrison as a family summer vacation cottage in Cape May, New Jersey. It was designed and built in the Italianate style, complete with cupola, by the renowned architect Stephen Decatur Button.

The Harrisons needed the cottage to be cool in the summer since they only used the home for four weeks a year. The cupola, which can be seen on top of the building as you leave, was Victorian air conditioning. They would open all the windows and the hot air was pulled up the center staircase and out the cupola windows. In the parlor, there are four floor-to-ceiling pocket windows. These windows open in between the walls and allow easy access to the veranda. All of our rooms have at least three or four windows in each room.

Savor a bountiful buffet breakfast by candlelight in our dining room while socializing with fellow guests and the friendly staff. You will feel as though you have come to stay with dear old friends. The dining room offers magnificent architecture while the ambience is friendly. You can eat inside or outside on the side of the veranda, during the warmer months. Breakfast is served family style. The Inn's cookbook is available and is called Secrets from Summer Cottage.

Our guest rooms are all decorated with Victorian antiques, nostalgia pieces, and many special touches. All of rooms have air conditioning in the summer, heat in the winter, private bathrooms, TVs, king and queen size beds.

The Summer Cottage Inn has been a Bed and Breakfast for over 20 years. We are open all year. Please come and visit us!

The Veranda is a very special place to relax and enjoy the cool sea breezes. The Veranda offers you rockers, a romantic wicker swing, and floral bouquets. Afternoon tea served at 3 p.m. daily. A favorite gathering place to enjoy your breakfast and relax all day under our great covered porch.

Enter the enchanted garden through the arched trellis surrounded by roses. This is where you can sit and watch the sun rise, listen to the birds, and smell the floral aroma while listening to the tranquil sound of the water fountain.

The warmth of the romantic retreat welcomes you at the door. Inside the Formal Parlor and Sitting Room invites you in with the comfortable combination of Victorian furnishings, quaint lace curtains, and a unique fireplace while giving you that warm feeling. These rooms offer you a chance to put your feet up in comfort, read a book, play a board game, or play our piano. We are conveniently located in the Historic District on a quiet, tree lined street - one block from the beach and the Victorian Mall, close to many fine restaurants and shops in the midst of quaint Victorian architecture.

Enjoy walking and biking to the antique shops, art galleries, the restored Physick Estate, take a trolley tour, a historical walking tour, or view the interiors of several Victorian homes open to the public. The staff offers a warm and friendly atmosphere where gracious hospitality awaits you.

Cape May Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts offers tours of Inns, and we are one of the Inns that is part of the tours during Christmas, Halloween, Sherlock Holmes, and Discover Tours. Come join the fun of seeing all the Inns and staying with us.       

We offer special services for weddings, family and class reunions. Reserve the
entire Inn for your special occasion. Please call for special rates.

From the North:
Take the Garden State Parkway to the end. Follow signs over the canal bridge and continue straight on Lafayette Street to the first traffic light. Turn left on to Madison Street. Go 3 blocks and turn right on to Columbia Avenue at the Water Tower. Proceed 5 blocks until the War Memorial Monument. The Inn is on your right.

By Ferry:
Take Ferry Road to Route 109 South. Follow signs to Cape May. Go over Canal bridge and proceed as above.