45th Anniversary Commemorative Book November 2015 | Page 27

Chalfonte Hotel, firefighting, Alice Steer Wilson’s watercolors).
5) Recognizing the declining interest in Victoriana by tilting our
October programming from a 10-day Victorian Week to primarily Halloween, replacing our general historic inns tours
with ones that have a particular theme (Sherlock Holmes,
chocolate), while striving to sustain and reinvigorate the
one kind of tour that still draws a mass audience – the
Christmas Candlelight House Tours.
6) Seeking to provide ever-increasing opportunities for people
to have meaningful engagement with MAC, ranging from
our three Friends groups (with their wide array of “grass
roots” programs) to the Lessons of History Team and Museum Division and Physick Estate grounds volunteers. A
particular focus involves attracting, educating, entertaining
and engaging more young business people and families.
7) Developing innovative and aggressive marketing programs
to carry our message to the widest possible public, including the use of electronic media (e.g., email outreach, Facebook, Twitter) and outreach to visitors staying at area rental
properties, hotels and campgrounds.
In its first 45 years, MAC has been a major force behind
Cape May’s dramatic rebirth. As of 2015, with strong Board
leadership, a membership base of 3,500, an annual audience
of some 280,000 and a staff of 160 (25 full-time and 135 parttime employees, making MAC one of Cape May’s largest
employers), MAC stands poised to help Cape May sustain its
preservation success story for years to come.
August 2015

This Scarecrow Alley scarecrow captured both the r \