What We Do

About

The Cape May Point Science Center (The Center) stands nestled among the dune grasses at New Jersey’s southernmost point, where the Atlantic Ocean meets the Delaware Bay, creating one of the country’s most vital and biodiverse ecosystems.

In the middle of the Atlantic flyway, Cape May Point is a renowned ecological intersection of marine, insect, and avian species. Within a few square miles, you can experience the beauty and wonder of the world’s biggest butterfly migration, the largest concentration of one of the world’s oldest creatures, horseshoe crabs, and critical habitat of migratory birds, including raptors like hawks, owls, and eagles. Devoted to environmental protection, restoration, and conservation throughout the region, The Center advances its mission by providing unique opportunities and funding for advocacy, education, and research.

The Center has found its home in the 38,000 square-foot Victorian structure that debuted as the Shoreham Hotel in 1889. In 1909, It became Saint Mary by-the-Sea, the summer retreat house for the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Philadelphia. Lovingly maintained by the Sisters for more than 100 years, The Center would not be possible without their preservation of the building and dedicated stewardship of nature. With widespread community support, and under the leadership of top researchers and scientists, The Center builds on Cape May Point’s century-and-a-half-long legacy of providing a restorative backdrop for recreational, spiritual, and educational retreats. 

The Cape May Point Science Center is a New Jersey 501(c)(3) non-profit.

Mission

Located in one of the world’s most biodiverse and vital regions, The Center’s mission is to provide unique opportunities and funding to advance ecological research, education, and advocacy, and encourage the protection of our piece of nature’s heaven. The Center further aims to uncover and preserve history, and the building it calls home, and the community of Cape May Point.