Cape May, NJ, is known as America's most haunted seaside resort, a "hot spot for hauntings" where paranormal activity is frequently reported in its historic Victorian buildings. Residents and visitors report apparitions of people in period clothing, disembodied voices, cold spots, and unexplained occurrences like being scratched. Visitors report seeing figures in old-fashioned clothing, such as the ghost of a woman and child at the Cape May Lighthouse and the aforementioned headless specter near Congress Hall. People hear phantom footsteps, disembodied voices, and strange noises like the thumping of a steamer trunk on the stairs at the Hotel Macomber. There are reports of unexplained physical contact, such as being inexplicably scratched. Visitors often describe encountering cold spots and a general sense of unease or strange energy within the town's historic structures.