NORTH CAPE MAY — A 62-year-old golden ticket will not grant passengers free access to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry in 2026.
The transportation service’s current tickets look quite different from the golden commemorative tickets issued for the ferry’s maiden voyage across Delaware Bay in 1964.
Last month, Delaware resident John Hillman acquired 10 golden souvenir tickets at a JJ Walker consignment auction in Lincoln, Del.
“I was selling some art and logged on to their website to see how my art was doing,” Hillman told ferry service representatives. “I noticed the lot next to mine was selling these ‘golden tickets’ and with two minutes left to bid on this item, I put a bid in and won.”
Hillman said whoever had the tickets had kept them in beautiful condition. Plans call for displaying them at the terminals in North Cape May and Lewes.
“You never know what really cool pieces of local history you potentially can find,” he said. “I thought it would be cool for [the tickets] to be displayed at the ferry terminal.”
The tickets for the premiere trip of the Cape May-Lewes Ferry were priced at $3.50. The ticket schedule notes that the first ship would depart Lewes at 11:45 a.m. and arrive in Cape May at 12:55 p.m. The second vessel departed Lewes at 12:20 p.m. and arrived at 1:30 p.m.
Hillman, who loves local history and attends auctions and estate sales from time to time, said the purchase was spontaneous.
“I almost didn’t think they were over 60 years old because they look so good,” he said, adding that because the tickets were unused, he was surprised they were not destroyed in 1964.
One must imagine the phrase “golden ticket” likely derived from Roald Dahl’s “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” a children’s book published in January 1964, just six months prior to the ferry’s first crossing.
New era of transportation
The “Escape from the Ordinary” celebration began on the Cape May-Lewes Ferry’s inaugural crossing June 30, 1964.
In the June 25, 1964, edition of the Cape May Star and Wave, the newspaper printed “Ferry opening plans all set.” The article reads, “one of the greatest days in Greater Cape May’s storied history will be realized next Tuesday, June 30, when the long-awaited, much-discussed Cape May-Lewes Ferry will make its maiden voyage at noon, marking the beginning of an historic five-day celebration in the area.”
The Star and Wave reported that the four remodeled and refurbished bay liners were “purchased by the Delaware River and Bay Authority (DRBA) for $3.3 million, when they ceased operation between Kiptopeke and Little Creek, Va. They were replaced by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.”
With inflation, the $3.3 million purchase is estimated to be equivalent to more than $34 million today.
The four boats were renamed: S.S. Delaware, S.S. New Jersey, S.S. Cape May and the M.V. Cape Henlopen. The article stated the vessels had a capacity of 1,200 passengers and as many as 20 vehicles.
It stated that creation of the ferry was the fulfillment of a dream of more than 50 years, dubbing Cape May County no longer a dead-end area. It was noteworthy then that it would take some time to ascertain the economic effects of the ferry.
Described as a “coastal highway,” the ferry acted as a continuation of the Garden State Parkway. The Star and Wave noted that “to the south, the recently opened Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel is expected to generate and receive a major portion of the ferry traffic.”
Prior to the ferry’s creation, the DRBA was established in 1962 to oversee crossings of the Delaware River and Delaware Bay. The launch of the ferry was a significant step toward creating an enduring mode of transportation.
According to the ferry service, the early vessels were modernized and refurbished for service. In the 1970s and 1980s, new vessels entered service, terminals were upgraded and a seasonal schedule was introduced.
During the 1990s, the ferry underwent a major fleet refurbishment as part of a $54.4 million program to modernize it. Modern vessels carry as many as 100 vehicles and 800 passengers.
1964 opening events program
The significance of the ferry was celebrated for over a week, with several opening events including inaugural rides, dedications, land parades and musical events.
The land parades for the opening of the ferry were said to be the largest in Cape May’s history, at more than 2 miles long. The parade started at Pittsburgh and Texas avenues, and a judge’s stand was located at Beach Drive and Ocean Street. Parade registrants were eligible to win $1,000 in prizes.
On June 29, 1964, Cape May residents took the boat to Lewes for a Lewes parade and flyover by the jet fighter squadron from the Dover Air Force Base. The event was followed by a reception at Lewes Fire Hall.
On the day of the first official crossing, June 30, 1964, the arrival of the first boat in the Cape May Canal kicked off the dedication of the ferry and corresponding land parade in Cape May Harbor.
The Star and Wave article emphasized how the introduction of the ferry significantly affected the economic growth and progress of both the Jersey and Delaware seashores, a vision that took over a half-century to come to light.
During the formal dedication ceremony June 30, Undersecretary for Transportation of the U.S. Department of Commerce, Clarence D. Martin Jr., delivered the main address. New Jersey Gov. Richard J. Hughes and Delaware Gov. Elbert N. Carvel, as well as Delaware River and Bay Authority Chairman J.H. Tyler McConnell, spoke during the event.
The Star and Wave exclusively reported that Captain O.C. B. Wev, a recent retiree of the U.S. Coast Guard, was named marine superintendent of the ferry service. His position oversaw the operations and administration of the vessels and crew, and served as an assistant to Nolan C. Chandler, head of the ferry for the DRBA.
The several days of festivities included a series of musical performances at Congress Hall, including the U.S. Air Force Band, the U.S. Air Force Bagpipers and the Singing Sergeants.
