Cape May is home to the the fifth largest base in the U.S. Coast Guard, which serves as the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center and the only enlisted accession point.
Cape May was proclaimed a Coast Guard Community in 2015. If you travel to Cape May to attend graduation, we hope you'll enjoy your visit, and our congratulations to the newly appointed Seaman Apprentice or Fireman Apprentice!
U.S. Coast Guard Training Center Cape May
1 Munro Avenue
Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 898-6900
USCG Boot camp on Facebook TRACEN website
The TRACEN website is frequently down, so please try their Facebook.
Here are answers to the most common questions we receive about attending Coast Guard graduation.
Recruit training graduation is usually held on Fridays on base at Parade Field or in Flores Gymnasium, depending on the season and weather, from 11:00am to 11:45am.
A pre-graduation family breakfast is held at 8:30am Friday on base at the Harborview. The cost is $10 per person.
If you're in town the night before, the base hosts a Thursday dinner at the Harborview at 5:30pm. $14 for adults, $7 for children ages 5-12, and free if under 5.
A parents' brief is held in the Ida Lewis Auditorium from 10:00 to 10:30am. For weeks where a holiday or special event falls on Friday, they will hold graduation on a different day.
All friends and family members are welcome to attend graduation. You do not need a ticket or special invitation. We hear there's room for a few hundred people on base!
The Center is open to the invited family members and guests of the graduating class every Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Yes. All people over the age of 18 who wish to enter the installation are required to have a valid form of ID ready as they approach the main gate.
Military members presenting a graduation certificate must check in at 0930 in the Ida Lewis Auditorium. All presenters must be in the appropriate service uniform.
Yes. There is parking on the base outside of the auditorium for those attending graduation. You may be asked to show your vehicle license and registration to be allowed to enter the base.
Yes. If you can't make it to the ceremony, the Coast Guard Training Center streams graduations live on their Facebook page.
VTS Video Taping is no longer recording and selling videos of graduation.
Casual to semi-formal. Dress-up jeans or khakis with a nice shirt is okay, or you can step it up with a suit or dress.
We called the base and spoke to their police station. Taxis and taxi-like services (such as Uber) can bring you to the base, but they can't go farther than the gate. You'll have to walk from there.
Most people drive to Cape May. Cape May is an island, accessible by one of two main bridges that cross the canal waterway linking the Delaware Bay with the Atlantic Ocean. The bridge nearest the base is found at mile-marker zero (the end) of the Garden State Parkway. The road straight ahead at that point crosses the canal and becomes Lafayette Street on the other side of Schellenger's Landing. The base is located at Pennsylvania Avenue, off Pittsburgh Avenue.
The base's official address is 1 Munro Avenue, Cape May, New Jersey, 08204.
Drive to the end of the Garden State Parkway, which becomes Route 109 S. Continue over the large bridge (over the canal) and a second smaller bridge. Keep left; when the road divides, turn left onto Sidney Avenue. At the stop sign, make another left onto Washington Street. Immediately get into the right-hand lane, making the right-hand turn past the C-View Inn where the road divides. The road is now Texas Avenue. Stay on Texas Avenue as it curves right and becomes Pittsburgh Avenue. Take Pittsburgh Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue and make a left. Continue to the Training Center's main gate.
If coming up from the south, you may want to take the Cape May-Lewes Ferry which leaves from Lewes, Delaware and docks in North Cape May. Leaving the ferry terminal, follow 109 (toward Cape May). Turn right at the third traffic light onto Route 626 (Seashore Road). Seashore will take you over the West Cape May Bridge and into West Cape May. This road becomes Broadway and terminates at the ocean in Cape May City. If you've reached the ocean, you are now facing Beach Avenue. Turn left. Stay on Beach Avenue until you come to Pittsburgh Avenue (1.7 miles). Turn left. Stay on Pittsburgh until you come to Pennsylvania Avenue (0.6 miles). Turn right. Follow to the Training Center's main gate.
If you are flying into the area, the nearest commercial airport is in Atlantic City (ACY), about 50 minutes from Cape May. The nearest large airport is Philadelphia International Airport (PHL), under 2 hours away. We recommend renting a car at either airport to use for local transportation.
Read more on Getting to Cape May
Trains do not run from major cities to Cape May, but buses do. Visit NJTransit.com for schedules and fees (opens in a new window)
We know that Coast Guard families have different needs than people here on vacation, so we've put together this guide to make your planning easier. This section includes:
One-night stays are hard to find from Memorial Day through Labor Day and often expensive. Most Cape May accommodations have minimum stay requirements (especially during the summer) and strict cancellation policies. Call to reserve your accommodations ahead of time and specify if you will be a late arrival.
If you visit us in January and February, there are fewer accommodations, restaurants, and shops open, but you'll also enjoy lower rates and less traffic. Keep scrolling for a list of year-round accommodations.
Not in Cape May itself. The closest is a Red Roof Inn on Route 47 in Rio Grande, a few miles north of Cape May at exit 4 off of the Garden State Parkway. The hotel is located next to the Parkway ramp, so it may be noisy.
If you're considering hotels outside of Cape May, please check online reviews to make sure you and your family will be comfortable staying there. We aren't familiar with them and can't tell you what they're like.
The Coast Guard does not provide lodging for friends and families of graduates. You will need to find lodging in the area (we have suggestions below).
If you are a military member, temporary lodging is available. Unfortunately, the USGS website isn't displaying the information any longer, so please call them at (609) 898-6900 for information.
There is a Walmart in Rio Grande, just a few miles north of Cape May. Take Exit 4 off of the Garden State Parkway. Learn more about our neighboring towns
Coast Guard families, if any accommodation listed below refuses you these published discounts or offers to discount less than what is listed here, please email hello@capemay.com so we can edit the offer or remove the accommodation from this list. (And accommodations, please email us your current military discounts!)
| Accommodation | Type | Open | Discount |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Bedford Inn (opens in a new window) | B&B | 10% discount to Coast Guard families |
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| Camelot Motel (opens in a new window) | Hotel | Year-round | During the off season, a discount is available to Coast Guard families in town for graduation. |
| The Carroll Villa Hotel (opens in a new window) | Hotel | Year-round | Thursday Night Graduation Special discounted room. The rate varies depending upon the time of year and is posted on our web site. The Mad Batter Restaurant offers 15% off food. |
| Congress Hall (opens in a new window) | Hotel | Year-round | A one-night stay package for Coast Guard Graduation (an exception to our standard summer month minimum stays), with 10% off of the best available rate and 2 complimentary cups of coffee from our in-house coffee shop, Tommy's Folly. |
| The Dormer House (opens in a new window) | B&B | 20% discount for Coast Guard families |
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| Hotel Macomber (opens in a new window) | Hotel | One night Thursday stays for graduations |
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| Icona Cape May (opens in a new window) | Hotel | 10% discount and one-night stays for Coast Guard families |
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| The Inn of Cape May (opens in a new window) | Hotel | Year-round | 10% discount with military ID |
| La Mer Beachfront Resort (opens in a new window) | Hotel | Year-round | La Mer offers 25% off select room types for Coast Guard families coming for graduation. |
| Luther Ogden Inn (opens in a new window) | B&B | 10% off for Coast Guard families |
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| Madison Avenue Beach Club (opens in a new window) | Hotel | We offer a 10% discount for Coast Guard families |
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| Mainstay Inn (opens in a new window) | B&B | 10% discount with a 2 night minimum in season from July 1st to September 8th |
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| Marquis de Lafayette (opens in a new window) | Hotel | Year-round | Marquis de Lafayette welcomes Coast Guard families visiting Cape May for graduation. Enjoy our discounted rates for extended stays from Wednesday to Friday after Labor Day and before Memorial Day. Please use code USCG20 for a discount. |
| The Periwinkle Inn (opens in a new window) | Hotel | 10% discount to Coast Guard families throughout the season |
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| The Queen Victoria B&B (opens in a new window) | B&B | Year-round | Per-diem rates (government employee rates) to families coming in for Coast Guard graduations. We also have some great mid-week specials that run through April for stays of 2 nights or more. The most popular is the "222", which is two nights for $222. |
| Southern Mansion (opens in a new window) | B&B | Military discounts and one-night stays during the week |
The Ebbitt Room, Rusty Nail, Blue Pig Tavern, and Boiler Room - 15% discount on all food for those who show a valid military ID and their dining companions. This discount may not be combined with other offers and covers food only.
The Cape May Brewing Company offers $1 off pints for active-duty and retired USCG members, year round.
If your restaurant offers a standing, year-round military discount that you would like published here, please contact us.
We try to make this the best resource for Coast Guard families visiting Cape May. If you can't find the answer to your question here, please get in touch with us so we can help (and update this section).
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Whether you're in the mood for fresh seafood, summertime beach fare, or sit-down dining, Cape May won't disappoint. Many of our restaurants are open daily year-round. Visiting in the winter? There are additional choices in nearby North Cape May and Rio Grande.
Cape May is a year-round seaside community that is home to beautiful beaches, history, fine-dining, and a variety of activities.
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