Wilmington, NC is a great tourist destination with affordable rates, boat cruises, museums, and historic tours. The waterfront area has interesting shops and restaurants, and nearby beaches offer family-friendly activities. Southport has the North Carolina Aquarium and Fort Fisher State Historic Site/Recreation Area.
Wilmington, NC, with its affordable rates, variety of activities, and lack of congestion, is a great area for tourists. As a port city on the Cape Fear River, it is home to the North Carolina Battleship, a WWII memorial. The Wilmington area also offers boat cruises, sailing and charters.
Filled with waterfront shops and restaurants, Wilmington also boasts a movie studio and several museums. A tour of the Battleship is a popular activity, especially for history or military buffs. With its vast historic area, you can tour Wilmington’s Mansions and Historic Buildings Route by foot, buggy, or even riverboat. You can also take a Ghost Walk tour or a Pub Crawl tour.
Wilmington’s waterfront area is home to many interesting shops, including ones selling silver jewelry and quirky themed items, and one filled with brightly colored island T-shirts, hats and home accessories. Restaurants in that area include Elijah’s Restaurant, with a large covered seating area overlooking the waterfront, and Water Street Restaurant, located in a building that once housed a peanut factory. Sidewalk seating, perfect for people watching, is available at Water Street.
The Bellamy Mansion Museum and Gardens is an antebellum home and museum that offers tours focusing on the history of the area and the house. Another is the Burgin-Wright Museum House and Gardens. Other museums include the Africa Museum, the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science and the Wilmington Railroad Museum.
Screen Gems Studio, home of the popular series Dawson’s Creek, also schedules periodic tours. Museums and art galleries are also prevalent in Wilmington. Family fun includes a trip to Wilmington’s water park, Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park.
For beach lovers, three beaches are a short drive from Wilmington: Carolina Beach, Kure Beach and Wrightsville Beach. Carolina Beach is a nostalgic, casual area with many smaller motels and rentals and few chain restaurants. Family-friendly activities include fishing, boating, walking trails, canoes, paddle boats, and even a Ferris wheel. Kure beach is even smaller and quite family friendly, perfect for anglers with its huge jetty. Wrightsville Beach has five miles of sand, along with a museum, mountain biking, shopping, restaurants and water sports.
Both the North Carolina Aquarium and Fort Fisher State Historic Site/Recreation Area are located in Southport, a short drive or ferry ride away. Fort fisher is preserved as a National Historic Landmark due to its role as a Confederate Army stronghold during the 1860s. The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher is one of three North Carolina Aquariums.
Protect your devices with Threat Protection by NordVPN
