Things to Do
Water sports, golf, hiking, museums, tours, and family fun.
Activities in Wilmington and the Cape Fear coast.
Wrightsville SUP
Paddleboard rentals and lessons.
Johnnie Mercer's Pier
A beloved 1,000-foot concrete ocean pier at Wrightsville Beach open daily for fishing, sightseeing, and walk-outs — one of the finest piers on the NC coast.
Wilmington Water Tours
A 90-minute river cruise narrated by film historian Hunter Ingram covering the behind-the-scenes history of 350+ movies and TV shows filmed in Wilmywood.
Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park
All-in-one family entertainment complex with a waterpark, laser tag, mini golf, go-karts, arcade, and laser maze — a go-to rainy-day and summer destination.
Masonboro Island Reserve
The largest undisturbed barrier island on NC's southern coast — accessible only by boat or kayak — with pristine beaches, birding, shelling, and salt-marsh paddling.
Cape Fear Riverboats — Henrietta III
Downtown Wilmington's longest-running river cruise company (est. 1987), offering daily sightseeing, sunset, dinner, and themed cruises on the Henrietta III.
Battleship NORTH CAROLINA
Self-guided tour of one of WWII's most decorated battleships, preserved as a memorial to all NC veterans, with nine decks to explore.
Fort Fisher State Recreation Area
A 3.5-mile undeveloped oceanfront beach allowing 4WD access, famous for surf fishing, loggerhead sea turtle nesting, and a salt-marsh trail.
NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Award-winning coastal aquarium featuring sharks, rays, sea turtles, and river otters — currently expanding to become NC's largest aquarium; open throughout construction.
Tregembo Animal Park
Family-owned zoo open since 1949 with over 100 animals including lions, monkeys, gators, and tigers — daily late March through Labor Day, weekends in fall.
Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington
The original #1-rated ghost tour in Wilmington, leading guests through the Historic District after dark with tales of the city's most haunted homes and legends.
Bellamy Mansion Museum
Stunning 1861 antebellum mansion and National Historic Landmark offering guided tours that interpret the lives of the Bellamy family and the people they enslaved.
Latimer House Museum & Gardens
Ornate 1852 Italianate Victorian mansion operated by the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society, featuring 19th-century furnishings and a period garden.
New Hanover County Arboretum
Free seven-acre showcase garden with themed rooms (Japanese, herb, native plant, children's) maintained by NC State Extension; open daily 8a–5p.
Halyburton Park
A 60-acre city park — 70% wild longleaf pine savanna — with a 1.3-mile nature trail, playground, picnic shelter, and an active nature center.
Cape Fear Museum of History & Science
Regional history and natural science museum featuring exhibits on Cape Fear's ecology, indigenous peoples, and Michael Jordan's early life.
Cameron Art Museum
Eastern NC's premier fine art museum with rotating exhibitions, nine acres of sculpture grounds, and a Civil War memorial.
Wilmington Railroad Museum
Chronicles Wilmington's pivotal role in Atlantic Coast Line railroad history with locomotives, rolling stock, and a hands-on kids' room.
Children's Museum of Wilmington
Hands-on interactive museum designed for children ages 0–10, with creative play exhibits including a gravity room and construction zone.
WB Surf Camp
Premier surf school operating on Wrightsville Beach for decades, offering private and group lessons, multi-day surf camps, plus SUP instruction.
Thalian Hall
Wilmington's crown jewel theater — a beautifully restored 1858 Italian opera house — hosting Broadway productions, symphony, film screenings, and dome experiences.
Cape Fear SUP
Family-owned stand-up paddleboarding company offering private and group lessons, SUP fitness classes, and tours of the waterways around Wrightsville Beach.
Wilmington Sharks Baseball
Collegiate summer baseball (Coastal Plain League) at historic Legion Stadium — affordable, family-friendly evening entertainment with fireworks nights all summer.
Burgwin-Wright House & Gardens
The only colonial-era (1770) building in Wilmington open to the public, showcasing Georgian architecture on a one-acre urban lot with a 1744 jail.
Fort Fisher State Historic Site
Civil War earthwork fort whose fall in 1865 cut the Confederacy's last supply line; features a museum, trails through earthworks, and WWII bunkers.
Carolina Beach Boardwalk
The South's last classic beach boardwalk, featuring amusement rides, carnival games, live music at the gazebo every Thursday, and summer fireworks.
Indo Jax Surf School
Nearly 20-year Wrightsville Beach surf school for first-timers to intermediate surfers, with private lessons, group camps, and a charitable adaptive-surf mission.
Airlie Gardens
A breathtaking 67-acre botanical garden featuring the 500-year-old Airlie Oak, freshwater lakes, azalea collections, sculptures, and walking trails.
Carolina Beach State Park
One of the only places in the world to see wild Venus flytraps in their native habitat, with hiking trails through longleaf pine, camping, and a marina.
Kure Beach Pier
One of the oldest wooden fishing piers on the East Coast (built 1923), with walk-out access, rod rentals, and bait for anglers of all skill levels.
Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
A Live Nation outdoor amphitheater beside a cypress lake, hosting major national touring acts from rock to country throughout spring, summer, and fall.
Greenfield Lake & Gardens
A 180-acre urban park centered on a cypress-lined lake, with paddleboat and kayak rentals, a five-mile paved trail, and a brilliant spring azalea display.
Wilmington Walking Tours
Historic downtown walking tours.