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You will not have far to go to find interesting attractions and things to do in Wilmington, NC. From Battleship NORTH CAROLINA, to the Riverwalk, to the Cape Fear Museum and the Bellamy Mansion, Wilmington offers fun for all ages. Cruise the Intracoastal Waterway, ride a horse-drawn carriage, search for ghosts in a grand mansion, see dinosaur bones or gaze at fabulous artwork.
Without question, the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA is the centerpiece of the Wilmington Riverfront. A majestic symbol of this country's hard-earned naval victories in World War II, the battleship is a must-see attraction.
Enshrined in a berth on Eagles Island across the Cape Fear River from historic downtown Wilmington, this awesome vessel is...more about Battleship NORTH CAROLINA
Situated at the corner of Fifth and Market streets, in historic Wilmington, the antebellum Bellamy Mansion has been admired by passersby since its completion in early 1861. Over the years, the house withstood fire, vandalism, neglect, and urban renewal to emerge from the ashes as an iconic symbol of Wilmington.
Noted Wilmington...more about Bellamy Mansion
The Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens is the oldest and largest historic site in downtown Wilmington. Of the eight colonial structures left in Wilmington today, four on are this property. Structures include three ballast stone buildings, circa 1744, that were once the city jail of Wilmington and the original 1770 House.
Operated as...more about Burgwin-Wright House and Garden
Named for Capt. John Newland Maffitt, one of the Confederacy's most successful blockade runners, the Capt. Maffitt is a converted World War II Navy launch boat, affording one-hour sightseeing cruises with live historical narration, along the Cape Fear River. Harbor tours leave from 106 South Water St. at "The Barge," for one-hour cruises that first...more about Cape Fear Riverboats- Capt. Maffitt
Front Street Brewery's Head Brewer Kelsi Cole and her assistant brewers conduct daily tours of the establishment's Brewhouse. The tours explain the brewing process and offer samples of seasonal and flagship beers. Tours take place at 3 PM, 3:45 PM, and 4:30...more about Front Street Brewery Tours
This magnificent, Italianate revival home, was constructed in 1852 by prosperous merchant Zebulon Latimer. The stately facade has many architectural details characteristic of mid-19th-century upper-class homes such as cornice brackets, porches with Corinthian columns or elaborate ironwork, and elaborate window pediments. These opulent crowns were added after 1880 by Zebulon's son...more about Latimer House
There's only one place in Wilmington where you can enjoy a high-level, high-energy baseball game during the summer - a Wilmington Sharks game. The Wilmington Sharks are one of 14 teams in the Coastal Plain League, a summer collegiate baseball league featuring players from top college programs around the country. The...more about Wilmington Sharks
Whether you're looking to take a romantic moonlit cruise down the Cape Fear or want to learn about the fascinating history and ecology of the region, Wilmington Water Tours has a tour for you. The "Wilmington" is the first and finest state-of-the-art catamaran in downtown Wilmington. Their tours often feature local...more about Wilmington Water Tours
History, science and cultures of the Lower Cape Fear region, from prehistory to the present, delight all ages at Cape Fear Museum.
Established in 1898, this oldest history museum in North Carolina greets visitors with a 20-foot-tall giant ground sloth skeleton. A miniature re-creation of the second battle of Fort Fisher and...more about Cape Fear Museum
More than 100 years ago, Chandler's Wharf was crowded with mercantile warehouses, its sheds filled with naval stores, tools, cotton and turpentine and its wharves lined with merchantmen. A disastrous (and suspicious) fire in August 1874 changed the site forever. In the late 1970s, Chandler's Wharf became an Old Wilmington riverfront...more about Chandler's Wharf
This tiny church, built in 1858 and originally a mission chapel of First Presbyterian Church, is a remarkable example of Stick Style, or Carpenter Gothic, architecture. Its exterior details include decorative bargeboards with repeating acorn pendants, board-and-batten construction, a louvered bell tower (with carillon) and paired Gothic windows. When the congregation,...more about Chestnut Street United Presbyterian Church
This hands-on, learning-through-play museum offers something for children of all ages and interests. Sail the seas as a pirate in Ahoy, Wilmington!, Climb on the new School Bus, examine your teeth in the ToothaSaurus Pediatric Dental Exhibit, perform examinations as a physician in the Teddy Bear Hospital, experiment in the Science...more about The Children's Museum of Wilmington
Recognized as the region's first Baptist church, this founding church inspired later Wilmington Baptist churches. The congregation dates to 1808. Construction of the red-brick building began in 1859. The church was not completed until 1870. During the Civil War Confederate and Union forces, in turn, used the high steeple as a lookout....more about First Baptist Church
The first Presbyterian minister arrived in Wilmington in 1760. The Wilmington Protestant Church was incorporated by the state legislature in 1785 and it was received into the Fayetteville Presbytery in 1817. This congregation boasts some of the most influential Wilmingtonians, past and present. The Rev. Joseph R. Wilson was the pastor...more about First Presbyterian Church
The Hugh Morton Amphitheater at Greenfield Lake is a 1,000-seat outdoor event venue nestled in the heart of Greenfield Lake Park, near downtown Wilmington. A great setting for concerts and theater alike, the amphitheater is also home to Cape Fear Shakespeare on the Green. When the weather's fine, come enjoy entertainment...more about Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
See historic downtown Wilmington the old-fashioned way: by horse-drawn carriage or trolley. This half-hour tour in a fringed-top surrey (or trolley) is narrated by a driver wearing nineteenth-century garb. Don't miss the memorable seasonal events, including the romantic horse-drawn Valentine ride in a French evening coach, an Easter Bunny-drawn ride, the...more about Horse-Drawn Trolley & Carriage Tours
April 2023 No matter the weather, spring doesn't begin in Wilmington until the North Carolina Azalea Festival celebrates this blooming, native American shrub. The annual Wednesday to Sunday event attracts over 300,000 visitors from across the state and country. Entertainment includes a grand downtown parade; a lively street...more about North Carolina Azalea Festival
When Nance Martin died at sea near Cuba in 1857, her body was preserved seated in a chair in a large cask of rum. Six days later, following a quick voyage home, she was interred at Oakdale Cemetery, cask and all. Her monument and many other curious, beautiful and historic markers...more about Oakdale Cemetery
Can you and your teammates meet the challenge to escape a room by your collective wit and ingenuity? Visit Port City Escape and choose between two scenarios—Escape Blackbeard's blockade set in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1718, or escape a Nuclear Countdown in an underground bunker in 1960. In either case, the...more about Port City Escape
The heart and soul of downtown Wilmington is its riverfront. Once a bustling, gritty confusion of warehouses, docks and sheds — all suffused with the odor of turpentine — the wharf was the state's most important commercial port. Much has changed today. Now, experience Wilmington's charm and historical continuity by strolling...more about The Riverwalk
St. James is the oldest church in continuous use in Wilmington. The parish was established in 1729, but the church was not built until 1751. Construction was aided by a tax of one shilling and four pence levied on all taxes of the parish by the General Assembly for three years....more about St. James Episcopal Church and Burial Ground
Established in 1869, this was the first African American Episcopal Church in eastern North Carolina, and services have been conducted since then. The building, completed in 1875, is a pastoral Gothic Revival structure with a buttressed nave and an octagonal bell tower, designed by well-known Boston Architectural Firm Emerson & Fehmer. All...more about St. Marks Episcopal Church
Numerous historical writers have referred to this Spanish Baroque edifice (built 1908-11) as a major architectural creation, often pointing out the elaborate tiling, especially inside the dome, which embraces most of this church's cross-vaulted interior space. Rafael Guastavino built the structure without nails or wooden beams. The plan of the brick...more about St. Mary Catholic Church
Responding to the growing number of German Lutherans in Wilmington, the North Carolina Lutheran Synod organized St. Paul's in 1858. Services began in 1861 as the Civil War began. Construction came to a halt when German artisans working on the building volunteered for the 18th North Carolina Regiment and became the...more about St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church
The oldest Jewish temple in North Carolina, this unique Moorish Revival building was erected in 1875-76 for a Reform congregation established in 1872. Its two square towers are topped by small onion domes, and the paired, diamond-paned windows exhibit a mix of architrave shapes, including Romanesque, trefoil and Anglo-Saxon arches. Another...more about Temple of Israel
Conceived as a combined political and cultural center, Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts was built between 1855 and 1858. During its first 75 years, the Hall brought great national performers and some surprising celebrities to its stage: Lillian Russell, Buffalo Bill Cody, John Philip Sousa, Oscar Wilde and Tom...more about Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts / City Hall
Inspiring business conferences, grand banquets, intimate meetings and family celebrations find a home at this stunning waterfront convention center that opened in fall 2010. Situated near Wilmington's historic district, the 107,000-square-foot center's design reflects the city's rail and port history. Interior wrought-iron details honor trains that once ran the Atlantic Coast...more about Wilmington Convention Center
In 1866-67, immediately after the Civil War, the United States Congress enacted legislation to create national cemeteries to honor and protect the remains of U.S. soldiers who died in battle or of disease. The Wilmington National Cemetery was established in 1867 on 5 acres of land about a mile east of downtown. The...more about Wilmington National Cemetery
The history and heritage of railroads in Wilmington is paid homage by this museum's fine photographs and artifacts. Beyond details of more than 130 years of history, the Railroad Museum is fun for people of all ages fascinated by trains and train culture. For the price of admission, you can climb...more about Wilmington Railroad Museum
Located on Water Street near the Visitor Center Information Booth, the Wilmington Trolley offers a 45-minute, narrated tour of historic downtown Wilmington over an 8-mile distance. Available daily from 10 AM to 4 PM, the tours are $11 for adults and children under 12 ride FREE with any paid adult. Special...more about Wilmington Trolley Company
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