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City in North Carolina, United States
Photo: Jameslwoodward, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Wilmington is a city in the southeastern part of North Carolina. It is the county seat of New Hanover County, and home to the University of North Carolina at Wilmington, the U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship Memorial, the Cape Fear Museum, Airlie Gardens, and a large historic district. It is convenient to nearby beaches, and is a relatively short drive from the Triangle (Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill), Charlotte, Myrtle Beach, SC, and the I-95 corridor.
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Tours on the hour Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM and Sunday 1-5PM. Built for planter Dr. John D. Bellamy in 1859, the Bellamy Mansion is Wilmington's most spectacular example of antebellum architecture. Today, the mansion operates as a museum of history and design arts, and is owned by Preservation North Carolina. See exhibits on architectural history, historic preservation and design arts, and see the newly restored carriage house and gardens. Plans are being made for restoring the slave quarters. Free parking lot on Market St. side of the museum and free street parking on block surrounding the museum.
Tours on the hour M-F with the last tour at 3:30PM. On Saturdays, tours on the half-hour, with the last tour at 3:30PM. From the house museum's own website: "Using the old jail as the foundation, the Burgwin-Wright House was built in 1770 by John Burgwin, planter, merchant, and treasurer of the colony of Carolina. In 1781, 'the most considerable house in town' was occupied by Lord Cornwallis as his headquarters shortly before his defeat and surrender at Yorktown, Virginia."
Smithsonian Affiliate
The Cape Fear Museum of History and Science collects, preserves, and interprets objects relating to the history, science and cultures of the Lower Cape Fear.
Tours are offered at noon on Saturdays from September to May and Saturdays and Sundays noon and 2PM from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Tour of EUE Screen Gems Studios North Carolina takes visitors through North Carolina's film history. This one-hour walking tour includes visits to the sets of Dawson’s Creek, Iron Man 3 and One Tree Hill.
Poplar Grove is America's oldest peanut plantation, open to the public for tours and live demonstrations. On the National Register of Historic Places, the 16 acre site features an 1850 manor house, a tenant house, blacksmith shop, weaving studio, basket studio, agricultural exhibits, farm animals, gift shop, picnic and playground area.
Moored across the river from downtown Wilmington, this battleship offers visitors the chance to envision the daily life and fierce combat her crew faced in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. Exhibits tell the story of the ship's crew through their oral histories, photographs, and mementos. The tour is self-guided and is well-marked so that you can tour at your own pace. Allow at least two hours for the tour, but for the true enthusiast, you can spend much more than that.
Piney Ridge Nature Preserve
See carnivorous plants including Venus flytraps.
Has a great collection of displays that are fun and educational.
Art museum with changing exhibitions and different art programs and lectures.
Children-friendly museum with unusual art and science installations and items.
Water park closed during off season but dry park open all year round. Hours vary and park may close due to inclement weather, so call ahead. Its main feature is the water park, but it includes an arcade, mini golf and go karts. Prices vary for admittance to the waterpark, but the best price is the 4PM-7PM $14.95 for all ages special.
Airlie Gardens encompasses 67 acres of quintessential Southern gardens with 10 acres of freshwater lakes. Features include azaleas, camellias, statuary and the Historic Airlie Oak. This once privately owned garden was purchased for the public by New Hanover County in January, 1999.
Kayaking tours and lessons.
Tour Old Wilmington and discover hidden history and a lost time as we travel to Wilmington during the Victorian Era (1837- 1901) Learn about Wilmington’s rich and colorful history as we reveal what life was like in Wilmington during the Civil War, customs and traditions of the day, sea tales, and folklore. Call for tour times. Walking tours start at the foot of Market and Water Streets, be sure to look for the Victorian Lady!
Riverfront at Market & Water Streets.
Cotton Exchange
Scary, creepy and mostly ghostly tales. Chills and thrills await you at one of the most historic and haunted locations in Wilmington. Bring your camera.
A week-long festival held every April, with music, events, exhibits, tours, community pride, and the beautiful flowers in bloom.
Mainly serves burritos and other Mexican style food. Advertises its food as "hot, fast, cheap and easy" and is a local favorite. Restaurant features a psychedelic theme. They have a restaurant on Carolina Beach also.
Traditional Mexican. Great food, chips and drinks make it a local favorite.
Delicious sushi, fresh ingredients all at reasonable price and incredible atmosphere.
Grill restaurant that serves breakfast and lunch, as well as brunch cocktails.
Open daily 11AM-until. On the water just south of the Wrightsville Beach drawbridge. Locals' favorite "place to be" for friendly Carolina service, relaxed island lifestyle. Fresh seafood, famous drinks, families love kid's menu. Live music most weekends.
Combine homemade Italian food and 24 draft beers and you've got the country's latest concept: an Italian pub!
High-quality Chinese restaurant offering American-Chinese mainstays as well as authentic Asian dishes.
Affordable tapas and fine dining with a wonderful wine selection and terrific ambience, located in the Front Street riverfront nightlife area.
Main dining room closed daily from 3PM-5PM, oyster bar open all day, reservations are recommended. Casual American Grill and oyster bar, downtown on the river. Sunset hues are said to be spectacular.
Lunch on Sundays 11AM-4PM. Japanese cuisine. Includes sushi bar and sashimi. Chefs prepare your meal right at your table.
Formerly a set for the TV show Dawson's Creek, which was filmed locally, Hell's Kitchen is a popular downtown destination for good times among friends. A pub-style setting and a menu of pub sandwiches, burritos and nachos. Full liquor bar available and offers a wide variety of draught and microbrew beers. Well known Wilmington nightclub "Rum Runners" merged with this establishment, bringing their signature dueling pianos show with them.
Pub crawl where you get to hear stories about dark events in the city's past.
A great brewpub in the historic downtown district of Wilmington featuring great beer and good food. Prices are good, and they have daily $1.99 mug special of one of their delicious house beers, as well as cheap lunch specials. Live entertainment on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights.
A hybrid specialty beer and wine shop/old-world public house, CFWB offers the most impressive selection of microbrews, imports, and wines in eastern NC. 12 beers (and a mead!) rotate on their various taps and draught engines and they boast a selection of over 300 beers and 200 wines. The theme is best described as German beer hall and UK pub have a weird three-way with a bunch of vikings while listening to gnarly punk music. The staff is exceptionally knowledgeable and helpful, and it is an off-premises store.
A 11,800-sq ft facility that includes a 3-barrel brewery, tasting room, and a Homebrew supply store offering fresh local beer straight from the tank.
Exercise room, free continental breakfast, high speed internet, non-smoking rooms, pool.
Wi-fi in all rooms, seasonal outdoor pool.
Hotel is near UNCW campus, Wilmington Airport, Wrightsville Beach, and historic downtown Wilmington. Amenities include microwave, mini-refrigerator, complimentary high-speed Internet access, indoor pool, fitness center, and 24 hour business center.
Free breakfast bar featuring cinnamon rolls, pancakes, and other hot and cold items. 24-hour fitness center, seasonal outdoor pool, outdoor charcoal grills. Free Wi-Fi access and a 24-hour Business Center
formerly Holiday Inn Wilmington
Amenities include indoor pool, health and fitness center, high-speed internet access, and business center.
Amenities include swimming pool, pets allowed, and fitness center.
Amenities include fully equipped kitchens, weekly housekeeping service, free USA today and free deluxe continental breakfast.
Continental breakfast included, pet friendly, fitness center, indoor pool/whirlpool, high-speed Internet.
Free use of conference room, free continental breakfast, high speed Internet, non-smoking suites, pets allowed.
All riverfront rooms, in the city’s Historic District.
On the riverfront, this hotel is on the pricier end of the spectrum. Rooms feature either a view of downtown Wilmington or a view of the Cape Fear River. Amenities include pool, business center, high speed internet access, meeting room, pets allowed, wheelchair access, and on-site dining.
On the riverfront, this is an all-suite hotel, perfect for families or extended stays. No two suites are alike and you get to use the facilities at the Hilton Wilmington.
All-suite hotel, rooms with full kitchens (microwave, refrigerator, stove, dishwasher and cooking utensils). 42" flat screen LCD TV, DVD player, wireless internet. Includes breakfast in the mornings and a reception Monday - Thursday evenings.
A cluster of eight historic buildings downtown, the Cotton Exchange offers a variety of shopping and dining opportunities all in a charming turn of the century setting. Parking for visitors to The Cotton Exchange is free.
Described as a respectable mall. Its major department stores are Dillards, JC Penney, and Belk's. There are a plethora of other shops to browse as well.
Mayfaire is all outdoor but very nice. If you are in good health, you should have no problem parking in one place and walking around the mall. It's sort of upscale (but not out of reach of the average family) with Belk's and such. It also has an incredibly large and nice movie theater. Definitely the best in town. There are also condos upstairs to some of these buildings. They are costly, but very beautiful. It is a gorgeous place to walk around and shop for the day.
By plane
The larger airports in Raleigh-Durham and Charlotte have flights from elsewhere in the Americas and Europe.
By bus
Bus service to Wilmington is via Carolina Trailways, a subsidiary of Greyhound.
By bicycle
The NCDOT Cape Fear Run Bicycling Highway 5 connects Apex to Wilmington and closely parallels the RUSA 370 mi brevet (long distance bike) route.
By boat
There are two water taxi services that connect to local attractions:
By bus
WAVE Transit, by the Cape Fear Public Transportation Authority, operates 11 local routes through the city of Wilmington and New Hanover County. Most of these operate every 30 minutes on weekdays.
By car
If you do not drive to Wilmington, it really is advisable to rent a car once you arrive as travel in Wilmington is so difficult without one.
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Wilmington · Regional · ILM
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