Wilmington, North Carolina
The city of Wilmington is one of the most historically interesting, culturally diverse and fun places, not only in the state of North Carolina but in the entire eastern seaboard. Located between the Cape Fear River and the Atlantic Ocean the city provides nightlife, great dining, galleries, museums, unique architecture, lovely gardens and some of the best beaches in the USA.
Wilmington's downtown riverfront district is several miles of
restaurants, cafes, historic buildings, art galleries, antique
shops, bars, music clubs and is one of the most pedestrian friendly
environments you will find anywhere. Wilmington's Nationally Preserved
Historic District is over 230 blocks long. You can walk endlessly
looking at some of the finest examples of nineteenth century architecture
and the well kept gardens of these beautifully preserved houses
and buildings.
The island communities of Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach
and Kure Beach are a paradise for families, sportsmen and honeymooners
with miles of sandy beaches and plenty of activities. Surf fishing, pier
fishing and deep-sea charter boats provide entertainment for those
who don't want to lay around on a beach all day. The climate is
the mildest in North Carolina. Most of NC is zone 7 while Wilmington
is zone 8. That means for some a wealth of plant-life and for others
it means year-round golf. There are more than 54 parks, gardens
and lakes and over 49 public golf courses.
For mariners there are public boat ramps, boat rental agents,
and over 20 marinas. The Greater Wilmington King Makerel is one
of several fishing tournaments. For bicyclists there is a 10 mile
route that will take you from downtown Wilmington all the way to Wrightsville Beach. For bird watchers there are over 160 species of birds in the summer and almost that many during spring and fall.Wilmington has some of the
best nightlife in North Carolina with lots of clubs and bars that
have live music. The first thing to do when you get into town is
find a copy of Encore,
the Guide to Arts and Entertainment
and that will tell you who is playing where, what movies are in
town, where to eat, and what festival is going on. For programs
like the Azelea Festival they will list all the events and times.
The Henrietta III is the largest riverboat in the Carolinas and does narrated sightseeing cruises Tuesday through Sundays and on Fridays and Saturdays does dinner and dance cruises. The boat has three decks each with a dance floor and bar. It is also available for private parties and weddings and can carry 600 people. The smaller
Captain J.N. Maffitt can carry up to 40 passengers for private parties and also serves as a river taxi to the battleship North Carolina. For more info on both boats see www.cfrboats.com
See also
Wilmington Photos
Wrightsville Beach
Kure Beach
Southport
Outerbanks
Ocracoke
The Wilmington Trolly Company provides a 45 minute narrated tour of the historic downtown district daily from April through October. There is also a tour done by horse-drawn carriage. See www.horsedrawntours.com
The most popular museum in Wilmington is the restored WWII battleship North Carolina which served in every major Naval offensive on the Pacific with it's crew of 2,339. The ship is moored right across the river from downtown. For more info see the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA page. The Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts is in a restored historical building that also houses City Hall. It was built in 1858 and offers a season's worth of Broadway musicals, major concerts, dance, theater and more. For more info including schedules of performances see www.thalianhall.com
Wilmington's Historic Downtown features some amazing architecture and an interesting collection of bars, restaurants, cafes and shops. The Cotton Exchange are restored 19th Century buildings connected by brick walkways and courtyards that now house over 30 restaurants and shops. Coffee is a way of life in Wilmington and there is no shortage
of Coffee Shops downtown and around the city.
Arlie Gardens is 67 acres of freshwater lakes, azaleas, camelia's the 450 year old Arlie Oak and exotic plants from all over the world on the banks of Bradley Creek just off the Intercoastal Waterway near Wrightsville Beach. The gardens are over one hundred years old and are said
to be the finest on the east coast. Arlie Gardens are not the only show in town for botanists and horticulturists. Greenfield Park is 200 acres of lakes with a 20 acre garden and a walking and bike trail through a cyprus swamp as well as canoe and paddleboat rentals.
The North Carolina Aquarium at nearby Fort Fisher is a facinating collection of saltwater tanks where you can view sharks, grouper, barracuda, alligators, sea-turtles, skates, stingrays and giant moray eel. One tank called the Cape Fear Shoals is 200,000 gallons of seawater that you can view from various levels. Don't skip this place. See www.aquariums.state.nc.us/ff
There are hotels of all category from luxury riverfront and beachfront to your standard cheap-o highway motel variety as well as some beautiful historical houses and Inn's that have been converted to B&B's. The Hilton has a terrific view of the river and is the place to be during a hurricane when they jack up the rates..
You can spend hours if not days wandering through the historic district looking at houses. Some have been turned into B&B's. Others are now museums. Most are just people's houses. The Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts was the Union Headquarters at the end of the Civil War and focuses
on architectural history and preservation. The Latimer House Museum is a Victorian family home with gardens and also serves as the headquarters for the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society.
Among the Wilmington museums is the Louise Wells Cameron Art Museum which features North Carolina and American art from the 18th century to the present. The Cape Fear Museum features a Giant Ground Sloth and Michael Jordon who is the city's most famous celebrity. The Wilmington Childrens Museum at 1020 Market
Street is a center for exploring through inter-active play stations similar to San Francisco's Exploratorium. The Wilmington Railroad Museum exhibits the city's role as the center of railroad history in the southern United States. See www.wilmington.org/railroad. One of the most interesting museums
is the Cape Fear Serpentarium at 20 Orange street just a half a block up from the river. It is a collection of the most scariest snakes, crocodiles and dragons from all over the world including the largest collection of Bushmasters. There are over one hundred species of snakes, some so rare they are not exhibited anywhere else. Take the time to read the descriptions of what has happened to people who have been bitten.
A little-known fact that you won't find in the tourist brochures is a story told to me by Nikos Voulgaris, owner of the Olympia Restaurant in Wrightsville Beach. North Carolina was a primary
source for pine-resin which the Greeks used for among other things Retsina. Greeks helped dredge the CapeFear River to make it deep enough for the ships that cross the ocean. It is now the primary deep-water port in NC and the Greeks, most from the island of Ikaria, are still here in large number. Their Church festival is one of the most popular. It is held on May 17 - 19 at 608 S. College Road. For info call (910) 392-4444
Wilmington is known as Hollywood East or Wilmywood. Since Dino DeLaurentis came here in the eighties over 400 projects have been filmed here. Screen Gems has narrated guided tours of their sound stages which you can find out about by calling 910 343-3433.
Wilmington has a large variety of restaurants and going out at night is a treat. There is something magical about sitting at a cafe on the river and suddenly seeing in front of you the massive shape of a tanker or freighter being guided down the river and out to sea by one of the Wilmington tugboats. It is romantic
to me. There is a lot of romance in Wilmington which is why someone even took the care to save the facade of the old theater which now hides a parking lot.
If you are the type of person who does not go to the beach because you are afraid you will bored and soend the holiday in front of the television watching sporting events that you could care less about then my recommendation is to cme to Wilmington, North Carolina and either stay in town and visit Wrightsville and the other beaches in the day, or stay on the beach and come in town at night for the fun. Or what the heck... just come to Wilmington and don't even go to the beach.