This beach typically has some of the clearest water and less choppy waves. There are several restaurants and bars just off the beach and a couple of piers that make for fun pictures! Check out the Oceanic Restaurant for drinks, views, and the best pier for pictures. For some grab and go food for the beach check out Trolly Stop or Vitos Pizza, if you're more in the mood for a casual sit down try Tower 7 or King Neptunes. If you want a fancier atmosphere, Blue Water provides some beautiful views of the waterway.
We recommend this beach for an entirely different set of reasons. If you want some interesting people watching, more relaxed rules, and a good time at dive bars (check out the Fat Pelican), this is the place for you! We will say that the best doughnuts come from this beach at Britts Donut shop. But be prepared, last we were there they were still only accepting cash payment, no cards.
This is one of the drive on beaches and is the easier of the two to navigate. You do have to have 4WD in order to access the beach. This beach has the most relaxed rules of the local beaches and provides plenty of people watching. Check the website for up-to-date pass prices.
Fort Fisher has some beautiful scenery with trees moulded by the beach winds, historical artifacts, and a rocky area of the beach that makes for great snap shots of the ocean spray. This beach is a bit more of a drive though, so if you're just looking to relax on the beach one of the others might be better.
The aquarium here is located just a few minutes drive from the Fort Fisher Historical Area. The aquarium here is active in conservation efforts for aquatic life with specific emphasis on sharks, sea turtles, and amphibians. The aquarium is very kid friendly with opportunities for interactive activities and exhibits.
Axes and Allies is an axe-throwing bar with a good assortment of drinks. Kids are allowed during the day but there is a cut-off time for those under 18.
Wilmington is proud to have the North Carolina Battleship in the Cape Fear River across from downtown. The battleship was a part of the American fleet during WWII. Check out their website for additional history and information on tours. If you choose to go, there's a small shop about 5 minutes drive away called Eagle Island Fruit and Seafood. They have some of the best ice cream in the area and are just a neat little shop to visit in general.
The Riverwalk is an iconic feature of downtown Wilmington. There are countless small shops and restaurants. For a drink outside at sunset try Anne Bonny's. Other notable restaurants include Pilot House, Elijah's, and The George. Just off the riverwalk are several cute shops, restaurants, cafes and bars. Our recommendation is to walk up Market St. to Front St. and explore along there some. Kilwin's is a local favorite on Market St. between Front and Water that has house-made ice cream, fudge, and candies. A little further down the Riverwalk there's Steam and a rooftop bar named Cloud 9 inside the Embassy Suites.
The arboretum is a beautiful collection of gardens in various styles that is open to the public for free. There is also a koi pond with food available to feed the fish for a quarter or two.
Airlie Gardens are beautiful all year long and the spring is extraordinary with the flowers in bloom. This is also where we got our engagement pictures taken! At the time of entering this, Airlie is requiring reservations for admission due to COVID-19. Check their website for the latest updates