Things To Do
Wilmington is Southern Living’s Best City on the Rise!
Check out this article for an overview of all the area has to offer.
Flytrap Brewing
One of our favorite breweries in town and the place where it all began! This is also famously Mary Blake's favorite place in Wilmington.
Brewery Crawl
Downtown Wilmington has a number of breweries to check out, with most having food truck on nights and weekends, including Flytrap, Edward Teach, Ponysaurus, Hi-Wire, and Front Street Brewery. Other recommended breweries that are outside of downtown include: Wilmington Brewing Company and Waterline.
Downtown Food & Drink Recommendations
Restaurants: Circa 1922 (small plates), Seabird (modern american seafood), Olivero (spanish/italian), Savorez (latin american fusion), Shukin’ Shack (casual seafood and oysters), Yo Sake (sushi), Dram Yard (modern american/small plates), Tarantelli's (Italian), The Basics (southern), Prost (German biergarten), Anne Bonny's (casual american on a river barge), Ponysaurus (pizza and beer), The Half (sandwiches), and Boombalattis (the best homemade ice cream). Coffee: Hidden Grounds, Bespoke Coffee, Concorde Espresso Bar. Cocktails: The Blind Elephant, Dram & Draught, Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, The Ibis, Banter, Underfront, Cloud 9 (rooftop bar), Concorde Espresso Bar (espresso martinis - reservations recommended). Casual/dive bars: Cape Fear Beer & Wine, The Pour House, Laylas, Barbary Coast. Breweries: See brewery crawl section.
Airlie Gardens
One of Teresa's favorite places in Wilmington. Enjoy beautiful gardens with water views and plenty of trees draped in spanish moss for that quintessential southern charm.
Wrightsville Beach
Dont miss the beach while you are here! Swim, surf, paddle board, walk the beach or the loop, catch the sunrise or sunset, or eat at a water view restaurant to take it in. We recommend Bridge Tender, Bluewater, Oceanic, and Fish House for a meal with a view, Lighthouse for beer, and Tower Seven for margaritas and chips and salsa. Parking can be tricky on beautiful days in mid-May, so the earlier you get there the better your luck will be.
The Cargo District
Collection of shops, bars, and casual food in an industrial setting, with many made out of shipping containers. All are within a few blocks so it's easy to float around from one place to another. Favorites include EOD distillery, Fermental bottle shop, The Starling Bar, Alcove Beer Garden, Bull City Ciderworks, Olio Provisions, Cheesesmith (grilled cheese), Salita (pizza), Mess Hall (burgers), and Beat Street (street food).
Wilmington Riverwalk
1.75 miles of riverwalk taking you along the Cape Fear River and historic downtown. This is a great way to see some of downtown and dont miss the sunsets!
South Front District
Another one of our favorite areas, not too far from downtown. The South Front District has good restaurants such as Benny's Big Time Pizzeria, True Blue Butcher and Barrel, and a favorite bar (Satellite).
Historic Tours
Check out the USS North Carolina, the most prominent feature of the riverfront skyline, take a historic downtown tour, or visit some of the mansions (Bellamy and Burgwin-Wright).
University of North Carolina Wilmington
See where Ryan spends his time shaping young minds, and if you're lucky, get a demo of the wave flume!