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CLOSE UP: Topsail Island’s Karen Beasley Sea Turtle Rescue and Rehabilitation Center

CLOSE UP: Go Wild All Night - Join a Turtle Watch

CLOSE UP: The Three Cape Fear Lighthouses

Known to generations of visitors for beautiful, family-friendly beaches and waterways, North Carolina's southern coast also offers a multitude of attractions that have more to do with history than geography. The rich historic legacy of Wilmington and the surrounding communities manifests itself in museums, monuments, churches, grand old residences and other structures that speak eloquently of the past. However, there is little doubt that the proximity to the sea lends a distinct resort quality to this culturally vibrant region.

With the advent of a new trend in vacationing known as heritage tourism, visitors are searching for more than long days on the beach in coastal destinations. What is heritage tourism? This concept addresses the desire of modern visitors to explore sites and attractions that make history come alive and provide the ability to experience life as it was once lived in that area. Historic sites such as the Battleship North Carolina, Thalian Hall, Brunswick Town, Fort Fisher, Penderlea Homestead and Topsail Island's Assembly Building convey specific eras and events as no textbook or commemoration can.

Downtown Wilmington's historic legacy and related attractions are integral to the identity of the Cape Fear region. The historic district has a colorful past and is the most varied single attraction in the area, easily explored on foot, by boat, trolley or horse-drawn carriage.

By 1840 Wilmington was the largest city in North Carolina. Nicknamed the Port City by residents, it was on a par with other great Southern ports such as Charleston, Galveston and New Orleans. But when the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad company pulled out of Wilmington in the 1960s, the city went into such a rapid decline that even its skyline was flattened by the demolition of several buildings and railroad facilities on the north side of town. Downtown was nearly deserted until a core of local entrepreneurs revitalized and restored their hometown. In 1974 downtown Wilmington became the state's largest urban district listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Many of the images of Wilmington's past are preserved in the North Carolina Room at the New Hanover County Public Library's main branch at 201 Chestnut Street, throughout the Cotton Exchange and at Chandler's Wharf in downtown Wilmington. Likewise, the Cape Fear Museum and the Wilmington Railroad Museum interpret the region's history in far-reaching exhibits. Combined with a variety of tour options (listed in this chapter), these places are excellent resources for interpreting what you see today or exploring the rich history preserved here.

This region is so rich in history it would be impossible to list every historical attraction in a book this size. However, preserving and sharing the rich historic bounty is such a point of pride with Insiders that visitors won't fail to notice clearly marked areas of interest as they explore the region. For example, as you travel neighboring Brunswick County to such places as Southport's Old Smithville Burial Ground, stay alert for other sites with similar stories to tell, such as Southport's old Morse Cemetery on W. West Street and the John N. Smith Cemetery on Leonard Street off Herring Drive. Memorials are so abundant you may miss the one at Bonnet's Creek (Moore Street north of downtown Southport), at the mouth of which "Gentleman Pirate" Stede Bonnet used to hide his corsair. (This and many other sites are on the Southport Trail, listed in this chapter.)

Naturally, many attractions are typical of the seashore: excellent fishing, fine seafood dining, the many cruise opportunities. No beach resort would be complete without water slides, go-cart tracks or batting cages, and we've got plenty of those. These amusements, as well as miniature golf, movies and bowling, are concentrated along our most heavily traveled routes. Just keep your eyes open; you can't miss them. In Wilmington, Oleander Drive east of College Road is the predominant amusement strip, having several more attractions than listed here. North of Ocean Isle Beach, Beach Drive (N.C. Highway 179/904) is another strip with its share of go-carts, miniature golf and curiosities. Around Southport, check out the rapidly expanding Long Beach Road area between Southport and Oak Island. Topsail Beach and Surf City share the limelight as Topsail Island's two centers of attractions. It would be redundant to list every enterprise — they're opening faster than we can list them, and you're bound to stumble across them as you gravitate toward each community's entertainment center.

Reasons to explore Wilmington and the southern coast don't fade with the end of summer heat and sun. The "shoulder" or off-season has gained in vitality since the mid-1990s, except in some of the smaller beach communities. Mild temperatures, reduced rates, the boom in the region's golf courses and year-round activities convince the off-season visitor that southeastern North Carolina is a great place to relax.

It would be difficult to overstate the importance of the region's gardens, for which North Carolina is rightly famous. The fact that the North Carolina Azalea Festival, in which garden tours are focal, is based in Wilmington makes a strong case for the southern coast's horticultural significance. The spectacular 100-year-old Airlie Gardens, containing 67 acres of gardens and 10 acres of lakes, is a must-see for gardening enthusiasts. Annual and perennial plantings are well-supported public works. The gardens at Orton Plantation near Southport are simply spectacular in springtime.

In this chapter we describe many of the area's prime attractions, followed by a brief section on the southern coast's islands. Wilmington's attractions are grouped into three subsections: Downtown Wilmington, Around Wilmington and Outside Wilmington. Within each section, attractions are listed alphabetically.

Visitor Information

Of course, all the area's chambers of commerce are helpful; see our Area Overview chapter for a list.
 

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