Wilmington, North Carolina is a beautiful city sitting off the Atlantic Ocean with Cape Fear River bordering on the other side. Wilmington has a rich history with many attractions for not only history lovers, but for tourists in general. Some of the area attractions include: The Battleship North Carolina, several museums, Cape Fear Riverboats, Wilmington’s Historic District, a mile long riverfront walk, Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park, several beaches nearby and aquariums are just to name a few.
If you are a movie or television buff you may be interested to know that several have been filmed in Wilmington, North Carolina. Both Dawson’s Creek and One Tree Hill were filmed there and some of the stars of these shows resided in Wilmington. A few of the movies filmed there are: A Walk toRemember, Weekend at Bernie’s, Cape Fear, Black Knight, and Nights in Rodanthe.
Battleship North Carolina is on the Cape Fear River in Historic Downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. Tours are offered. Adults (12-64) $12, Seniors (65 and over) and Military $10, Children (6-11) $6, Children 5 and under are free. Their website is www.battleshipnc.com for additional information. There are nine decks to explore including: bridge, crew’s quarters, galley, sick bay, engine room, pilot house, radio central room, coding room, guns and turrets.
There are several museums worth visiting if you are in the area. The Bellamy Mansion was the residence of Dr. John D. Bellamy and was built by free and enslaved African Americans. There are tours offered of this mansion. For more information visit www.bellamymansion.org. The Latimer House Museum was owned by Zebulon Latimer, a prosperous businessman, and was built in 1852. It was home to three generations of Latimers until 1963 when it became a historic museum. Tours are offered and their website is www.hslcf.org. The Burgwin-Wright House was built in 1770 by John Burgwin. The house changed ownership a couple of times. In 1781 Lord Cornwallis occupied the house and in 1799 it was purchased by Joshua Grainger Wright. Again tours are offered. Check out www.burgwinwrighthouse.com for more information.
For those looking for fun Jungle Rapids Family Fun Park offers a wide variety of family activities including a go-kart track, jungle golf, laser tag, a climbing wall, 100 arcade games and a water park complete with a wave pool, lazy river and many slides. There is also a cafe and restaurant. If you want to find out more on admission prices and hours since they vary visit www.junglerapids.com.
Kure Beach is a beautiful area and only a short distance from Wilmington. Located at Kure Beach is North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher and is a neat experience for children and adults. The aquarium offers a look at the aquatic life in the area. It is open daily 9-5, except on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s Day. Prices are: Adults (13-61) $8, Seniors (62 and over) $7, Children (3-12) $6 and Children 2 and under are free. Their website is www.ncaquariums.com.
Fort Fisher is one of the most visited historical sites in North Carolina. In 1865, during the Civil War, the fall of this fort led to the victory for the Union. Located there is a Civil War Museum, the remains of the fortifications and a smaller museum. Also located there is a state recreation area with over four miles of undeveloped beach and marshes to explore. If you enjoy searching for seashells and sunsets by the ocean this is a great place to visit.
Wilmington, North Carolina and the surrounding areas have a lot to offer for those who have a chance to visit. The area is gorgeous not only for beach lovers, but for history lovers as well.
Sources:
www.battleshipnc.com
www.bellamymansion.org
www.hslcf.org
www.burgwinwrighthouse.com
www.junglerapids.com
www.ncaquariums.com
en.wikipedia.org
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