Airlie Gardens
Wilmington
Airlie Gardens offers tranquility and natural delights all year long. Take a meandering stroll back in time among towering ancient oaks, southern magnolia and native palms. Wander along freshwater lakes, spying on tree-perched egrets and gracefully circling swans. Catch the sunset over scenic Bradley Creek and its ever-changing salt marsh. Airlie dazzles in spring when 27,000 flowering bulbs and over 250,000 azaleas create a festive garden party followed by the Airlie Arts Festival artists displaying their own riot of color and form. Summertime and the living is easy listening to jazz and folk music at the Airlie Concert Series. Autumn draws the community back to the garden for a low country tradition – the Oyster Roast. Finally, the New Year arrives as hundreds of antique camellias get ready to show off their exquisite flowers. Airlie Gardens
Bald Head Island > 'Old Baldy' Light
Bald Head Island
Location: BALD HEAD ISLAND/CAPE FEAR RIVER. National Maritime Initiative Inventory of Historic Light Stations more...
Brunswick Town State Historic Site / Fort Anderson
Winnabow
Archaeological excavations have unearthed the colonial port town of Brunswick. These excavations are exposed for viewing as well as a visitor center complete with audio visual programming, exhibits, and artifacts. See the extravagant St. Philips Anglican Church walls, as well as a nearby graveyard where many prominent citizens of the 18th century are buried. The 19th century confederate fortification - Fort Anderson is well preserved. Here you will see the large gun platforms which supported Anderson's heavy guns. Visitor center exhibits as well as outdoor exhibits bring to life these two periods of history. A major pre-Revolutionary port on North Carolina's Cape Fear River, Brunswick was razed by British troops in 1776 and never rebuilt. During the Civil War, Fort Anderson was constructed atop the old village site. Colonial foundations dot the present-day tour trail, which crosses the earthworks of the Confederate fort. This serene riverside setting, along with colonial and Civil War history and visitor center exhibits make for a memorable outing. NCDCR
Burgwin-Wright House Museum and Gardens
Wilmington
The Burgwin-Wright House is the oldest house museum in Southeastern North Carolina, built in 1770 by John Burgwin, planter, merchant, and treasurer of the colony of Carolina. The house was occupied as a residence until 1937 when The National Society of The Colonial Dames of America in the state of North Carolina bought it to restore. In 1950 it opened to the public as a house museum interpreting Wilmington's colonial elite. This Georgian style townhouse was built in 1770 for John Burgwin, merchant, planter and colonial official. Beautifully restored and decorated with furnishings of the 18th and early 19th centuries, the Burgwin-Wright House is the oldest museum house in Southeastern North Carolina. It is graced by handsome gardens. A formal, or parterre garden, a terraced garden and an orchard all featuring appropriate plants and trees. Behind this fine colonial home there is a free standing building which houses the kitchen and craft room. Open hearth demonstrations of colonial cooking are presented monthly in the outside kitchen. Burgwin-Wright House
Battleship North Carolina
Wilmington
The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA is the state's memorial to her World War II veterans, an attraction, and a museum interpreting all ships named NORTH CAROLINA. The first ship to bear the name NORTH CAROLINA was the Ship-of-the-Line in the 1820s, followed by the Confederate Ironclad, the World War I-era Armored Cruiser, a never-completed post-World War I Battleship, and, finally, the World War II-era Battleship. Standing with quiet dignity and majesty across from historic downtown Wilmington, the Battleship North Carolina beckons visitors to walk her decks and envision daily life as well as fierce combat situations that her veterans faced in the Pacific Theatre during World War II. Collections include not only the ship herself, but also many artifacts, documents, photographs and works of art. On tour since 1941! Step on board where history took place. Experience the thrill of the most decorated US battleship of WWII with 15 battle stars! Come aboard and explore nine decks, crew's quarters, gun turrets, and much more. This is a tour you won't want to miss! Located at the junction of highways 17/74/76/421 across from historic downtown Wilmington. Hours: Open Every Day! Battleship North Carolina
Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts
Wilmington
The Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts, a stewardship property of Preservation North Carolina, exhibits and interprets the architecture of the Bellamy Mansion and its urban slave quarters. The home is also used for rotating arts exhibits and a variety of educational programs. Built as the city residence of prominent planter Dr. John D. Bellamy, the Bellamy Mansion (c. 1861) is Wilmington's most spectacular example of antebellum architecture. The mansion offers tours, changing exhibits on history and design arts, and an informative look at historic preservation in action. Interpretive programs include the construction of the main house (by slave and free African Americans), archaeological research and the planned reconstruction of the 1859 slave quarters and the carriage house. Civil War: At the outbreak of the war, Wilmington was the largest city in North Carolina with a population of about 10,000. As the Union blockade choked off shipping to Southern ports, the city became critically important to the Confederate war effort. Blockade runners were able to slip into the mouth of the Cape Fear River protected by a series of forts, including the ocean-side Fort Fisher. World commerce flowing into Wilmington was used to fuel Lee's army in Virginia via the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad with connections to Petersburg and Richmond. ''Lee's Lifeline'' functioned until early 1865 when Union forces captured Fort Fisher, then marched north to occupy Wilmington. Many fine antebellum buildings, including the Bellamy Mansion, are included in a town tour. For more information, stop at the Cape Fear Museum or call 800-222-4757 for general information. Bellamy Mansion
Bentonville Battleground
Newton Grove
Civil War: NCDCR
Civil War Battle Summary - Operations against Fort Fisher and Wilmington (January-February 1865)
Location: New Hanover County. Campaign: Operations against Fort Fisher and Wilmington (January-February 1865) more....
Civil War Battle Summary - Expedition against Fort Fisher (December 1864)
Location: New Hanover County. more....
Civil War Battle Summary - Wilmington
Location: New Hanover County. Campaign: Operations against Fort Fisher and Wilmington (January-February 1865) more....
Cape Fear Museum of History & Science
Wilmington
Oldest history museum in NC; focus on regional history, cultures, and science; Michael Jordan Discovery Gallery focuses on natural history. Extensive Civil War collection features Wilmington waterfront as it was in 1863 and diorama of 2nd Battle of Fort Fisher, 1865. The Cape Fear Museum collects, preserves, and interprets objects relating to the history, science and cultures of the lower Cape Fear and makes those objects and their interpretations available to the public through educational exhibitions and programs. Exhibits focus on a broad range of topics including the history of Wilmington, navigation, the Civil War, local industry and agriculture, Michael Jordan and other local celebrities, and the natural history of the region. Temporary and rotating exhibits highlight numerous other subjects of interest and allow the museum to display a variety of their interesting holdings and also to feature loaned items from the community and beyond. Cape Fear Museum
Cowan Museum
Kenansville
Over 2,000 items fill the historic Kelly-Farrior House that serves as a museum. Artifacts reflecting the heritage of rural North Carolina include farming implements, household items from the 18th and 19th centuries, and tools of all kinds. One-room log schoolhouse, log tobacco barn, one-room furnished log cabin and blacksmith shop on the grounds. Free. Kenansville, Duplin County, NC. Civil War cowanmuseum.com
The Historic L.P. Best House/Duplin County Veterans Museum
Warsaw
Civil War: townofwarsawnc.com
Fort Anderson / Brunswick Town
Wilmington, Southport
Civil War: Brunswick Town - Fort Anderson State Historic Site
Fort Fisher State Recreation Area Visitors Center
Kure Beach
The Fort Fisher State Recreation Area's Visitor Center Collection includes loggerhead and other turtle shells, seashells, taxidermy mounts of native ducks and other birds, and a variety of other natural history and science specimens. This growing collection is housed and exhibited in the visitor center classroom. Four miles and 288 acres of undeveloped beach. Swimming area and concession stand Memorial Day-Labor Day. Nesting area for loggerhead sea turtles and nesting waterbirds. Hiking trails. Licensed four-wheel-drive vehicles may travel on the beach in designated areas for access to excellent surf fishing. A regional public beach access with restrooms, showers, and refreshment stand. Offers educational nature programs. Fort Fisher
