Things to Do

Downtown and the beaches, sorted out.

What there is to do here splits between downtown Wilmington and the beaches, and the two make for pretty different days. Downtown is the historic riverfront, with the Riverwalk, the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA moored across the Cape Fear on Eagles Island, and a few walkable blocks of restaurants, bars, and theaters. The beaches are separate towns a short drive out, on causeways that head in opposite directions from the city, so choose the area before planning stops on both sides of the city.

Each beach town gives you a different day. Wrightsville Beach is the one for walking, paddling, and pier fishing, with a paved loop of just under 2.5 miles around Harbor Island and Crystal Pier reaching out over the Atlantic. Carolina Beach has the boardwalk and the amusements, plus a state park where Venus flytraps grow wild along the trails. Kure Beach offers pier outings and access to Fort Fisher at the south end of Pleasure Island.

Not every day is a beach day, and there's enough indoors to cover a rained-out afternoon, including the Cape Fear Museum. For a separate outdoor option, explore Wilmington's film-location walks. If you're still working out when to come, our month-by-month look at the seasons covers crowds, water temperature, and what's open, and our orientation to Wrightsville, Carolina, and Kure sorts out which island fits your trip.