Outstanding gardens and beautiful sites. I had a sandwich on a chair with a view of the river…read more Very nice all around. Most highly recommended.

Airlie Gardens is one of those places that reminds you why folks used to put on a good pair of…read morewalking shoes and spend an afternoon outdoors instead of staring at a screen. The grounds are beautiful, peaceful, and rich with history. Even though only some of the flowers are blooming right now, there is still plenty to enjoy--towering live oaks draped in Spanish moss, winding paths, ponds, sculptures, and the feeling that you've stepped back into old Wilmington. The famous Airlie Oak and the historic chapel make it feel more like wandering through a living postcard than just another garden. Airlie dates back to the late 1800s and was created by Sarah and Pembroke Jones before becoming a public garden preserved for future generations. The gardens are well kept, easy to stroll through, and especially lovely this time of year with the Azalea Festival season beginning. It is the kind of place where you slow down, take a deep breath, and remember that nature did landscaping long before homeowners associations started issuing warning letters. The one drawback--and for us older folks it is a real one--is that there simply are not enough restrooms spread throughout the grounds. With so much walking involved, having a few more bathrooms around the gardens would make a tremendous difference and would make the experience more comfortable for seniors and families. Overall: 4 out of 5 stars. A beautiful, historic Wilmington treasure that is absolutely worth visiting, especially in the spring--just be sure to make a restroom stop before setting out on the trails.

Whenever I go back up to the Northeast to visit, I like to pickup something coastal for the…read morekiddies, this is my go to spot!! Not only am I supporting the Southport Maritime Museum programs (all gift shop proceeds are returned to the museum) but encouraging an appreciation and lessons of our local maritime history for their future visits!! Not to mention the shop is filled with adult books on local maritime lore. A hidden Southport treasure!!

The North Carolina Maritime Museum is a very modestly sized free museum located behind the visitors…read morecenter in Southport. Though it's only one large interior room, it packs a lot of local maritime history within. I'm not a big history buff, so I breezed through in less than 10 minutes, but found it fits in perfectly for a small town on the water like Southport. It also helps that it's right behind the visitors center and just off the core of the historic business district of Southport. I'd recommend a visit if you had some free time in Southport or if you're interested in the maritime history of the area. There's a small gift shop near the entrance and adjacent restrooms.

This was the best vacation game ever for my family! We had such a good time figuring out the clues…read moreand making an adventure. Especially fun when you don't know an area and are looking for something to do together. Great idea...kudos!

From the owner: Interactive scavenger hunt through historical Southport, NC.read more

A great museum to learn about the Wilmington railroad system. You can learn about how it got…read morestarted and also about the people that worked for the railroad. There were lots of model trains to view. The entrance fee was very reasonable..only 12 dollars for an adult ticket. The fact that it was just a block away from the hotel that I was staying at was a plus.

It's a very cool railroad museum. Located right in downtown Wilmington. They do have parking but…read moreonly a few spots. Cost is reasonable. Kids under 2 are free. They do add 3% to the price if you use a credit card. From what I can tell from their website, you can't purchase tickets in advance. Just have to purchase at the front desk. There are two parts, inside and outside. Outside has a train engine and a caboose. You can go inside both. These two don't take long to see. Inside has a lot more, including large running model train sets. Kids can interact with the train sets by pushing buttons to start trains, control bridges and other things on the set. There is also a play area where kids can put on different hats and vests, and play with train themed toys. The model train sets span two different rooms. There is also a museum section showing historic railroad items, including discussing the railroad history in the Cape Fear region. It's differently worth a visit. Kids will love it.

Cameron gave us the best tour! Two very happy moms and 9 year olds! We saw dolphins, birds and the…read moreboys got to drive the boat.

We had an amazing time aboard the Shamrock, a catamaran owned by Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours…read morethat held about 12 people and a dog for a trip out to Masonboro Island Reserve. This island off the coast of Wrightsville is an 8.4 mile-long, undisturbed barrier island ecosystem in southern North Carolina that can only be reached by boat. We were one of only a few people on the island exploring the beaches and climbing up and down the sand dunes. It was like having our own private island. We were allowed to stay on Masonboro for a while -- we just had to tell the captain what time to come back to get us. This made me a little nervous (what if the captain had a heart attack and died and no one knew we were out on this island?!). But the time went by quickly, and by the time we had to meet the captain at the beach shore for pickup, I wish we had told him to pick us up at a later time. For this experience alone -- exploring a desolate, peaceful, beautiful island -- I would highly recommend booking a boat trip with Wrightsville Beach Scenic Tours. But they also offer other boating voyages, including birding boat tours and dolphin tours at sunset. They also offer themed voyages out to Masonboro, including a pirate treasure hunt for kids and a cruise that focuses on collecting shells. They communicate with you via text to make sure you know where to park on the mainland, and ask if you have any questions. Everything went very smoothly with our boat ride, and it was such a fun experience and a great way to explore the Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington area.

This is a great small museum. I didn't take a full tour. We were greeted by a very hospitable…read moremuseum host who engaged my grandchildren immediately with a scavenger hunt (with the promise of a reward afterwards!) We had great fun looking for all the items and learned a few things along the way! I'll need to go back for an adult perusal!

This is a very nice small museum that packs a lot in a small space. The museum covers the history…read moreof Southport including indigenous people, pirates, merchant marines, the Civil War, WWII, to the present. It's a wonderful place to learn about the important role Southport has played in both North Carolina and the USA's history. Great for children of all ages.

The Fort Johnston-Southport Museum and Visitors Center is the perfect place to start off your visit…read moreto Southport, NC. It's a great way to get acquainted with this small town and learn a little about their film and local history. The building dates back to 1746 and is perfectly situated across from the water, with chairs out front to sit in to enjoy the view. Best of all, it's free to visit. I especially loved the room with exhibits about movies and television shows that have been filmed in Southport over the years (they were filming a Netflix show on the waterfront when I visited). It's also the meeting point for Southport Fun Tours, which I highly recommend. While the museum isn't going to knock your socks off, it's perfect for a town the size of Southport, and a place you can easily cover within a few minutes if you're in a time crunch.

The Fort Johnston-Southport Museum & Visitor's Center is a great way to start your exploration of…read moreDowntown Southport. Admission is free. The museum part provides good background information on the town and its history. One room contains all the films made in the area and also has some memorabilia from those films. The Visitor's Center has many brochures and maps and the ladies working the day I was there were very helpful about parking and about my ferry ride the next day.

Private Axe Throwing Party was AWESOME!!…read more WHAT FUN! They have a really great (SAFE) facility that has LOTS of space (we plan to go back for some paintball fun!). It's really a class-act setup & a fabulous 'different' experience which made for a great party! We booked a party, which on Mon-Wed they are closed & it's only private parties (not sure if this is year round or just the winter hours?); but it was GRAND having the WHOLE PLACE to ourselves! We just had 8 people for an 18th b-day party & we could easily have had another 4-6 people with the room they have for axe-throwing. The Axes area is a nice size but also cozy, almost like a neat 'bar' environment. *FYI-it is BYOB-no liquor* We brought wine for adults & sparkling juice for the teens. 3 boys, 1 girl and 4 adults.....we ALL had so much fun! $249 isn't cheap, but it was worth every penny. 90-minutes (which the fabulous gentleman who was there for us did not start our time until all safety briefing & instruction time was over) of throw time was MORE than enough, the last 10 minutes you could tell it was time to go eat, so more than 90 min would just have been too much. There are 3 high-top tables with 4 chairs each. There are 5 throwing lanes. Each lane has mesh metal screens on the sides and thick wood-paneled walls. The targets (which I read about on their site) are really amazing, the thicker blocks they use vs. cheaper boards make the axe's stick GREAT and easily for almost any throw-er. The 'games' are projected onto the boards and have score keeping that is fun & easy (like a bowling alley) with a PC mouse & keypad. The gentleman who was there for our party experience was fantastic, even came in a few times & showed us different throw-angles to try and (as a 'mom') I felt safe that he was keeping an eye on everything too. Super nice and accommodating gent - helped make our evening even more fun! Helpful tip: If you go at night, the sign is currently not lit, so it's RIGHT after Black's Tire/Goodyear. The parking lot is dark, but you'll see the lights inside are on! OH - take snacks & drinks for your party, also any plates or utensils - they only have the tables/seating & the entertainment!

Crossfire Does It Again!…read more Crossfire gets better and better every time I visit. They rebuilt after the hurricane, a beautiful new interior for paintball and nerf. After COVID, they added GellyBall. And now, AXE THROWING! I had never thrown axes before and it was easy to get the hang of enough to have fun. Also, the computer projects different games onto the wooden target so you never get bored. I went with just one other person but this would be a blast for a group - co-workers, friends, bachelor/bachelorette party, school organization, fraternity/sorority outing. No limits.

went to address provided via google and yelp and when calling option to leave a voicemail but no…read moreresponse or call back. seems to be a vacant lot with no signage in or around the area.

This place is closed down, overgrown, and neglected. Be careful as you pull down the street. Very…read moreshady characters hollering and yelling at passing vehicles.