Visited the North Carolina Military History Museum while on vacation at Kure Beach a few weeks ago…read more WOW what an incredible display in the building! The history of the Old Hickory Division in both World Wars is awesome. I was pleasantly surprised at the amount of artifacts on display, and their dedication to promoting the service of their fellow North Carolinian's. If you like military history, this place is chock full of it. Their hours are posted on their website, but it's best to call and make sure a volunteer is working. I'll definitely visit this museum again! http://www.ncmhs.net/NCMHMuseum.htm

Definitely a must see if you visit Kure Beach or Carolina beach is only down the road has so many…read moreartifacts and so many things about the Civil War this was a very famous place and a lot of people died here for our country it was a major Force Base one of the biggest ones in the United States as far as that war goes if you're over here here visiting it's a must-see for sure.

The Museum of the Bizarre is located in downtown Wilmington. The museum itself is on the smaller…read moreside, but the general admission price is just $3, and you can add on a mirror maze for $2 more. The museum has excellent air conditioning, which is a major plus on a hot day, as well as a clean restroom. Photos were only allowed in specific areas, but it wasn't entirely clear what you could photograph there, so I might have taken photos of things they didn't want me to take! While I usually like quirky museums, this one seemed too crowded, and the exhibits didn't appeal to me. This was a very quick stop that took under 30 minutes. Honestly, I found the building's history much more interesting than the museum itself. The original 1869 building was a naval stores warehouse used to store tar, turpentine, and pitch extracted from the area's pine forests. It stands today as the last remaining structure related to Wilmington's naval stores history. In 1925, the site was modified for heavy metal manufacturing. For almost a century, the Wilmington Iron Works Machine Shop operated here, where workers manufactured gears, engines, saw blades, structural doors, iron fences, and heavy steel parts for passing locomotives and steamboats. The ironworks finally closed in 2000, and the building housed a few different things before being saved from demolition and repurposed into a tourist attraction. I did attempt the mirror maze while I was there, and they thoughtfully have you wear plastic gloves so you don't leave fingerprints on the mirrors. I found the visual illusion incredibly disorienting and claustrophobic, so I would highly recommend skipping the maze add-on if you are sensitive to tight spaces or prone to panic attacks!

Unusual? Absolutely. And at $3 per person, it's a curious little detour that doesn't break the…read morebudget. We spent under an hour browsing their compact but densely packed collection of macabre, peculiar, and downright strange artifacts. Among the exhibits: letters penned by convicted serial killers, graphic crime scene photographs, purported human and animal remains, theatrical masks and vintage clothing, plus a lock of Alexander Hamilton's hair, Houdini's Ouija board, and a plaster cast of what's claimed to be a Bigfoot footprint. There were also a few movie props scattered throughout, adding a pop culture twist to the mix. Photography is off-limits except in clearly marked zones, so don't expect to document everything. We passed on the mirror maze this time around. Are all of this items authentic and real? Are they fabricated and fake? It hovers somewhere in that murky middle but it's compelling either way. And for the price, it's hard to argue. I'm not sure how much of this is appropriate for younger eyes, so parents should keep that in mind. [Review 1348 of 2025 - 4467 in North Carolina - 24900 overall]

The USS Battleship in North Carolina is one of the largest & iconic attractions of Wilmington,…read moreNorth Carolina. It went beyond my greatest expectations and was quite a workout in the middle of July. We chose to go on the self guided tour, so we could explore at our own pace. History of the battleship: The Battleship NORTH CAROLINA participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific theater of operations during World War II, earning 15 battle stars. This authentically restored National Historic Landmark proudly serves as her State's World War II Memorial to the 11,000+ North Carolinians who made the ultimate sacrifice.- (Source: https://battleshipnc.com) One of the highlights of visiting this battleship is that your ticket for the self guided tour allows you to leave and re-enter the battleship on the day you bought it (from 8 AM to 5 PM). Military discount is $10 an adult person - must have military ID. We spent about 3 or more hours exploring the ship and it was quite an exercise workout going up and down the stairs in the ship on a hot day. There are 9 levels to explore on the battleship. We were not able to finish exploring all the levels due to being exhausted by the heat and getting dehydrated. There are areas you can sit and take a break in the ship fortunately. We took a few breaks but not enough. There are some fans inside the ship yet not many. The battleship has a wealth of information to read at the entrance area and inside the ship at every area. It felt like going inside narrow passage ways in a labyrinth walking through the ship. They displayed information of life inside the ship - a floating home away from for thousands of men living there. If you love military naval history or have a curious mind open to seeing & learning a wide variety of information & history, you will find this battleship fascinating. The shops inside the ship, post office, dining & recreational areas, officer living quarters, pharmacy , and kitchens were fascinating to me. The view of the battleship is very impressive as well. I can only imagine what this battleship was like many years ago especially when the only communication people on the battleship could receive from loved ones was through mail coming into the post office on the ship. I should have brought water and take more rest & hydration breaks at the battleship. It gets really hot during summer and very cold in the winter. It was too exhausting to keep going past three hours on the ship in one day . Overall, I loved visiting the battleship and a little shocked at how difficult it must be living on that ship with thousands of people on it. Looking forward to visiting this battleship again in the future.

Come see the history and beauty while walking on, around, and within the halls of the USS North…read moreCarolina. These ships have typical tight spaces and steep ladders for those who have difficulties involving such movements. Plenty to see. Nice gift shop on grounds and friendly greeters at the door to welcome you on board. All photography shown were uploaded also to Instagram: @3spade7star_photography and Facebook ThreeSpade SevenStar

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.

I went to the Christmas lights festival tonight? It was beautiful for $10/person. There was a lot…read moreto do and it was decorate beautifully. You were able to tour the main house, too. They did a really great job for this! Food trucks, bar, photo ops, etc. beautiful place!

I had a nice visit at the Poplar Grove Plantation after figuring out where to park. What was…read morewritten on the ticket in great detail was not correct. They changed the parking to the next street and you aren't to enter at the flags like the ticket directions told you. I took a guided tour and learned about the Foy family that had a peanut and sweet potato farm. But the more important part of the story was about the Gullah Geechee people. I had first learned about them when I was in Beaufort SC. But there is a corridor that goes from Wilmington to St. Augustine, FL to protect the Gullah Geechee culture. Poplar Grove was built by the Gullah slaves who were very skilled. 59 lived on the property. They took care of the construction; lumber milling; brick making; tending to the livestock and crops as well as domestic chores. They need to be the focus of the tour.

This was a cute place to spend an hour or so. There's a variety of exhibits, several of which are…read morehands-on or interactive for kids. There are taxidermy specimens and some live animals--fish tanks, a few snakes, seahorses, and a turtle. There's also a touch tank with urchins, horseshoe crabs, sea stars, and hermit crabs. Some of the urchins and sea stars looked in bad shape. I've also been told before that sea stars are very sensitive and their suction cups are easily damaged, not to mention repeated stress can be deadly to them. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable and I enjoyed my visit as a solo adult.

We showed up at 10:30 on a Saturday during business hours and the museum doors are locked and no…read moreone is there .....

Maritime was a great little place with lots of history. The exhibits were well done and easy to…read morefollow. It was easy to read off to a 7 year old for homeschooling history class!

The North Carolina Maritime Museum has free admission. You need to find parking somewhere in town…read moreas there is not a parking lot for visitors. It was really busy on my last visit likely because people were seeking the air conditioning. My main focus was to see the additions from the conservation lab in Greenville to the Queen Anne's Revenge exhibit. I know how long of a process it is to recover and preserve the remnants. Beaufort's location on the coast has a lot of history, besides learning about the pirates, you can learn about the shipwrecks and life-saving stations, lighthouses and the Fresnel lens, the Rachel Carson Reserve, commercial fishing, whales, surfing and other recreational activities. The museum does a great job showcasing the town's history with the interactive displays. They even have a scavenger hunt sheet for the children. The library was closed to the public on my visit. If you are in Beaufort or nearby, the museum is worth a visit.

This Aquarium is smaller than I anticipated and didn't have many exhibits. The viewing starts on…read morethe elevated level and takes you through the space where you will finish on the lower level! I think we completed the walk thru in less than 45 minutes and that was with multiple breaks for my 80 year old mother to rest! If you are in the area..check it out...especially if you have young kiddos! Adults...beware...if you have to drive longer than 30 mins..not a good deal!

I've been coming to the Fort Fisher aquarium since I was a little kid. The fee to enter is…read moredefinitely affordable, it's conveniently placed near the fort and the historic area, aka the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. There's an outdoor section and an indoor section, and even a play area for kids. The aquarium will be going through some renovations and closed for a few years, so definitely stop by with your timed entry ticket, purchased in advance through the website, while you can!!

WOW! 10/10 fun to be had here!! If you live in the area or plan to visit in the future and have…read morelittles along with you then this is a must stop for sure! Truly 3 stories of endless amounts of hands-on, sensory fulfilling fun. So much to learn here and each room has a completely different theme including an entire dentist office (with a dental chair and life size toothbrushes and teeth!), an incredible treehouse and play kitchen, a huge boat/ship and aquatic area, a veterinary office featuring many stuffed animal dogs and everything you'd see in a vets office including dress up costumes, and so much more! We spent a couple of hours here and honestly didn't think my toddler would make it that long, but that goes to show how epic this place is! Even if you have an early walker like my little babe, I highly recommend! There's something for all ages here and a great way to get out of the house and stay off the screens!

We've had a great time every time we visit. Our family was…read moregifted a membership for Christmas and have attended the new year's noon event and the kids Olympics, along with a weekday visit, so far. The events are heavily discounted for members, which we love. The employees are great and there's not many people there during the weekday in the winter, anyway. This is a smaller museum, so it's great for our almost 4 year old. There's a little outdoor area with a few things. We love the school bus. Fun place to visit when the weather isn't great.

Old movie memorbelia. Lots of stuff to look at. You can also buy stuff. It's like a flea market .read more

It's unfortunate that Fort Apache is closed due to COVID because this place looks amazing. But even…read morethough it is closed, there remains a bunch of interesting stuff out front that still makes it worth the trip. Thank you, https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fort-apache. The place is a collection of movie props and vehciles going back to The Godfather and The Green Mile. Movie backdrops and ambulances populate this "town" of handmade storefronts and businesses. Originally a junkyard that has turned into a paradise of Americana and memorabilia. Out front, a camper, taxi, ambulance, police car and a collection of toilets. I can promise that you've never seen anything like this in your travels and likely won't ever see anything like it again. [Review 13982 overall, 1304 of 2020, number 2622 in North Carolina.]