We stayed at a hotel that was located right at the Riverwalk. The views were amazing. While…read morewalking, you can see the Battleship North Carolina. There are many restaurants located on the scenic route. I thoroughly enjoyed my walks back and forth daily.

Decided to stop here on our way from Myrtle Beach to Raleigh, choosing Wilmington over…read moreFayetteville, which I heard didn't offer much in terms of attractions. The Riverwalk is a beautiful and scenic spot that offers stunning views of the Cape Fear River. As you stroll along, you can do some reading about the area's rich history, which is beautifully shared through informational plaques and signs along the way. Wilmington also offers several guided history tours, there's a boat tour that explores the river and its surroundings, and a horse-and-carriage tour that takes you through the historic downtown area. It's a great way to learn about Wilmington's past while enjoying the charming scenery. While there, be sure to visit the local coffee shop for a quick caffeine boost, browse the Spice Merchant for unique spices and flavorings, and take a walk around to explore local shops. For lunch, we enjoyed a meal at Anny Bonney's, a popular spot known for its casual vibe and tasty seafood. Overall, Wilmington's Riverwalk is a lovely stop that combines scenic beauty, history, and good eats, definitely worth a visit if you're passing through!

Downtown Wilmington is an enchanting and eclectic blend of unique coffeehouses, shops, and places…read more Foodies & coffee lovers will love the unique cuisine and indie coffee places. Every place we explored seemed a short walk from our hotel or a short driving. Parking can be expensive yet there are parking garages with stellar prices in downtown. Wilmington is the Hollywood of the South with a history & future of being a hot location for movies and film. We kept ending up places filmed in a movie or television series. Some of the places we explored in Wilmington: Papercut Books, Hidden Grounds Coffee, The Cotton Exchange, The Copper Penny, The Museum of the Bizarre, and The Black Cat Shoppe. For beach lovers, Wilmington has Carolina Beach and the views are spectacular. We chose to explore Wilmington in the winter when it was off season and had few to no tourists especially on the beach. We didn't get to go to all the places we wanted to see but we plan to in the future.

Did you know that Dawson's Creek was filmed in downtown Wilmington, North Carolina? It was! I…read moredidn't know that little nugget of information about one of my favorite WB teen dramas until a friendly local let me know. And not only was Dawson's Creek filmed in downtown Wilmington, but you can go on a tour of all of the filming locations! So, you too can walk on the Wilmington Riverwalk and reminisce about the first time Andie and Pacey kissed. Or visit the original "Icehouse" where Joey worked. Yes, it's all here in downtown Wilmington. Even if you're not into Dawson's Creek, this area is a really neat place to explore. Definitely walk along the Riverwalk / boardwalk and pop your head into some of the many shops and restaurants that are around. This area is right by the water, and in the distance, you can see the USS North Carolina battleship. There is also a horse-drawn carriage that you can hop onto, and many different tours that explain the history and architecture of the area. We visited during the peak summer months, and there were lots of people around. This is definitely a popular tourist spot.

This linear park is the center strip where the rails used to be, between Railroad Street and L.P…read more Willingham Parkway. It is a passive park, currently fenced off for repair and replanting of the grass that looks like it's a little torn up from too much use. The park seems like it would be ideal as a farmers market or art show area. The top of the park is the main draw, the original Jacksonville train station since rebuilt and restored to its original exterior. The building was closed so I don't know what the interior looks like. There is also a small caboose rail car next to the station for maximum photographical awesomeness. The back end of the building has a small covered stage. [Review 15506 overall, 1010 of 2021, number 3048 in North Carolina.]

I decided to bring my kiddos to the park so they could enjoy jacksonville winterfest for the first…read moretime. We have lived here for over a decade, but yet this was our first time coming. My kids loved watching Santa ride in on his Harley. The man playing Santa was courteous and didn't feel like they rushed the kids in and out like an assembly line. Or herding cattle. Didn't feel like that at all. The lines were crazy long. Just means so many of our local neighbors got to enjoy the fun festivities out city put on for its people. The "snow" could definitely be improved, but this is coming from a former northern who lived in the snow.

The Cotton Exchange holds a lot of history in its eight 19th-century buildings. Each of the eight…read morebrick buildings originally served a different industrial purpose. For instance, the Sprunt building started as a flour mill and a hominy mill. The structure was renovated in 1919 and became the central trading office for cotton bales, eventually growing into one of the world's largest and busiest cotton-exporting companies. The bales left the Cape Fear River port's docks to be shipped directly to England, Europe, and other parts of the United States, and remained fully operational until 1950. After the shipping port declined, the complex was abandoned and deteriorated to the point that it was scheduled for complete demolition. Fortunately, local developers stepped in to save the buildings, preserving the original architecture, heart pine beams, and exposed brickwork. The marketplace officially opened in 1976. It was the very first successful "adaptive reuse" historic preservation project in the state. Today, the Cotton Exchange is a wonderful, bustling mixture of locally owned restaurants and specialty shops. While exploring the multi-level halls, I really enjoyed viewing the built-in hallway exhibits filled with vintage photographs, educational storyboards, and antique tools tracing the complex's port history. I have since learned of a few treasures I missed while visiting, so I am already planning a return trip to find the rest and explicitly check out the Wilmington Walk of Fame installation out in the courtyards! It is a fantastic destination for exploring downtown, offering a large parking lot where merchants will validate your parking ticket with a purchase.

Didn't really see any shops that interested me here. Of those I did stop into, the people were…read morefriendly, but the prices were a bit overboard. And I was surprise with the lack of local goods (eg olive oil place is all imported but no info on the labels). I parked in their lot because I figured I would easily find something I'd like, support local, and validate my parking. Probably could have enjoyed a light meal here but not my kind of place - too tourist trappy.

Took a 1 hour cruise of the Cape Fear River on the Henrietta. Left on time and was as expected…read morealmost exactly 1 hour. We asked for and received the senior discount (pays to be old!). Was $24 each. We sat up top under the canopy and it was not too hot. Captain was good and pointed out enough without being too "cute". It would have been nice to have some activity at the port when we went by but it was Sunday and all was quiet. Our trip on the Henrietta was unplanned but we had no problems walking up and getting tickets. Good for everyone if you are looking for an alternative view of Wilmington riverfront. Seating on the top deck is plastic chairs so not super comfortable.

Not being from the area my colleagues booked our group a river boat tour…read more Over all had a great time and would recommend it fully. The captain wasn't overly talky...pointed out some significant landmarks but let the river do all the talking. The boat does have a bar of wine, beer and pop. My colleagues and I enjoyed the tour completely, was a good opportunity for us to relax, hangout and enjoy each others company.

Connected to Riverwalk Park at the opposite end of Railroad Street, L.P. Willingham Waterfront Park…read moreis also a passive space with some open grass and surrounded by homes. There are a number of captions scattered about that point out the history of the area and local citizens. [Review 15507 overall, 1011 of 2021, number 3049 in North Carolina.]

The particular vibe in New Bern is that of a sort of inland estuary, exemplified by this waterfront…read morespace. There are some nice views, and paths allow you to walk a decent distance in either direction. There was picnic seating and passable restrooms among other facilities. It feels very different than the classic Outer Banks areas that are not so far away, but it has a relaxed charm that has merited more than one stop for me over the years.

Fantastic to be by the water in this six acre park where the Neuse and Trent Rivers meet. Benches,…read morepicnic tables and grills allow for a great opportunity to be riverside and outside. Playgrounds, restrooms and a handicapped-accessible boardwalk! The gazebo at the center was being set up for some sort of Veterans' Day event and I certainly appreciate the effort and dedication of setting up all those flags. When that's not going on, there are probably music concerts and other festivals in this terrific space! [Review 18889 overall - 3374 in North Carolina - 2412 of 2022.]

This is an incredible place to go for local events, and to step away into nature. The river walk…read moreitself is beautiful and quiet, and the park offers a wonderful playground and event space. If you live anywhere in this area and haven't been here, you should go immediately.

What a beautiful spot in Leland! With plenty of paved parking, it's a perfect place to be on a nice…read moreday. We lucked out too! I was looking for a place for my daughter to get the energy out and, with good reviews, headed toward Riverwalk Park. It just so happened to be their Christmas market and fair - with face painting, vendors, special treats and games. My little one could have cared less about the aforementioned happenings. She cares about playgrounds and this park had one of the best we've seen. It was crawling with kids, so even better for entertainment! She played for hours. There was plenty of space, nooks and crannies for kids to run and do their own thing. The equipment all looked in good repair and the park was very clean. Everything is surrounded by mature trees so the playground was shaded during our visit. As lunch approached, we walked over to the water for some calm & relaxation. There are a couple of boat ramps, though I believe I was there at low-tide as one looked inaccessible. There were also a couple of swings to sit and look out over the water. I noted a walking trail as we were leaving and would certainly return to see the rest of the park. I was very impressed with my first visit here.

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

We had a great time on our tour. So much I fact we signed up to do the night tour the same evening.read more

They were a no-show and kept the money. It's been 6 months now, and we're still waiting for the…read morerefund they owe us. They wanted payment immediately to guarantee the trolley. We paid $500. The day of the event, the trolley broke down and they called us after the event had started to say they weren't coming. They said we would get a refund the next week and here it is 6 months later and still no refund. Phone calls go to voicemail and messages go unanswered. Be sure to read the reviews on other review sites as well as the Better Business Bureau so you can see this is not unusual.