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 .....

Very welcoming and everything was amazing and spectacular. Made our date very enjoyable, and the…read moreseats were so comfortable!

Looking for some indoor entertainment on a Saturday night, you must go to the laser light show…read more Well worth the few dollars paid. Took off one star because the website was unclear, but because we showed up early, we were able to see the show.

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!!

We did the self guided tour of the mansion and slave quarters. The original building that had the…read morespace for the slaves was quite remarkable. It gave a glimpse into how life for them really was. Very eye opening. The mansion was large and had very unique elements. It was interesting to go in all the rooms and see the lifestyle. The children's floor was interesting too. The kids were given a lot of space to live and play. We also enjoyed walking through the gardens. If you are in the downtown area, take in a visit. We went in August, and the top floor of the mansion and the building for the slaves was very hot. We couldn't stay in there long. It is worth a tour, admission is a little high, but it keeps the museum going.

I stopped in for a tour last week and unfortunately they were only having self-guided tours where…read moreyou had to scan each QR code with your phone for the details. But the history of the home, the Bellamy family and enslaved workers were fascinating. The home is beautiful. I want to return around Christmas time for a guided tour.

Staff was excellent, and the Impressionist exhibit was wonderful. Well worth the modest entry fee…read more We will be back. The series "Lateral Hazard" aspires to be a "playful and thought provoking" exhibition on MB's title of golf capital and our history with the military base. It was neither. The art itself was "meh" and the two artists expressed distain for both the military and golf without exploring beyond condemnation. The "thought provoking" was roughly at the level of "golf and the military power connection are bad, man" I'm a big fan of free speech, so they can say whatever they want. And I'm just a regular guy, not an art critic. Just expected either thoughtful discussion, or engaging art- got neither. Waste of time and space.

This museum is a great stop. They feature two different artists in two different galleries. One…read moredownstairs and one upstairs. It's very small but it's free. Most of the art is available for purchase and they have a price list at the front desk. Both collections we browsed were exceptional and very good choices. They rotate the artists about every 3 months so if you vacation here once a year you will see new art each visit. They have a gift shop with small items. One of my favorites were "mini-vases", all handmade and cute for about $10 each. Perfect for putting small plants in or adding some handmade decorations to your house. The outside area is stunning. Parking is very limited, probably only 10 spaces. You will drive under some live oaks to park which is very serene. They have a very quiet tea room with a view of the ocean. If I was local I would come here to work for a few hours each week. There is one sculpture on the lawn showcasing ocean plastic litter. Skip those plastic straws and drink out of the cup like a man lol. I would like to see more sculptures or statues on the lawn in the future, make the outdoor area more about art. I definitely recommend stopping here if you enjoy art. I will visit each time I'm in the area.

The museum is a gimmick to get people to come in. This is just another cheap Chinese beach store…read morewith all the same stuff as the others. The only difference is this one is just about the biggest one I've ever seen at Myrtle or any other beach and they have old cars, tractors, trucks and some random motorcycles and other antique vehicles spread throughout the store. Most of the vintage vehicles are just used as displays piled high with Myrtle Beach shirts and towels. Unlike a real museum, there is no signage explaining what you are looking at. What year is this truck? What's its significance? Does it run? Anyway. I would definitely not make a big effort to go out of my way here to see the museum. If you need some cheap junk from a beach store and you're nearby, this would be the one I would go to.

My brother brough us in here to look at the old statues and cars. Pretty cool place to just wonder…read morearound. Legit antique cars and signs. pretty cool for something to do that is not in the sand or on the boardwalk.

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

The Cameron Art Museum (CAM) is located in Wilmington, NC. The museum has a free parking lot, but…read morethere is an admission fee if you are not a member or do not have museum reciprocity. The building itself is 42,000 square feet and features a neat architectural design. Charles Gwathmey designed it so that natural light floods into the space, which is a really nice touch. CAM houses a beautiful permanent collection and frequently rotates its exhibits, so each visit offers something new. The first painting I saw during this visit was by Elliott Daingerfield, whom I was already familiar with from the Blowing Rock Art & History Museum. Female artists are also heavily displayed here, well above the national 11% average seen in most museums. Mary Cassatt, Minnie Evans, Maud Gatewood, Judy Chicago, Elizabeth Darrow, and Fritzi Huber are just a few of the prominent names I remember seeing. The Andy Warhol: Silver Clouds room installation was absolutely mesmerizing. I didn't expect to like it and almost didn't go inside. It seemed a bit weird with the large, pillow-like metallic balloons floating around, but once I was actually inside the room, I didn't want to leave. It was incredibly peaceful watching them float and move, and just standing there being gently tapped by them as they drifted was a truly unique experience. While I wasn't quite as crazy about the other exhibit, "Fresh Air" inflatable sculptures exhibition, they were large and made for a quick stop. But that is the beauty of art--some works deeply appeal to you, and others not so much. Outside the building, there are nature trails and a sculpture park to explore. The museum grounds are historically located where the Civil War Battle of Forks Road took place. There is a monument called "Boundless" by artist Stephen Hayes to honor the US Colored Troops who fought on this exact property. This installation sits just a few steps away from the parking lot, so make sure to check it out before you head inside or after your visit. The CAM Café is also located right inside the museum layout, as well as an excellent gallery gift shop with locally made items.

This is an amazing art museum! We visited the Andy Warhol exhibit, "Silver Clouds," along with the…read moreJonathan Green exhibit and the inflatable sculptures. The outdoor sculptures were fun to look for, and we finally spotted the last one as we were leaving in the car.

A must if you are in the area and the ticket is valid for an entire week which means if you come in…read moreand do not feel like doing the entire thing, then you can always come back on a different day. Aside from the usual blooms you can expect from a garden, Brookgreens also have some orchids and other air plants, a lot of trees, a zoo with a new wolf sanctuary, and beautiful sculptures. This was our second visit and I'm glad it was beautiful that day and we were able to take in the scenery more. The live oak alley is still my favrotire! The new conservatory was open during our visit which houses an impressive orchid wall. It is quite beautiful! The zoo area has some otters and bird sanctuary, goats, alligators, horses and many more! I love how beautiful everything is. Even when you're at the zoo, you will still find touches of the garden and a few sculptures here and there.

Had a fantastic time at Brookgreen. There is a lot to see and the map is very helpful. There are…read morequite a few sculptures located all around the garden as well. The garden is also well maintained, flowers and plants are also noted. A great place to visit with a lot to see and get plenty of exercise walking.