Sometimes you find a place where you just fit. I lived in North Carolina for probably 10 years with no idea a city like Wilmington was right under my nose, less than an hour and a half away. Wilmington is a city with a little bit of everything – film, history, beaches, riverfront. When I found out I was going to get to live here for a couple of years to finish my school internships, I was over the moon. In my time living in Wilmington I was able to explore the city daily and find the best of the best. I found a lot of really interesting local places, some of them frequented mostly by locals (see my Local Locations blog post here), but I often get asked what the BEST things are to do in Wilmington for people visiting on vacation or for the weekend. I have SO many favorites, so I’ve picked my brain and I’ve compiled a list of some of my absolute top local hot spots that I think are the MUST SEES when you come to Wilmington.
The Riverwalk/Riverfront Park
It may go without saying, but the Riverwalk is the first thing you should see/do when you step foot in downtown Wilmington. Stretching 1.75 miles, the Riverwalk is the heart of downtown with restaurants, shopping, and killer bridge views (you’ll find that a lot of these top spots are on the riverfront or just steps away from it). It’s one of my favorite places in the whole world and I’ve spent hours just walking up and down the path or sitting by the river in Riverfront park reading. You literally CAN’T miss this one (not even if you tried) but, don’t worry, you wouldn’t want to miss it anyway!
Elijah’s
My FAVORITE restaurant in Wilmington – if not in the world – Elijah’s. Right down on the riverfront with killer views of the bridge, you can sit outside on the patio and enjoy the river air (or under covered patio in the winter) while enjoying a cocktail and meal. They have mostly seafood choices but even as someone who’s not the biggest seafood fan I was still able to find something I love. We always get the olive and cheese bread as a starter (uhm yum) and my fave is the the shrimp po boy. If you only have time for ONE restaurant please make it this one.
Anne Bonny’s
A close second in the favorite restaurant race is Anne Bonny’s. This is the place where you can actually eat ON the water and not just next to it. Though not every table has a view of the bridge, it still has a really fun atmosphere. A great thing about this restaurant is even though it’s on the water, it has a lot more choices than seafood. Good food, great atmosphere…you really can’t lose here (and if you love yourself make sure to try the cheese curds).
Wake n' Bake
You gotta throw Wake n' Bake in the mix. A little donut shop off of Front on Princess, Wake n Bake has some of the most insanely delicious donuts on the planet (and I don’t even really like donuts). Pair it with some Port City Java and you have the perfect breakfast (or dessert for later).
Hollywood Walk of Fame Tour
Wilmington has been the backdrop for countless tv shows and feature films. Today you’ll find thousands of fans flocking to Wilmington to see filming locations for shows like One Tree Hill, Dawson’s Creek and Sleepy Hollow. If you’re interested in seeing filming locations in real life, this is the perfect tour. The tour caters to what the group is interested in – for example, if you mention One Tree Hill or if you like a certain movie like We’re the Millers he’ll make sure to focus on and include all of those locations in the tour. Because of this, every tour is a little bit different and unique in its own way. You can buy tickets online or at the Black Cat Shoppe.
Fat Tony’s
If you’re in the mood for Italian food, Fat Tony’s is the best. Those house made pizza twists…stuff of dreams, my friends. My mouth is watering just thinking about them…How I don’t have even one picture of them blows my mind (although we probably just ate them up too fast before a picture could happen).
Port City Java
Wilmington has tons of small local coffee houses, but Port City Java is always going to be the best one. Technically a chain, you can find PCJ locations all throughout Wilmington, Southport, and the other surrounding towns. With a full range of drinks including smoothies and shakes, the best is still just their signature coffees/lattes (iced almond joyful or like the milky way anyone?).
Airlie Gardens
Used as the backdrops for many Wilmington filmed tv shows and films, Airlie Gardens is a stunning public garden in New Hanover County. You could spend anywhere from a couple of hours to a whole day exploring the 67 acre park including a chapel, butterfly house, fountains, docks overlooking the river, and natural seasonal blooms. I could literally spend all day in the tranquility garden alone…if you have a few days in Wilmington you won’t want to miss this.
Kilwins
Picture it. You’re strolling down Market Street on a summer evening and you catch the sweetest smelling breeze…If you’ve visited Wilmington you know EXACTLY what I’m talking about, and if you haven’t visited Wilmington yet then you’ll understand the second the get there. Kilwins…the best ice cream ever in a homemade waffle cone? Worth the calorie splurge. It almost always has a line down the block during the summer but I promise it’s worth the wait.
Cotton Exchange
One of the best parts of downtown Wilmington is all the local shopping. You have all the Market Street favorites of course (Candles, etc., Edge of Urge, Black Cat Shoppe, and Caper Fear Spice Merchants – all worth making a stop into). Another prime shopping spot is the Cotton Exchange. Packed with about 3 or 4 levels of stores and restaurants (and even a cool Wilmington Film tribute), the Cotton Exchange can provide a whole afternoon’s worth of entertainment.
Front Street Brewery
Another restaurant?! Yes, another restaurant. Wilmington has some prime eats!! Front Street Brewery has pub style food and their own special brews. Go ahead and order that fried green tomato sandwich (yummm!)…Wilmington is a judgement free zone (and remember what I always say: calories don’t count on vacation).
Ft. Fisher Aquarium
I LOVE aquariums. About 20-30 minutes from downtown in Ft. Fisher, you’ll find Wilmington’s aquarium. Although not the biggest in NC, the Ft. Fisher Aquarium is great for a couple hours of fun. Depending on the time of year you’ll find fun exhibits like DINOSAURS (complete with animatronic dinosaurs that move and roar. And yes, at 26 I loved every single second of it), and the Festival of Trees at Christmas where the aquarium is filled to bursting with 100s of decorated and lit Christmas trees. Or, you know, you could just go to see the fish because yeah…
Historic Houses (Bellamy, Latimer, Burgwin-Wright)
Love history? Love touring old houses? Wilmington is packed full of them. The three downtown are the Bellamy Mansion, the Burgwin-Wright house, and the (notoriously haunted) Latimer house. The insides of these mansions are just as beautiful as the outside and are chock full of fun stories and history. Some of the houses (like the Latimer house’s All Hallows Eve Wake) also have some fun fall/Halloween activities to get you in a spooky mood. If you really want to dive into some of Wilmington’s historic side, these houses are fun to tour though.
Old Books on Front
I am a sucker for bookstores…used and new. This one is a perfect combo of both. You could probably spend hours in this store if you really wanted to just browsing through the shelves and shelves of books. It gets its own section in this post because it’s just that awesome. Support small business and take home some good reads.
Battleship North Carolina
Another classic for history lovers, Battleship North Carolina is a real life battleship from World War II that has been made into a museum. You can learn about the history of the battleship and explore how it would have looked and worked when it was in commission. You can also spend some time at Battleship Park where you can snag some prime pictures of the Riverwalk from across the river (and as a bonus, One Tree Hill fans may recognize this area as the former site of the Rivercourt). If you’re like me and love history it’s definitely worth your time.
Wrightsville Beach
Living near the North Carolina coast for most of my life, the beach has always been a rite of passage for me. I’ve never known a life without a beach within an hour. I spent a fair amount of hours during my time in Wilmington walking down Wrightsville Beach and picking up shells (go through my apartment and you’ll find jars of them everywhere). Only about 8 miles from downtown Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach is a gorgeous example of the NC beaches and whether you’re landlocked most of the time or if you have your own coast, a nice walk down Wrightsville is something to see at least once (and Wrightsville has its own subset of yummy restaurants (like Poes Tavern and Dockside!).
Wilmington is one of my absolute favorite places in the world. Whether you have one day or one week in Wilmington, there’s always something cool to do and see. Even if you’re not doing anything – just walking around or reading a book on the riverfront makes a great day in itself. The restaurant scene is one of the best, the shopping is incredible (you don’t even want to know how much money I spent when I lived there); and with the history, the river, and the coast you have a perfect combination of everything you could possibly want on vacation. There are so many more recommendations I could make and everyone has their own list of favorites, but take it from my years of being a local and all my years of other visits, I can say with confidence that these spots are the best of the best (and you won’t want to miss ANY of them!).
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