Wilmington, N.C. – November 10, 2025: The Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau is pleased to announce that Fort Fisher State Historic Site is the recipient of the N.C. Travel Industry Association [NCTIA] 2025 North Carolina Visitor Attraction of the Year award. The annual award recognizes a North Carolina visitor attraction that exemplifies excellence and sets the standard for an exceptional visitor experience. Kim Hufham, President/CEO of the New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority [TDA] and past president of NCTIA, presented the award to Fort Fisher State Historic Site Manager Jim Steele during NCTIA’s Tourism Leadership Conference Awards Banquet, held on November 6 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront. Also present in support of Fort Fisher were Anne Evangelista, Legislative Affairs Director - N.C. Department of Natural & Cultural Resources [NC DNCR]; Michelle Lanier, NC DNCR Director - Division of North Carolina State Historic Sites; and Tyrone Rowell, Chairman - Friends of Fort Fisher.
In her opening remarks, Hufham stated: “It is my honor to present this year’s NCTIA Visitor Attraction of the Year Award to a travel partner that has been providing exceptional visitor experiences for more than 60 years. Located in the southernmost part of New Hanover County, Fort Fisher State Historic Site is a local, state, and national treasure.”
Known as the “Gibraltar of the South,” Fort Fisher was the largest Confederate earthwork fortification during the American Civil War. It played a vital role in the Southern war effort from 1861 until 1865, keeping Wilmington open to blockade runners. When the fort fell to Union forces on January 15, 1865, the last remaining Confederate supply route was destroyed.
Fast-forward 100 years: In 1961 Fort Fisher became the state’s first designated historic site. In 1962, it became a National Historic Landmark. It opened as an attraction in February 1965 with an annual capacity for 25,000 guests. As visitors arrived by cars and bus loads, the site soon became a popular attraction.
Today, Fort Fisher holds the distinction of being the state’s most-visited historic site. In 2011 the site hosted 600,000 visitors and by 2021 Fort Fisher had exceeded its goal of more than ONE MILLION visitors—a first for any historic site within the N.C. Division of State Historic Sites. A larger facility was clearly needed to serve the site’s visitors.
In October 2024, following 12 years of planning and 2 years of construction, Fort Fisher opened a new two-story, 20,000 square-foot visitor center that is built to serve more than one million visitors a year. Since its grand reopening one year ago, Fort Fisher has already exceeded 1 million guests.
The $25.5 million ADA-compliant center is triple the size of the previous structure with more exhibit space, a theater, expanded gift shop, classrooms, and event rental spaces. New exhibits represent a diversity of cultures and interpret a more detailed, inclusive history. The new “Through Their Eyes” exhibit encompasses centuries of regional history, from pre-colonial times to Fort Fisher’s roles during the Civil War and World War II. Stories are told from a variety of backgrounds and cultures, including the experiences of Indigenous peoples and African Americans, and the U.S. Colored Troops.
Outdoor enhancements include an ammunition magazine with a working tunnel system. For the first time in 159 years, visitors can go underground and access the fort’s cannons and their carriages which have been restored to the site’s three reconstructed earth mounds. Remarkably, Fort Fisher remains free and affordable for all to tour the visitor center, outdoor trails, and to participate in special events and programming.
In her closing remarks, Kim Hufham stated “Thanks to the vision and dedication of Fort Fisher management, the Friends of Fort Fisher, and the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, visitors to the area can now learn about the fort and Civil War history in a state-of-the-art museum facility.”
Hufham went on to share that during a recent “North Carolina Weekend” segment on PBS-NC, Fort Fisher Site Director Jim Steele said: “We want Fort Fisher to be a place where any American and anybody from anywhere in the world can come and go through our exhibits and our site and find some human connection across time that connects with them.” Hufham then turned to address representatives from Fort Fisher State Historic Site, and said “Mission accomplished, Jim! This is why NCTIA is pleased to present the 2025 North Carolina Visitor Attraction of the Year Award to Fort Fisher State Historic Site.”
About NCTIA
The North Carolina Travel Industry Association provides resources for anyone interested in issues relative to North Carolina‘s travel and tourism economy. North Carolina is one of the most visited vacation and leisure destinations in the United States, with 300 miles of beautiful beaches, scenic mountains and vibrant cities. Tourists who visit North Carolina generate significant economic benefits for local residents, businesses, and governments. Visitors spent over $36.7 billion in our state in 2024. The Tourism Achievement Awards are given in recognition of outstanding contributions by individuals and/or organizations for what they presently are doing or have done for the betterment, welfare, progress, recognition, promotion, and development of the travel industry of North Carolina.
About the Wilmington and Beaches CVB
The New Hanover County Tourism Development Authority (TDA), d/b/a Wilmington and Beaches Convention & Visitors Bureau, markets and develops the county and its communities’ leisure and group travel experiences for economic growth and quality of place.
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Contact:
Connie Nelson
Communications/PR Director
Wilmington and Beaches CVB
910-341-4030 x120
866-266-9690
cvbpr@wilmingtonandbeaches.com
