Winter Things to Do

WINTER HAPPENINGS

Enjoy a weekend filled with exciting performances by some of the greatest traditional and swing jazz musicians from around the world during the annual North Carolina Jazz Festival. Toast to the season at the Wilmington Winter Wine & Beer Walk each February. Visit nearby Kure Beach in January to experience island history firsthand at the Battle of Fort Fisher anniversary event. And there is always something special happening for a Valentine’s getaway. Visitors are advised to check event websites or social media pages to determine if events have been canceled or postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions.

STORIED PAST

Spanning 230-plus blocks, Wilmington is home to one of the largest National Register Historic Districts in the South. Wander through historic house museums like the Bellamy Mansion Museum of History & Design, Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens or the Latimer House Museum. To explore at your own speed, let the Wilmington History eTours App guide you along various tours across the city’s historical and cultural attractions. Explore the refurbished WWII Battleship NORTH CAROLINA to find nine levels of living and working spaces, stroll along the SECU Memorial Walkway honoring each branch of the military and view the Legacy Gallery. To commemorate its contributions to the World War II home-front war effort, Wilmington recently became the first city in the country to be designated an "American World War II Heritage City."

UP YOUR WELLNESS GAME

Tee off at one of Wilmington’s golf courses and enjoy a casual game on the back nine or compete like the pros on a Donald Ross designed championship-level 18-hole course. Experience Japanese maples, a water garden with hundreds of colorful Koi and an authentic tea house at the Arboretum at New Hanover County. With 67 acres to explore, visit Airlie Gardens to find formal gardens, wildlife, 10 acres of lakes and the gargantuan Airlie Oak dating back to 1545. Explore Greenfield Park on foot and take in water views along the nearly five-mile trail or rent a kayak to explore by water.

At our nearby island beaches, enjoy a winter hike at Fort Fisher State Recreation Area or Carolina Beach State Park, take a kayak excursion or a paddle adventure to explore the local waterways, or stay on dry land and take a walk or jog along the Island Greenway in Carolina Beach or The Loop in Wrightsville Beach.

JOURNEY OFF COURSE

Discover what life in Wilmington was like during the colonial and Victorian eras with a walking tour through historic downtown with Tour Old Wilmington. Or, experience the pace of days gone by with a narrated horse-drawn carriage tour along the riverfront and past stately mansions with Springbrook Farms. Offering tours like the Drinks and Tasting Tour or Downtown Tasting Tour, discover some of the area’s best chefs, restaurants and bars on a gourmet food tour with Taste Carolina.  Thanks to mild temperatures, you can still board area water tours or book a private charter to explore the area’s waterways or relax on a sunset cruise overlooking the beautiful Cape Fear River.

EXPERIENCE THE ARTS

Visit Thalian Hall Center for Performing Arts, one of the oldest, most beautiful theatres in the country. Spend an entertaining evening at The Wilson Center, the largest and most technologically advanced performance center in eastern North Carolina, offering Broadway shows, symphonies, concerts and more all season long. On the fourth Friday of every month, take a self-guided tour to view various art exhibitions across mediums including oils, watercolors, metals, ceramics and more during a Fourth Friday Gallery Night.

COASTAL MUSEUMS AND ATTRACTIONS

Visit North Carolina’s first history museum, the Cape Fear Museum of History and Science, where you’ll find artifacts and remnants relating to the history, science and cultures of the region. With its annual rotating exhibitions, the Cameron Art Museum offers programming and displays of both historical and modern significance. Dedicated to preserving the history of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, visit the Wilmington Railroad Museum to explore exhibits including a life-size caboose, retired boxcar, century-old steam locomotive and more. 

Discover the history of Wilmington’s nearby island beaches at the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History and the Federal Point History Center in Carolina Beach, or venture to Kure Beach to visit two of the state’s most popular attractions Fort Fisher State Historic Site and the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher.