Southern Charm: Wilmington, North Carolina Style

Greenfield Lake

This sprawling downtown park offers almost five miles of walking trails along the lake’s edge. If you are lucky, you might spot an alligator cruising among the cypress trees in the water!

Live Oak Bank Pavilion

This newer outdoor amphitheater draws big names in music and is right along the downtown riverfront. It’s also walking distance to many of downtown restaurants for a bite before the show.

Pineapple Studios

This downtown neighborhood pottery studio offers one-time classes such as sip and spin, handbuilding, and holiday-themed workshops that are perfect to satisfy your creative side while visiting Wilmington.

Yoga studios

Need to get in a good stretch and sweat on vacation? Wilmington Yoga Center near Wrightsville beach and Yoga Salt downtown offer classes at any pace to keep you grounded while away from home. Terra Sol in the Castle Street district downtown is the place for relaxed yoga vibes and is in a refurbished church!

Fort Fisher Aquarium

Make sure to spend a day exploring the Carolina Beach area, and no trip to CB is complete without a visit to the Fort Fisher Aquarium! With several buildings and many different types of aquatic ecosystems to immerse yourself in, you’ll learn about local wildlife and underwater creatures big and small—even their resident albino alligator!

USS North Carolina Battleship museum

A favorite attraction for history buffs, the Battleship offers tours to take a peek into life aboard this huge vessel and what it was like to work as a sailor during its voyages in the WWII era.

Farmers markets

If you are visiting over the weekend, there are a few farmers markets that offer a variety of local goods, from honey to fresh-caught seafood to plants! Visit the downtown location, the one outside Tidal Creek Co-op, the Wrightsville Beach one, and finish at Biggers Market on Market Street, which is open all year round!

South Front District

This little downtown neighborhood offers several dining options, including a wine bar, taco stand, and Vivian Howard’s Benny’s Bigtime Pizzeria. Catch some live music at Satellite Bar and make sure to enjoy their backyard area with fire pits and cornhole!

Poe’s Tavern

This Wrightsville Beach restaurant is known for its burgers and its Edgar Allen Poe-themed menu and decor. With a large outdoor seating area, it’s a perfect spot to hit after a beach day or on a fall night when the breeze is cool.

Covey

A newer restaurant in the midtown area, this is your spot for locally sourced, seasonal dishes. They are open for brunch and have a bespoke menu of cocktails for a refreshing sip. It was also featured in the show The Summer I Turned Pretty!

Indochine

A Wilmington staple for Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. They have a wide variety of sushi on the menu, as well as classics such as fried rice, pad Thai, and dumpling appetizers. On nice days, make sure to sit out back in their garden where you can dine in your own hut! Pro tip: Get there as soon as they open for an early dinner, as they get super busy! Don’t forget to grab a drink from the bar while you wait.

Freddies

A well-kept local secret, this Kure Beach restaurant is family-owned and has some of the best Italian food in the Wilmington area. The old-school vibe with wine-bottle candle holders, red-and-white-checked tablecloths, and romantic atmosphere tells you everything you need to know. The portions are huge—I recommend sharing!

Port City Java

If you run on coffee, don’t forget to stop in this local alternative to Starbucks. They have a rotating selection of delicious baked goods, single-origin drip coffees, and fun seasonal drinks. My personal recommendation: a smoothie! Every one on the menu is perfectly sweet, fruity, and scrumptious. If your sweet tooth is calling, a mocha shake is the way to go!

Seabird

On the corner of Market Street downtown is one of the best places to go in the ILM for seafood, hands down. James Beard semi-finalist chef Dean Neff is raising the bar and working with local oyster farmers to bring you the saltiest slurp! The menu changes seasonally, and they offer specials nights throughout the week, including ramen night on Thursdays, dollar oyster happy hour in the bar area, and brunch on the weekends.

K38

Hands-down my favorite place for queso in Wilmington! They have a solid menu of fantastic burritos, quesadillas, enchiladas, Mexican salads, and appetizers to suit all of your Baja flavor needs! You’ll always find a surf documentary playing on the TV, a perfect marg at the bar, and as many crispy, salty chips as your heart desires.