Local History Resources Around Town

• Museums & Attractions
• Airlie Gardens
  An early 20th-century garden now owned by New Hanover County and open to the public.
• Battleship USS North Carolina
  This decomissioned World War II battleship now sits on the Cape Fear River opposite downtown Wilmington. Open to the public.
• Bellamy Mansion Museum of History and Design Arts
  A Civil War-era southern mansion which has been restored and is open to the public.
• Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson Historic Site
  The ruins of colonial Brunswick Town have been excavated; the earthworks of Confederate Fort Anderson sits on the same site.
• Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens
  Administered by the Society of Colonial Dames, this eighteenth-century house (one of the oldest in Wilmington) is also open to the public.
• Cape Fear Museum
  The county-run museum, in addition to being one of the area's leading tourist attractions, maintains extensive photographic and archival holdings and frequently features historically-themed exhibits.
• Fort Fisher Historic Site
  Now administered by the State of North Carolina as an historic site open to the public, Fort Fisher helped to keep the Cape Fear River open during the blockades of the Civil War.
• Lower Cape Fear Coin Club
  Meetings feature numismatic programs involving aspects of collecting, dealing, travel, literature or history. We welcome speakers from the membership, academia, and other organizations.
• Moore's Creek National Battlefield
  This 88-acre park stands on the site of the Battle of Moore's Creek, a decisive battle in the Revolutionary War.
• North Carolina Underwater Archaeology Center
  Operated by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History, this small museum at Kure Beach contains exhibits on maritime history featuring artifacts uncovered in underwater explorations dating from pre-Columbian to contemporary.
• Orton Plantation & Gardens
  Tour the grounds of this pre-Revolutionary estate, with gardens dating from the turn of the century.
• Poplar Grove Plantation
  This antebellum house and peanut plantation is preserved as a house museum interpreted by costumed docents.
• Southport Maritime Museum
  Home of the lightship Frying Pan, and located in the historic fishing town of Southport.
• Thalian Hall
  Housed in the same historic (c. 1858) building which contains City Hall, the meticulously restored theatre now serves as a venue for music, drama, film, and more.
• Wilmington Railroad Museum
  The museum is dedicated to preserving the history of the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad, once headquartered in Wilmington. Collections include railroad cars and extensive model layouts.
• Wrightsville Beach Museum
  Home of the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History and the Wrighstville Beach Preservation Society.


• Libraries & Archives
• New Hanover County Public Library Local History Room
  Located at the Main Branch of the library, the Local History Room maintains extensive newspaper, photograph, and microfilm collections.
• NC ECHO
  NC ECHO (for Exploring Cultural Heritage Online) is an invaluable directory to online local history resources throughout North Carolina.
• Old New Hanover Genealogical Society
  Familiar to local history researchers as the publishers of many vital records and indices through the region, the ONHGS is now online.
• William Madison Randall Library
  The University of North Carolina Wilmington's library includes documentation of the university's past as well as general local history collections.
• Bladen County Historical Society
  Publications and membership information.