Photography by 3Spade7Star @3Spade7Star_photography…read moreJanuary 25, 2026 - Sunday One of the quirkiest & pleasant things to do in Wilmington, North Carolina is to visit the Museum of the Bizarre. It is like a smaller version of Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum with a few surprise twists. The staff was friendly and helpful in answering all my questions. Museum fee is $3. If you want to explore the mirror maze of labyrinths, the ticket for both events is $5 . I was told that the museum was from a private collector, who owned the museum and collected all the artifacts in it. Most of the exhibits are not to be photographed unless you see a sign by the exhibit saying you can photograph it. Each exhibit has a scan code you can scan and find a link to - providing you info about the exhibit. I got permission to photograph the link info of each exhibit before proceeding further into the museum. A surprise highlight is the live performance of the sword swallower in the museum. Very fun and reminiscent of a circus performance. The kids loved it, and I liked the optimism of the performer. At the end of the museum visit, we explored the mirror maze labyrinth - very trippy. They make you wear plastic gloves to prevent smears on the mirror. Inside is a gigantic Minotaur at the end of the maze. This is a place to explore the weird and wonderful in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Unusual? Absolutely. And at $3 per person, it's a curious little detour that doesn't break the…read morebudget. We spent under an hour browsing their compact but densely packed collection of macabre, peculiar, and downright strange artifacts. Among the exhibits: letters penned by convicted serial killers, graphic crime scene photographs, purported human and animal remains, theatrical masks and vintage clothing, plus a lock of Alexander Hamilton's hair, Houdini's Ouija board, and a plaster cast of what's claimed to be a Bigfoot footprint. There were also a few movie props scattered throughout, adding a pop culture twist to the mix. Photography is off-limits except in clearly marked zones, so don't expect to document everything. We passed on the mirror maze this time around. Are all of this items authentic and real? Are they fabricated and fake? It hovers somewhere in that murky middle but it's compelling either way. And for the price, it's hard to argue. I'm not sure how much of this is appropriate for younger eyes, so parents should keep that in mind. [Review 1348 of 2025 - 4467 in North Carolina - 24900 overall]

I stopped in for a tour last week and unfortunately they were only having self-guided tours where…read moreyou had to scan each QR code with your phone for the details. But the history of the home, the Bellamy family and enslaved workers were fascinating. The home is beautiful. I want to return around Christmas time for a guided tour.

This is worth the $15 self tour or $20 guided tour admission. The home is very well kept after…read moreseveral restorations. The slave quarters were difficult to tour, especially juxtaposed to the grand, spacious and opulent mansion. All of the stories are well-documented since there were memoirs. The history, even some of the ugly parts, are shared on the markers. We spent a good amount of time touring the place, and it was very beautifully decorated for Christmas during out visit. Picturesque.

Something to do on a rainy day. We spent over 4 hours here. Lots of things to do for all ages. It…read morewas easy to find something to do with tweens, teens, adults and seniors. Lots of history of the area, the battle and residents throughout the last few hundred years. The adults in our group spent the most time viewing the history of how Wilmington and the surrounding areas were developed and the battle. The kids enjoyed the history of gaming area, aerospace, and ecology area. There are craft spots for the younger kids to enjoy. Lots of interactive equipment. Prices are very reasonable. Plenty of seating throughout. Parking is a little difficult to find. We looked it up ahead of time and appreciated the signs pointing the right access points.

We stopped by to check this place out since it participates in the ASTC reciprocity program with…read moreour local children's museum. It's geared toward both adults and children and is large enough to explore for a couple hours. My kids loved their rubber ducky scavenger hunt (such a great idea!) that kept them engaged as we walked through each room. Lots of history of the area and some fun (though small) other areas for the kids to play, too.

My daughter and I stopped in to check out the newest place in town for some fun! This is a…read more"insta-snap-social media" heaven! The owners showed us around and I was quite impressed with the uniqueness. With a name like Self Love Museum I was very intrigued. Basically, you can bring in your own photographer and use their different set ups or be your own selfie photographer to post on social media. They can do birthday parties, too. Each section was very unique and stylish. I have honestly never saw anything like this before. My daughter and I both thought it was super cool. We will be back to actually enjoy it!

10/10 my daughter enjoyed The Self-Love Museum for her birthday and I felt like a big kid all over…read moreagain entering into the different rooms we didn't have an appointment and the owner came promptly to open the doors and even snap pictures for us thank you so much!!!!!!!!!!!

I really enjoyed this museum. The staff was so nice and friendly. Everything was explained to…read moreus...price, exhibits, food, and other great information. The art was displayed very nicely throughout the gallery. I really enjoyed viewing the art and reading a little bit about each piece. There were pieces that were displayed outside as well. This was my 2nd time visiting and will continue to visit each time that I am in Wilmington.

Outstanding museum with large selection of North Carolina and international artists. Displays are…read moreexcellent. Special exhibit with a glass artist was featured. Cafe and sculpture garden were outstanding. Staff were very helpful! Most highly recommended!

I visited in the early 2000's, went back on 2026-04-11, and had a great time on the self-guided…read moretour (~2 hours). Be prepared for a lot of walking and climbing steps. Most areas are kind of confined, some more than others! The ladders can be a little challenging but just take it easier. I found it easiest to go down ladders (aka stairs) backwards, facing the steps. The signage could use improvement. Sometimes it was hard to know which way to go or how to exit. It's a little like a maze! More photos at https://postimg.cc/gallery/SqN0YdB

This is my 2nd time on this amazing ship and I was just as amazed this time around as I was the…read morefirst time. Just to know that this boat was active once upon a time is amazing! The ship has been well maintained and preserved. The amount of how much of this ship history that has been preserved in simply astounding. From the sick recovery rooms, where surges were perform, the communications center, dining area, ship store, divers, laundry room, shower room, the ship is massive. Appreciating each and every person who served, appreciating those that have preserved this ship. The price was super affordable, staff were very friendly and informative. My son and I covered a great amount of the ship in two hours and u found rooms on the ship that I didn't see the first time around. Plenty of free parking and a nice gift shop as well.

A great museum to learn about the Wilmington railroad system. You can learn about how it got…read morestarted and also about the people that worked for the railroad. There were lots of model trains to view. The entrance fee was very reasonable..only 12 dollars for an adult ticket. The fact that it was just a block away from the hotel that I was staying at was a plus.

It's a very cool railroad museum. Located right in downtown Wilmington. They do have parking but…read moreonly a few spots. Cost is reasonable. Kids under 2 are free. They do add 3% to the price if you use a credit card. From what I can tell from their website, you can't purchase tickets in advance. Just have to purchase at the front desk. There are two parts, inside and outside. Outside has a train engine and a caboose. You can go inside both. These two don't take long to see. Inside has a lot more, including large running model train sets. Kids can interact with the train sets by pushing buttons to start trains, control bridges and other things on the set. There is also a play area where kids can put on different hats and vests, and play with train themed toys. The model train sets span two different rooms. There is also a museum section showing historic railroad items, including discussing the railroad history in the Cape Fear region. It's differently worth a visit. Kids will love it.

After doing a "gaslighting" night tour which was interesting and informative we were instructed to…read moreexit by the front door. The long stairway was not well lit. I was not able to clearly see the last few steps and feel down them landing on my hands and knees. I suffered severe abrasions to my knees and hands. Beware if your tour is at night. The staff provided basic first aid. when I contacted the management they referred me to the board president. It took over a week for him to contact me back.

The Latimer House is located in Downtown Wilmington. Guided tours run on the hour and if you arrive…read moreearlier you can sit in the courtyard. This was my favorite of the three houses. It shows how the upper class lived with opulence. The house is not handicap accessible as the it was built in the 1852. The house was built by Zebulon Latimer and has three stories with a basement although not all areas are on the tour. The house is symmetrical as there are the same number of windows on each side. Three generations of the Latimers lived in the house before it became a museum and where the Cape Fear Historical Society is based. The iron water fountain in the garden used to be in a park in the middle of the road. The house has 14 rooms around 600 original items such as furniture, dishes, sculptures in fantastic shape as they had never been taken out of the shipping containers. The family tree was unique on the wall. You can even see where the original carpet was worn away. The house has a Victorian style decor with the marble fireplace, velvet curtains, and the intricate chandeliers. The walls in the foyer are painted to look like wallpaper. I enjoyed seeing all the photos. My docent was knowledgeable and friendly. She provided the stories of who lived in the house with empathy as some of the stories are sad. I highly recommend taking a tour of the Latimer House.

We've had a great time every time we visit. Our family was…read moregifted a membership for Christmas and have attended the new year's noon event and the kids Olympics, along with a weekday visit, so far. The events are heavily discounted for members, which we love. The employees are great and there's not many people there during the weekday in the winter, anyway. This is a smaller museum, so it's great for our almost 4 year old. There's a little outdoor area with a few things. We love the school bus. Fun place to visit when the weather isn't great.

My kids had a great time here! Lots of different areas for kids to venture through. They offer…read morediscounts for military or educators so that was a plus! Spent two hours here and my kids still weren't ready to leave. Reminds me of a more simple version of marbles museum in Raleigh. 3/5!