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.

What a great venue. Was prepared to be on the lawn as General admission but they have outdoor…read moretheater seats. You pick where you want to sit or if you want to be In the pit. I don't think there is a bad seat in the house and parking was close in a nearby area.

Robert Earl Keen show 8/16/2026 Absolute great sound,…read morevenue, beer/liqour sales variety, parking, tailgating, and staff courtesy- UNTIL- "City ordinance says we have to be done by 9:30". Then, basically, 'get the F out !' Then WHY start at 8PM ?!?! Why not 7, so a LEGENDARY Texas poet can put on a full show ?!?! ONE HOUR AND TEN MINUTES of awesome music, followed by "drink up, and gtfo !" Most of us in the crowd could absolutely hear it in REK's voice, he didn't like it either. Been a true Keen fan since '93, but will NEVER be gouged by "Gougefield F'way" again !

What a great venue! I was here for the Cucalorus Film Festival and they have a main screening…read moretheater, a small screening theater, and another space where they had the conferences. Technology was good. The filmmaker lounge had some mid-century furniture in it. Kinda funky and cool. Small snack bar. Beautiful space with lots of charm and history in downtown Wilmington.

My daughter and I went to see Rocky Horror Picture Show. I love Thalian Hall so much! It's a vibe…read morein itself. The play was incredible. All of the people working there were really nice, too. Lovely place!

Such a fun little arcade! It's somewhat small, but it has a great selection of games. We go anytime…read morewe visit the boardwalk, and it never gets boring! Great selection of prizes as well. I'm bummed they got rid of my favorite game, the spearfishing one, but they replaced it with a really cute and easy claw machine, which i enjoyed!

Open as late as we were up and dog friendly inside!…read more $40 worth of Skee ball fun! The card machines were very finicky and we needed and attendant assistant. We'll be back often!

Such a cool place. Felt like I stepped into 1995! Played Duck Hunt on a real standing TV (idk what…read moreyou even call it now) brought in a cassette I found and heard a bunch of songs I recorded from the radio in the early 90s. Love it!

Fun place to play your favorite games. A pleasant trip down memory lane. The attendant on duty is…read morevery knowledgeable of the games and equipment there.

We had our daughter's 14th birthday party here last week and it was a blast! The girls had so much…read morefun painting, the artist/teacher was wonderful with girls, encouraging them, helping when they needed it, and was energetic enough to keep a group of giggly girls engaged. They had lots of space to have a table for food, cake, and sodas and juice for the girls. I most definitely would book another party here.

We did a corporate team building here that was super fun. Mike is a great instructor, skilled and…read morefunny! He made the experience great. I think I will try it for a birthday party next. Check it out!

This is an arcade place, run and owned by The Roster and the Crow restaurant. It is across the…read morehall from the restaurant. It's a small arcade. A few pinball machines, arcade games, and other games you see at places like this (shooting basketballs, skee-ball, air hockey, etc.). I love having the option of playing games like this is downtown, however there are a few issues with this place. Downsides Some of the games do NOT list how much it costs to play. I lost several quarters trying to determine this. This issue is with the games like skee-ball. Some of the games don't work. Last time I was there, I lost money on the air hockey game because there was no puck. The skee-ball game just took our money without giving us the balls. If you come, bring some one, five or ten dollar bills. They do have a change machine onsite and most of the games only take quarters. If you are normally cashless like me, there is an ATMs just outside the arcade. You know, the ATMs you find at gas stations or strip clubs (so I have been told), that change you a $3 fee. Warning, when the ATM reads your card, it asks if you want to view your balance. Do NOT do this. It charges you just to look at the balance, then also charges you a fee on the money withdrawn. You can only get $20 bills. Be warned, $20 worth or quarters is a lot.

Lake Waccamaw Depot Museum is a history museum located in Columbus County. The museum is inside a…read more1904 Atlantic Coast Line Train Station. The Lake Waccamaw Women's Club stepped up to save and preserve the train station. It was relocated, restored and opened up as a museum in 1977. The museum is a combination of history, railroad and ecology as they were all tied together. Parking is available on the street, and admission to the museum is free, though donations or purchases from the gift store are appreciated. The museum is staffed by friendly, informative volunteers, and someone will be there during open hours. Carolina Bays are massive, shallow, oval-shaped depressions in the Earth's surface. Lake Waccamaw has a highly pronounced, elevated sandy ridge running along its southeastern shoreline. Lake Waccamaw is the largest water-filled Carolina Bay in North Carolina, measuring roughly 5.2 miles by 3.5 miles. It has not dried up like other bays. Lake Waccamaw is also unique with the limestone bluff. The limestone neutralizes the acid as the water flows, and the resulting, calcium-rich environment is why the area is home to many organisms. It became an evolutionary hotspot that created an environment for dozens of endemic species of fish, snails, and mussels to evolve here and nowhere else on earth. The museum has some interesting artifacts, including fossils from when Mosasaurs roamed the local oceans 68 million years ago. The railroad depot played an integral role in supporting local industries such as lumber, turpentine and toolmaking. The Cypress roof shingle industry started in 1869, and there is a logging display. The museum was fun to explore, as you get to explore the historical building as well, with the ticket office, vintage train equipment and other artifacts. I liked that the museum included Native Americans. The Waccamaw Siouan tribe was located in the area, and there is an actual dug-out Indian canoe. How did they dig it out without tools? The railroad also brought tourists to the area. It was a booming summer resort with lakeside hotels, boating excursions and dancing in the pavilion. Summer camps were also popular, and there are exhibits about the tourist boom. At the time, the lake was segregated. During the Jim Crow era, Black and Native American residents were strictly banned from swimming or using the public beaches. Instead of celebrating on July 4th, they decided to delay the holiday to July 6th, and thousands from across the region came to celebrate. The train station itself was segregated with separate ticket windows to comply with these laws, and the museum preserves these critical oral histories through video panels featuring local African American elders. You will learn about some notable folks as well. Samuel Potts was a 19th-century local builder, inventor, and master craftsman. He designed and built the famous Bohemian Girl steamboat. He was also a pioneer in photography, famously inventing a way to take a selfie with a mechanical shutter-string mechanism. Dr. Jean Gerome Prosper Formy-Duval was a French physician who immigrated to North Carolina. The museum exhibit showcases his original medical tools, diaries, and historical items. The "Free Lady" Hotelier was a historical free woman of color who defied systemic odds by owning and operating her own successful resort hotel along the lakefront during the segregated tourism boom. Outside is a preserved 1940s Atlantic Coast Line caboose. It is sometimes open to explore. As it was raining when I visited, I didn't try to get inside. I highly recommend checking out this historic gem.

This small museum is full of history, it was great coming there, we really enjoyed our stay there…read more We have 4 kids and Madame Coy took us around, we learned about the Cypress shingles, the beginning of the railway, former habits how ladies were carried to take a bath in the lake and swimming suits, hoe maker tools, learned about different theories of Lake Waccamaw, the Dinosaur sceleton in the Lake and a whale, a canine, about a free lady running a hotel, we listened to music on a grammophone (?) and heard about friendship and loyalty among all kind of people around this wonderful lake... The museum is kept in good shape and there is a nice restorated train engine and a little garden belonging to the museum, too. On facebook more information and pictures can be found.