This is one of the most beautiful Coastal cities you will ever visit. We have been going here on…read morevacation since I was a little kid. My father actually grew up here and the city has certainly change over the years into a great tourist destination. Beautiful homes are everywhere in and around the city as well as some of the best dining you will find anywhere. You are just minutes to some of the best beaches in the state where you can still rent a "beach house" for a week and spend your vacation staying right on the water in a fully furnished house instead of cramped in a hotel room

The Fort Johnston-Southport Museum and Visitors Center is the perfect place to start off your visit…read moreto Southport, NC. It's a great way to get acquainted with this small town and learn a little about their film and local history. The building dates back to 1746 and is perfectly situated across from the water, with chairs out front to sit in to enjoy the view. Best of all, it's free to visit. I especially loved the room with exhibits about movies and television shows that have been filmed in Southport over the years (they were filming a Netflix show on the waterfront when I visited). It's also the meeting point for Southport Fun Tours, which I highly recommend. While the museum isn't going to knock your socks off, it's perfect for a town the size of Southport, and a place you can easily cover within a few minutes if you're in a time crunch.

The Fort Johnston-Southport Museum & Visitor's Center is a great way to start your exploration of…read moreDowntown Southport. Admission is free. The museum part provides good background information on the town and its history. One room contains all the films made in the area and also has some memorabilia from those films. The Visitor's Center has many brochures and maps and the ladies working the day I was there were very helpful about parking and about my ferry ride the next day.

Oak Island Lighthouse NC 3-1-25 This lighthouse is in…read moreCaswell beach NC. It looks like it's made of cement and built in 1958. You can climb it but you have to reserve a guided tour online then you can climb it. It is 153 feet high and has ships ladders for steps to get to the top. You will have to go a total of 131 ladder steps. This beach area is beautiful, and we had to add this Lighthouse to our tour. Open house tours are offered Memorial Day through Labor Day Wednesday & Saturday. Other than the Lighthouse and beach there is nothing else to see. I would not make a special trip to see it but if you're in the area or want to add it to you list of seen Lighthouses go for sure. I give this Lighthouse a 4 out of 5 stars. Follow Me On Fb For More Reviews Gulf Coast Terry

Went to see this lighthouse with my family expecting some boring lighthouse. No it's not boring. I…read moreactually had a good time here and the beach access is very close which is also nice. I don't know much about lighthouses but I know this is a good one

We visited Historical Fort Fisher Visitors Center but we didn't walk around outside because it was…read moreso cold only 52 degrees and sunny w high winds. The museum visitors center is lovely and full of Information and free to visit with bathrooms on both floors, a Souvenir shop and hands on touching for the kids along with a scavenger hunt!! The kids and even us adults thoroughly enjoyed!! Definitely recommend!!

Tucked into one of the few true corners of the United States, Fort Fisher sits at the southern tip…read moreof North Carolina where the land reaches into the Atlantic. Built by the Confederacy to protect Wilmington and support blockade runners, the fort fell in January 1865 after a fierce Union assault by land and sea. Known as the 'Gibraltar of the South,' Fort Fisher was the most strategically vital seacoast fortification in the region, guarding the mouth of the Cape Fear River and serving as the last major supply line for the Confederate army. Its massive earthen walls, bombproof shelters, and 47 guns were constructed with the labor of hundreds of African Americans and Native Americans, but despite its strength, it could not withstand the final Union offensive. Today, the Fort Fisher State Historic Site offers a quiet, windswept glimpse into that turbulent past. Only a few of the original mounds remain, softened by time and erosion. The grounds are peaceful, with views of the river and ocean that once made this site so strategically important. The story of sacrifice, resilience, and transformation continues to echo across the dunes. We did not visit the museum today. The monument at Fort Fisher State Historic Site is a solemn granite tribute honoring the Confederate defenders who fought and died during the battles of Fort Fisher in 1864 and 1865. The monument is a tall, rectangular granite shaft set on a stepped base as part of early efforts to commemorate the site, long before it became a formal state historic site. [Review 1359 of 2025 - 4478 in North Carolina - 24911 overall]

This marker is alongside River Road between Wilmington and the Caswell/Oak Island beaches. It is in…read moregood condition and there is a grassy area where you can stop. Probably not legally, but I was only here for a minute. The marker reads, "Major General Howe was the commander of Southern Department of the Continental Line, 1776-78, and North Carolina's highest ranking officer. Lived 4 1/2 miles east." Online, there is more information. "Robert Howe, Continental army general, was born in 1732 in New Hanover County. Howe inherited a considerable fortune from his parents and grandparents, owning several large plantations in the New Hanover and Bladen counties. He served in several minor public posts in Bladen County, including as a militia captain and magistrate in the 1750s and 1760s. After Brunswick County formed, Howe was elected to the colonial assembly, a post he held for six consecutive terms. He also served as a militia officer for Brunswick County, and commanded Fort Johnston from 1769 to 1773. During the War of the Regulation, Howe commanded that artillery of Governor William Tryon at the Battle of Alamance." "At the outbreak of the Revolution, Howe served as a member of the Wilmington Committee of Safety and led the local militia that took control of Fort Johnston. On September 1, 1775, Howe was appointed colonel of the 2nd North Carolina Continental regiment. After the death of James Moore in 1777, Howe was appointed to succeed him as commander of the Southern Department and was promoted to major general on October 20, 1777." "Howe returned home in 1783 at the war's end, intent on resuming his life as a planter. In 1786 he was elected to the House of Commons, however he died on December 14, while traveling to the meeting of the body. He was the highest-ranking officer from North Carolina to serve in the American Revolution." [Review 14233 overall, 1556 of 2020, number 2676 in North Carolina.]

We came back again this year and had a blast! It was a totally different experience than last year,…read morewhich made it totally worth it. No dolphins this year, but we did get to go out further thanks to calmer waters and the captain was very knowledgeable on all of the history of the area. I would definitely still recommend this to anyone!

Although there were too many clouds, the sunset cruise didn't disappoint. The breeze was perfect…read moreand the dolphins gave us a show. The captain and first mate shared some tidbits of information on the area but this was not a narrated tour. Will continue to bring family and friends on this boat as a relaxing and fun experience.

The Old Brunswick County Jail was not open for the season when I was there but I could still walk…read morearound and admire the two story brick building. It was built in 1904 and served as a jail for 70 years. The Southport Historical Society stepped in to restore the building and preserve history and it opened to the public in 2004. On the second floor are two jail cells and each cell could hold four bunks, a toilet and a sink. The jailer lived downstairs with his family. It would be great to go back when it is open and hear the stories on the museum tour. "Crimes of the Heart" starring Sissy Spacek had some scenes filmed at the jail.

Whenever I go back up to the Northeast to visit, I like to pickup something coastal for the…read morekiddies, this is my go to spot!! Not only am I supporting the Southport Maritime Museum programs (all gift shop proceeds are returned to the museum) but encouraging an appreciation and lessons of our local maritime history for their future visits!! Not to mention the shop is filled with adult books on local maritime lore. A hidden Southport treasure!!

The North Carolina Maritime Museum is a very modestly sized free museum located behind the visitors…read morecenter in Southport. Though it's only one large interior room, it packs a lot of local maritime history within. I'm not a big history buff, so I breezed through in less than 10 minutes, but found it fits in perfectly for a small town on the water like Southport. It also helps that it's right behind the visitors center and just off the core of the historic business district of Southport. I'd recommend a visit if you had some free time in Southport or if you're interested in the maritime history of the area. There's a small gift shop near the entrance and adjacent restrooms.

The Old Smithville Burying Ground is a beautiful old cemetery. Smithville was the original name of…read morethe town now named Southport. It is thought to be the oldest cemetery in Brunswick County. The oak trees and shrubs make this a peaceful place to wander and explore history. The gravesites go back to the 1700s and include Revolutionary War soldiers to those lost when a steamship sank to those working on the Cape Fear lost at sea to those that helped make Southport what it is today.