We were recommended the Cotton Exchange as a place to see in Wilmington. We passed by an art…read moregallery, a clothing store, and a coffeehouse inside there. We didn't spend much time there, yet we enjoyed browsing the stores there. It was a brief walk from our hotel and a place to explore. January 24, 2026

A quaint area to shop near the river. The cotton exchange history and old buildings are a favorite…read moreof mine to visit. The shops and restaurants frequently change and it's always nice to see the new shops. Shop owners are very friendly and hospitable. There are restaurants, cafes, clothing, jewelry, paper, furniture shops and more. We always find something new and intriguing. I have brought stroller through and it's not very easy to navigate on wheels. Expected tourist area prices.

Saturday visit: It's definitely for gift shopping. We went in thinking it may have shopping goods…read morelike jams, food items etc but no it was not so. Overall it was a lot of artisan items, great vaiety of handmade items from pottery to woodworking to soaps and clothing. Didn't really have any "service" as we walked though the main chamber and peeked into the shop rooms on the sides. The prices were pretty expensive so we didn't get anything but they are hand made so it makes sense. Great place to get souvenirs or gifts. My favorite part was the soaps and the small pottery near the door.

I love the stores in here from. Country store to Gypsies store and the stuff in between.. really…read morecool wood made products and soaps and such.. right along waterfront . Lots of history in this place too. There's a wall with signatures by famous people who have come thru.. just an interesting place.

This is a really nice shop inside the Cotton Exchange. They sell wine, wine glasses, and small home…read moredecor items. The shop isn't very big but they make up for it with the quality of items. Another really nice thing about this shop is they feature North Carolina wines and items from North Carolina craftsmen. Highly recommend.

Wilmington has many great little places and one would have to spend quite a bit of time checking…read moreevery store out - but please check this place out for SURE! The staff are great, the selection unique and you just might be surprised at what you might find and the price you will pay! We picked up a couple wedding gifts as well as a take home one for ourselves - I believe my mom even found something here too! Make sure you stop in - tell them your friends from Silver Creek NY sent you :)

Photography by 3Spade7Star @3Spade7Star_photography…read moreJanuary 25, 2026 - Sunday The Black Cat Shoppe was on my to go see list in Wilmington to see if I could get on a historical tour in a motor vehicle. Unfortunately, they don't have historical tours but they do have tours on foot and it was not feasible for me to do after having a surgery on my hip & leg - still healing. So I browsed the store for a long period and had the most fun with using the coin operated crystal vending machine. For two quarters you can get one to three crystals with a turn of the knob on the machine. I was lucky to get three crystals several times. You don't know how many or what kind of crystals you will get, yet it is fun, and the crystals make a great gift to give to people. I got a lot of green aventurine crystals and crystals I usually would not select like dalmation jasper & a dull moonstone. It was a steal since most crystals are $1-3 each for the sizes I received of these crystals. Alyssa was very engaging and stellar in providing me information and generating more sales effortlessly - just by answering all my questions and showing me different rings stocked inside the ring display. She was delightful, memorable, and helped me select the perfect rings to wear on my index and third finger. I got 3 rings for $24.99. Other items I purchased was: money attraction incense & oudh resin in a glass bottle for incense, unique oracle cards with funny yes & no answers, stickers, a pamphlet detailing all the places where television series and movies were filmed at in Wilmington, North Carolina, and post cards. The postcards were only $1. I should have bought a book there that I thought I already had. The book is The Ghosts of Old Wilmington by John Hirchak. The book is signed by the writer. I had two ghost books about Wilmington but it was not that one. Yet it is another reason I should go back to The Black Cat Shoppe. I plan to come back here and go on their tours later in the future. This is a place I plan to visit again the next time I come to Wilmington, North Carolina.

This store was supposed the "one tree hill record store" and used as something else in Dawsons…read morecreek I believe.. has a lot of toys, magnets, post cards and etc... If you are a fan of the show One Tree Hill come check it out!

Went here for a one tree hill event! Lots of different merch! I would recommend going here if…read moreyou're in town, and are a fan of one tree hill.

OTH fan and you happen to be in town? Krazy Mike'z better be on your list if you're looking for a…read morememento, or needing something to pair with your self-tour of filming locations. There's a nice variety of OTH merch (towards the back): shot glasses, mugs, hoodies, t-shirts, jerseys, stickers, vinyl stickers, etc. The merch is decently priced, however some of the clothing was showing some wear and tear (from customers trying them on). I'd suggest any potential buyers double check for any fraying or discoloration. Hopefully the store will consider more hat options, offering beanies, and offering more color variety (especially darker colors) for their shirts and hoodies. There were a few design styles I liked but they were only offered in grey or white. I also noticed some merch in-store isn't currently offered on their site and vice versa. If you're a Dawson's Creek fan: there is some merch (also towards the back, shares a table with some OTH merch and where the shot glasses are) but not as much as OTH. Tips: -Street parking is available -Store is about a 2-5min walk to Nathan & Haley's bench -Masks were enforced when I went (November 2021)

Came to town to get the nuts and pecans and support local. They have lots of goodies inside to perk…read moreand and purchase. I love the fact it helps people with disabilities so I make a point to come here when I come to town. The owner opened up for me and he was very nice and courteous. It was a beautiful day in mist of a pretty cold week and just wanted to get out and get fresh air. I bought more than I anticipated which is not hard to do at all here. I highly recommend checking it out. It's inside the city market and you won't be disappointed

Came in here a couple months back just looking around. Without asking, the nice man running the…read morestore gave us a full background on the store and the products with in them. We tried some peanuts that were so good and bought two bags. I noticed when we were in that store a couples months ago that they also had other things. Products that would be great gifts such as homemade hot sauce, salsa and pickled vegetables. I came back in yestarday to check it out. I left with a jar of firery peach salsa WHICH IS SO GOOD, and a jar of picked asparagus as a late Father's Day gift for my dad. I'm sure he we love them. Will for sure be back for this salsa!

Love this place. My friend and I always make sure we visit this establishment while vacationing…read morehere. It is cute, funky, and eclectic. Lots of jewelry. There are hippy clothes, candles, sunglasses, etc. The owner is very nice and friendly.

The perfect place located directly in downtown Wilmington for a hipster souvenir, house-warming…read moregift and I might even say dirty santa?! Planet is a store full of odds and ends that scream hip, dirty fashion and Durham...I mean Wilmington (just reminds me of a Durham, NC/Boulder, CO crowd). If you are in the mood for original t-shirts, summer dresses, raunchy bumper stickers, gem jewelry, fake aviator shades or a bench NOT made for sitting. I've been attracted into Planet on almost every visit to Wilmington and haven't been disappointed. It's cute, a quick stop, and if you're looking to but something, there's so much variety, it's hard not to see something that catches your eye. They even had a very small selection of items on sale (under $10). Planet is a great stop if you're downtown and wondering around.

In 15 minutes I found and tried on 2 dresses and 3 shirts. I purchased 4/5 items and added a…read morevintage necklace. The two tops I purchased would pair with a suit for work or jeans after hours. The dresses were fun and flirty with great prints and flattering cuts. They had a variety of super casual to date night and a few items appropriate to supplement your career wardrobe. I didn't have much time to browse but the sales woman was very friendly and helpful. I would love to come back and browse the nifty gifties!

This place has remained so consistently great in the 25 years it has been open. When I walked in…read moretoday, every employee was dressed up in dim Christmas attire and super friendly. It seemed they like really love working there. I picked up a Cape Fear rum cake because they are unbelievably good. The store is so clean and you can find something for everyone. Not to mention that they do wrapping for free!

Will never go back. Visited Blue Moon Gift Shop on 8/3/2025 and was horrified to see what appeared…read moreto be counterfeit Coco Chanel jewelry being sold by one of the vendors. I noticed several red flags that suggest the jewelry was not authentic. The pieces were noticeably lightweight and felt cheaply made, unlike the substantial, well-crafted pieces characteristic of genuine Chanel jewelry. The "CHANEL" logos and stamps on the items were poorly etched and unclear, a common sign of counterfeit goods. The prices for these items were far below what one would expect for genuine designer jewelry, which immediately raised suspicion.

I finally stopped into this little boutique last week - I love it! Half United carries a range of…read morebeautiful products like handmade leather bags, earrings, necklaces, natural beauty products, soap, candles and SUPER soft flowy T-shirts. The best thing about this store is that no matter what the price of the item, 7 meals are donated to those in need for each item purchased. This is a very unique donation model that I haven't run across before! Half United also carries MISSIO hair products which is a local brand (woo!) that supports the fight against human trafficking. The staff was incredibly helpful when I realized the particular MISSIO dry shampoo I was looking for wasn't in stock, Carmen ran across the street to the MISSIO office to get it for me! I really enjoyed my experience and will likely be back again before Christmas to finish up gift shopping.

I love this little store! Their mission to end hunger is amazing and their staff is so kind! A must…read morefor all gifts!