Things To Do
Oak Island Lighthouse
The Oak Island Lighthouse was completed in 1958 with lights that can be seen for 24 nautical miles! Oak Island Lighthouse is the youngest of North Carolina’s seven active coastal beacons. oakislandlighthouse.org Two types of tours await visitors: Top tours up the 131 steps or Second-level tours just 12 steps up. Located at the Coast Guard station at Caswell Beach, walk-ins tours of the downstairs are welcome, but for those wanting to climb the 131 steps to the top of the 150-foot lighthouse, reservations are required. This free experience for ages 9 and up is available from October 1 through April 30 based on tour guide availability. For tour reservations, email oakislandlighthouse@gmail.com. Admission is free but donations are gladly appreciated.
Tour Fort Caswell
Self-guided history tours of Fort Caswell, a 2,750-acre military reservation and former Civil War fort, offer a look into the essential role the fort played as a protector of the blockade runners of Fort Johnston and of the crucial port of Wilmington. Tours are only available for visitors at designated times during the off-season. Contact the office in advance for a schedule.
Oak Island Jungle Golf & Arcade
Fun for kids aged 1 to 100! If you'd like a little family-friendly fun for your whole crew, then look no further than the Oak Island Jungle Golf & Arcade. An Oak Island favorite for years, this establishment offers 18 holes of miniature golf for a chance at a hole-in-one and an arcade for a competitive night with family and friends.
Paddle to an Island
The Adventure Kayak Company in Southport offers tours most days of the week based on the tidal schedule. Explore the salt marsh creeks of the Davis Canal or the Montgomery Slough, or paddle out to uninhabited Sheep’s Island. Led by knowledgeable guides with both single and double kayaks available, no experience is necessary, and children can participate. If you take the trip to Sheep’s Island, be sure to make the climb to the cross on the peak and enjoy the view of Holden Beach just over the inlet.
Venture to Kindred Spirit Mailbox
A trip to Oak Island is a great time to try something out of the ordinary. For fans of Nicholas Sparks, a trip to the Kindred Spirit mailbox at Sunset Beach is a must. Park the car at the end of the island and make the 1.4-mile walk to the mailbox on secluded Bird Island made famous in Sparks’ book Every Breath, or rent a bicycle to shorten the trip, juliesrentals.com. The journey is the perfect opportunity to share your thoughts in one of the journals left in the mailbox for visitors.
Museum of Coastal Carolina
From live touch tank feedings to virtual reality experiences, the Museum of Coastal Carolina offers a changing schedule of programs to inspire curiosity in learners from 2 to 92.
Ingram Planetarium
A popular spot for amateur astronomers is the Ingram Planetarium, in nearby Sunset Beach, where visitors can get an up-close-and-personal view of the constellations, planets, and stars in the area inside the planetarium’s dome ceiling. The planetarium features the Paul Dennis Science Hall which encourages visitors to learn and explore various scientific disciplines with hands-on activities and interactive displays. Admission to the Paul Dennis Science Hall is free. For kids of all ages and big kids at heart, we have super fun engineering and coding stations as well as interactive exhibits on how we perceive light. Our ViewSpace portal gives visitors the latest news and research from NASA in real time. Explore our solar system with several NASA simulators, and experience a Carolina hurricane in our Hurricane simulator.
Village of Southport, NC
Known for its white picket fences and boutique shops, the once quaint fishing village of Southport has attracted beach vacationers for decades. Since it's just 20 minutes away from Oak Island, you can spend as much time as you'd like exploring this picturesque historic North Carolina town. Southport, NC Things To Do • Relax on the swings at Waterfront Park and watch the ships navigate the inlet • Enjoy a bicycle tour of the historic district • Dine on fresh seafood at one of the popular yacht basin waterfront restaurants • Go fishing at the city pier • Browse the many art galleries on a First Friday Gallery Tour • Visit the NC Maritime Museum to learn about local pirates • Stroll Howe Street to visit the many gift shops, clothing boutiques and antique stores • Feel the wind in your hair during an evening sailing charter • Take the ferry to the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Paddle the Coastal Waterways or Bike through Town
The Adventure Kayak Company allows visitors to explore both the wilds of the Cape Fear environment as well as the heart of the Downtown Southport region through bike tours, kayak tours, and rentals that allow patrons to explore the cool adjacent waterways on their own time. Visitors who are just staying for a few days and who aren’t sure where to start will want to sign up for a kayak tour, which begins with a basic paddling lesson, and then continues with explorations of Rice Creek, Town Creek, Davis Canal, Lockwood Folly, the Waccamaw River, Dutchman's Creek, and a number of other almost-secretive on-the-water destinations. For an exploration that’s set to your own schedule, pick up a bike or kayak rental for an hour, half day, or multiple days, and enjoy Southport from a beautiful new perspective.
Bald Head Island Ferry
To reach Bald Head Island, visitors will need to take the privately run passenger ferry that departs every hour on the hour from the small mainland town of Southport. Located just a few miles away at Deep Point Marina, the ferry ride is a quick 20 minute trip across the mouth of the Cape Fear River. Visitors embarking on a day trip, will find golf cart rentals available close to the ferry docks as well. Rented by the hour or by the day from the local Riverside Adventure Company, these rentals do not require advanced reservations, and can allow day-trippers to access every inch of the island. Of course, some of the region's bigger attractions, like the Smith Island Museum of History and the Bald Head Island Chapel, can be explored on foot, however frequent visitors attest that a golf cart is a must to explore the island in its entirety, and get a complete feel of the relaxed yet luxurious atmosphere.
Battleship North Carolina
Battleship NORTH CAROLINA participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific theater of operations during World War II, earning 15 battle stars. This authentically restored National Historic Landmark proudly serves as her State’s World War II Memorial to the 11,000+ North Carolinians who made the ultimate sacrifice. Moored across from historic downtown Wilmington, the Battleship welcomes visitors daily. Plot your own course as you explore nine levels, climb inside gun turrets, marvel at early computers, and see where the crew ate, slept, and worked. Crew stories throughout the Ship introduce you to the 2,000 young men who called the Showboat home. Encircling the Ship, the State Employees Credit Union (SECU) Walkway provides an opportunity to appreciate her majesty and power. Enjoy a picnic in Battleship Park or savor a meal in Wilmington. And take a piece of her home from the Battleship Steel Collection!