North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, Kure Beach

Save your precious time and money for a real aquarium. This was my first (and last) trip since the reopening. I was shocked at how overdesigned and content lean it had become. Interpretive panels were poorly placed. The snake exhibit was a joke. The facility was overcrowded making movement and exhibit viewing nearly impossible. The gift shop was stocked with overpriced junk. Parking was difficult. We raced through in hopes of leaving as soon as possible. You could not pay me to go back.

I went here for a wedding ceremony ...so I didnt get to see everything that the aquarium had to offer but from what I did see. ...very impressed...Liked the indoor/outdoor aspect of it ! I will go back again to experience it all ! Easy to find if your visiting Wilmington or any of the surrounding area !

This is a nice aquarium, well set up and easy to navigate. It's small, but it's really inexpensive (less than $10 per person, can't recall exact price). It has a nice little snack stand outside, and a small botanical garden to enjoy. I highly recommend it to anyone who likes aquariums; it's also a GREAT way to keep kids busy for an hour or two!!

We went end of July with our 8-year old and our 21-month old and we all had a blast! The 8-year old loved it - always has ever since we started coming. His favorites are the touch aquarium and the snow-cones at the concession stand. This was the first trip for our 21-month old but he had a blast! He loved looking at everything and talked about fishy the rest of the day. If you do go to the aquarium make sure you take a ride on the ferry, it's really neat; also if you can feed the seagulls on the ferry the children love that! Ferry info can be found by calling 800-GoFerry.

Love our hole stay in Kure Beach and we have a ball at the aquarinm we went 2 day and have been back a few times and love it !

The layout was not impressive. There was not enough to keep the children interested for more than a few minutes. Nice for first timers. But for those of us who've been to larger aquariums the likes of Ripley's at Myrtle Beach....this just doesn't compare. We were very disappointed. It was also very crowded because it was rainy and there was nothing else to do on the island. If you do go, do so when it is less crowded!

My husband and I had the fun and privilege of visiting the Aquarium at Fort Fisher last fall, and we were totally impressed! The marine sculptures and fountains at the front entrance are absolutely beautiful pieces of artwork. The landscaping and nature walk are lush and peaceful, with many plants and animals to enjoy. I grew up going to Kure Beach and Ft. Fisher with my family, and I remember the Aquarium in its beginning stages when I was a young teenager back in the 70's. So, it was wonderful to see just how it has grown into the lovely, relaxing, educational, and impressive facility that it is today! I can see the many years of planning and development, hard work and creativity that has gone into the making of this natural beauty at Ft. Fisher, and I am proud to recommend it to anyone to go visit it. I live over 200 miles away, but my heart will always be there at the Aquarium and Ft. Fisher, so we will visit whenever we can. I like it because it is nicely affordable, and there's plenty to see and do, with all the marine life and exhibits, nature walks and gift shops, which are all expertly incorporated into this amazing Aquarium! We have visited other aquariums of bigger proportions in the southern region, but they still do NOT compare to ours at Ft. Fisher!

my first time, but definitely not my last. plan to go whenever im on the island very educational and a delight to see so many people thoroughly enjoying their work they were all very friendly & knowledgable everything was so clean & well kept truly a joy to visit well worth the admission.

When we travel to Kure, we always go to the aquarium. Its fun for the whole family.