Top Things to do in North Carolina Coast
Top Hotels in North Carolina Coast
- 1. Clarion Pointe New Bern
- 2. Hampton Inn & Suites Outer Banks / Corolla
- 3. Embassy Suites by Hilton Wilmington Riverfront
- 4. Bridgepointe Hotel and Marina
- 5. Sea Ranch Resort
- 6. Hampton Inn & Suites Carolina Beach Oceanfront
- 7. Best Western Ocean Reef Suites
- 8. Holiday Inn Express Nags Head Oceanfront, an IHG Hotel
- 9. Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, Rocky Mount, NC
- 10. Sanderling Resort
10 Zoos & Aquariums in North Carolina Coast That You Shouldn't Miss
North Carolina's coast and 300 miles of barrier island beaches are filled with lovely state parks, top restaurants and world-class golf courses. Cape Fear's beaches attract surfers. Wilmington's downtown contains fine antebellum homes and exciting shopping and dining. The wind-swept Outer Banks offer historic lighthouses, mysterious Roanoke Island and the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Cape Hatteras National Seashore offers hiking, biking and fishing. Ferry trips link islands with the mainland.
Restaurants in North Carolina Coast
1. The Barnyard
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1 reviews
The Barnyard is a family owned and operated hands-on agritourism business located in Newport, North Carolina. We specialize in farm animal education for children and adults. Our petting farm is one of a kind where you can interact with friendly farm animals while learning at the same time!
2. OBX Lizard Land
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
Welcome to OBX Lizard Land! We are a family friendly serpentarium located in beautiful Currituck, North Carolina featuring dozens exotic reptiles from around the world. Animals housed in the facility are in large custom enclosures, carefully crafted to offer these creatures the comfort of the environment that they originate from.
3. Helpers of our Farm Petting Farm
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 2 reviews
Helpers of our Farm, or HOOF, is a non-profit farm animal rescue located on Greenlands Farm in Bolivia. Each Saturday from April to December visitors are invited to visit our petting farm and meet our animals, including miniature horses, goats, llamas and pot bellied pigs! Pony rides are offered weather-permitting and all proceeds are put towards the health and feed needs of our animals.
4. North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,336 reviews
Visitors to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, located in Kure Beach (a short drive from Wilmington), enjoy an exploration of “The Waters of the Cape Fear.” Journey down the Cape Fear River – from freshwater streams and swamps, to coastline habitats, reefs and the open ocean - discovering unique habitats and aquatic wildlife. Meet a rare albino alligator named Luna. Get eye-to-eye with a loggerhead sea turtle. Talk to a SCUBA diver swimming with sharks rays and eels. Compare teeth with a megalodon. Touch sea stars, horseshoe crabs and even sharks! Play outside in the Adventure Reef play area. Feed free-flying tropical birds. Free daily programs include dive presentations, animal feedings and encounters. Explore more with behind-the-scenes tours, outdoor adventures, classes, camps and more. Open 363 days a year, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily (closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Days). Tickets available at the door and online.
Reviewed By Aardvark351 - Scottdale, United States
The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher was an informative and interesting experience. Families will be entertained by the vast variety of North Carolina water life as well as Ocean dwelling sea life.
5. North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,010 reviews
Dive into adventure. Take a tour of North Carolina’s aquatic life “from the mountains to the sea.” Talk with divers as they swim with sharks in the Living Shipwreck, featuring a WW II German U-boat replica. Laugh at the antics of playful river otters, touch a stingray or enjoy programs free with admission. Field trips and other activities are available for additional fees. On-site snack bar and gift shop.
Reviewed By maas_johnf - Raleigh, United States
A very well curated aquarium that takes you on a visual tour of the waters from the North Carolina mountains, to the Piedmont, and on to the coastal region and the ocean. The huge 306,000 gallon "Living Shipwreck" exhibit is excellent. It says it weighs over 21 million pounds. We loved the sea otters, although we would be happier seeing them in the wild. A highlight was the boardwalk in back of the building (only accessible through the museum) where we were able to observe white and glossy ibis's and a great white egret. There is an excellent snake exhibit and a walking trail. Entry is by previously reserved and timed tickets. But we were able to make the reservation from our cellphone outside for a time 15 minutes from then.
6. North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,491 reviews
The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island was originally founded in 1976 as the North Carolina Marine Resources Center, along with our sister facilities at Pine Knoll Shores and Fort Fisher. In 1986, the three facilities were renamed Aquariums, and we were joined by Jennette’s Pier in Nags Head in 2011. The state of North Carolina owns the Aquariums and Pier, which are administered by the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR). Located on the Outer Banks, three miles north of Manteo on Roanoke Island, the Aquarium is an educational attraction focused on “inspiring appreciation and conservation of our aquatic environments.” The Aquarium is accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA).
Reviewed By M1967XCjulieb
We’ve been going to the beach for days and decided we needed an indoor activity something that we could bring our granddaughter with to. The aquarium was wonderful and all of us loved it, especially our granddaughter (18 months)!! It was bigger than I thought it would be and our granddaughter loved the shark exhibit (baby shark song) and the jellyfish. We totally loved the sea turtle rescue center, and enjoyed seeing the sea turtles on the mend (we loved that part of our admission fee helped them) The hands on tank was so much fun for all ages!!!
7. Livemon Park & Mini Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 7 reviews
Reviewed By Thefaircritic876
Cool place to go to see animals for free. Would be a great place to take the grandkids. They have a lot of different animals. Including a raccoon. Look towards the wetlands for him. Although you cannot get but so close to the animals I’d say it’s pretty entertaining for a free small zoo. You can take a walk through the wetlands on a wooden walkway. The bathrooms were very cool and also pretty clean for an outdoor bathroom. Saw lots of cute little animals especially the little pig that enjoyed eating the roots of the trees. Mama was in the little barn house provided for her. They have goats, miniature donkeys and ponies, a zebra, roosters, big turkey, llamas, rams, bisons, cows, just to name a few.
8. It's a Zoo Life
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 5 reviews
Reviewed By Caytoncristy - New Bern, United States
Thankful for the time Mr. Bo took with our school group last Friday. He made each animal seem as a special friend...he made it very approachable for the children to ask any questions they had and answered each and every one. It was a very wonderful tour, lots of hands-on engagement with the animals, lots of places for the kids to get their wiggles out...nice area for our picnic lunch...joined by a sloth and miniature horses. Couldn't have asked for a better visit!
9. EMA Touch Tank Aquarium
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3 reviews
The aquarium is filled with information, ocean friends, smiling faces, fun, conservation education and more! The touch tank adventure includes a fossil dig, shark station with real Megalodon teeth, microscopes, touch tanks and more, including THE Tad Cooper and stingrays! Check our feeding schedules/dissections online!
Reviewed By skidaddytn
I was thinking the place was small, but my kids loved it and they continue to tell everyone stories about everything they got to touch and hold. They would want to go again for sure.
10. Lynwood Park Zoo
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 60 reviews
Reviewed By JonathanJ174
The staff and animal caretakers here are very informative, welcoming, and friendly. There is part of the zoo which, after covid19 passes, visitors can handle giant tortoises (who live to be 160 years old), chickens, and snakes. There are placards at each of the cages providing information about the animals. This is a smaller zoo, with a walking loop that will typically take 1-2 hours to complete.
