Fort Fisher NC

 Fort Fisher was a Confederate fort during the American Civil War. It protected the port at Wilmington from 1861 until its capture by the Union in 1865. The fort was located on one of Cape Fear River's two outlets to the Atlantic Ocean. Known today as Pleasure Island. . Fort Fisher State Recreation Area is a North Carolina state park in New Hanover County. Located near Kure Beach, it includes the former location of Fort Fisher, site of a major naval engagement during the American Civil War. When Fort Fisher fell on January 15, 1865, its defeat helped seal the fate of the Confederacy.

Visitors are invited to tour the remains of the fort's land face, which features an impressive reconstruction of a 32-pounder seacoast gun at Shepherd's Battery. Shaded by live oaks, a scenic trail leads tourists from the visitor center past the gigantic earthworks and around to the rear of the fort. Guided tours and wayside exhibits provide historical orientation. Other exhibits include items recovered from sunken blockade-runners. Fort Fisher, just beyond Kure Beach, allows you to step back in time with a trip to the Fort Fisher Civil War Museum and then discover the amazing world of the sea at the North Carolina Aquarium, all in one day.

You’ll also find the Fort Fisher State Recreation Site here, with four miles of undeveloped beach at your disposal. The Pleasure Island Chamber of Commerce is proud to showcase the attractions of Fort Fisher, including the NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher, the Fort Fisher State Historic Site and Museum, and the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area. The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher More than tripling in size after a 2-year expansion, the new North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher has become the Lower Cape Fear’s top visitor attraction. The largest of the state’s three public aquariums, the 93,000-sq-ft facility celebrates the spectrum of life of the Cape Fear River basin, nearby beaches and estuaries, ...

Fort Fisher Aquarium

The oceanfront North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher features a 235,000-gallon saltwater tank that's home to sharks, stingrays, moray eels, and other fish from nearby waters. Twice a day, scuba divers enter the multistory tank and answer questions from the visitors.