NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher

One of three North Carolina Aquariums, featuring Cape Fear Shoals, otters, and a range of coastal and marine life exhibits. The main Kure Beach building is closed to the public for a multi-year, $65M+ renovation and expansion (started May 2026) that will add a 400,000-gallon sand tiger shark habitat, a live coral reef habitat, and a rooftop skydeck. In the meantime, the Aquarium continues programming through its free Discovery Bay satellite exhibit in the JC Penney wing of Independence Mall in Wilmington.