Fort Fisher Part II: NC Aquarium

A trip to the North Carolina Aquariums has been on our "To Do" list since we moved to the coastal plains. I put it off solely because I prefer to be outdoors. But we couldn't pass up the opportunity to visit during our Fort Fisher outing.

Featuring aquatic life along the Cape Fear River Basin, the aquarium at Fort Fisher has two levels of displays, including a large ocean tank that extends from the first floor to the second. Here we saw a shark and sting rays swimming around with a variety of other marine life, and a dozen or so children watching with wide-eyed wonder. After checking out all the displays and wishing we could go snorkeling, we stopped by the gift shop before taking a stroll around a scenic courtyard. Several patrons there expressed surprise at the size of the establishment, but a visit coupled with trips to the Recreation and Historic areas definitely rounded out our day.

The entry fee at the time of this writing is $8.00 per adult, but we purchased the family membership for $50.00. This not only gives us free admission to the aquarium at Fort Fisher, Pine Knoll Shores (along with hiking trails there!) and Roanoke Island, but also to the North Carolina Zoo, Sylvan Heights Waterfowl Park, Western NC Nature Center, Riverbanks Zoo in Columbia, SC, the Greenville Zoo in Greenville, SC, and zoos and aquariums across the nation (see Membership Page for specifics).

And I like the idea of popping into one of those attractions whenever we're in town.

For more information on North Carolina Aquariums, go to https://www.ncaquariums.com/