There are many fantastic things to do at night in Wilmington, NC! Whether you want to have fun, learn something, or explore the city, the nighttime activities will surprise you.
Wilmington is a lot of fun to explore during the day, but at night, the city has a lot to offer as well! From getting an epic view at a rooftop bar to going to a concert to doing a carriage tour, there’s so much to choose from.
Exploring cities at night is one of my favorite things to do as the experience is very different from seeing a city during the daytime. Here are the best things to do in Wilmington at night!
Things to Do at Night in Wilmington, NC
Go to an Event at Bellamy Mansion
The Bellamy Mansion Museum is a very interesting museum that you can find in the city of Wilmington.
You can see a mansion here that was created in the 19th century.
The mansion features a Neoclassical architectural style that includes a variety of styles, including the Greek Revival style.
This mansion is one of the best places in the state of North Carolina for antebellum architecture.
The mansion was a private residence for Dr. John D. Bellamy and his family.
Throughout the year, many things took place at the house. For example, during the Civil War, federal troops took over the home and the home survived a fire in the 20th century.
Nowadays, it is a historic site that the public can visit.
Also, lots of events take place at the mansion throughout the year. Some take place at night making them perfect if you’re looking for nighttime activities in Wilmington.
For example, there are talks that you can attend here and sometimes you can also attend great concerts here.
See the Sunset at the Cloud 9 Rooftop Bar Wilmington
A great activity to do in the evening in Wilmington is to go to the Cloud 9 Rooftop Bar.
This is a rooftop bar that you can find in the North Waterfront Park in Downtown Wilmington.
You can find the rooftop bar very close to the new marina of Wilmington.
You can go here during sunset and see the city from above, which looks amazing. You’ll be able to see the river from the rooftop.
Also, you can enjoy great food and drinks here. For example, there are cocktails, there is delicious pizza and there is much more.
Furthermore, there are fire pits that make the atmosphere of the rooftop very cozy, and you can often listen to live music here. All of these aspects make going here the perfect evening activity in Wilmington.
See a Comedy Show at the Dead Crow Comedy Room
If you want to have a fun night that is full of laughter, you should go to the Dead Crow Comedy Room.
This is a comedy club that you can find in the city of Wilmington.
At the comedy club, you can see great shows by all kinds of comedians. For example, you can go here to see great shows by both regional and national comedians.
Furthermore, there are open mic nights that can be a lot of fun to attend.
Besides that, you can get all sorts of drinks at the Dead Crow Comedy Room.
Also, there are often food trucks at the comedy room. These food trucks provide you with delicious food that I’m sure you’ll like.
Visit the Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden
The Stanley Rehder Carnivorous Plant Garden is a lovely garden that you can visit every day of the week. The garden is open till 7:30 PM, so when you are looking for great activities to do in the evening, this place is perfect for that.
At this garden, you can find all kinds of carnivorous plants that are very interesting to see. For example, you can go here to see Venus Flytraps.
There is a nice walking path that takes you to all of these plants. So this place is perfect for a stroll.
The garden is very small, but it is worth visiting for sure because the species of plants are so unique.
Do a Night Tour of the Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens
The Burgwin-Wright House is a house that was created in the year 1770 in the city of Wilmington.
The house dates back to the colonial era, which makes it a very interesting landmark in the city.
The house was built for John Burgwin, who was a merchant and official from the government.
The house has a beautiful architectural style that is very formal.
Also, the house is great to see from the inside. That’s because the rooms of the house have objects from the 18th and 19th centuries.
There are antiques and all kinds of other objects.
Also, what’s great is that there are beautiful gardens that surround the house. For example, there is a rose garden where you can see beautiful flowers.
When you are looking for great activities at night in Wilmington, you can consider doing a night tour of the house.
Go to the Historic Thalian Hall and Attend a Concert
You can go to the Thalian Hall if you’re looking for things to do in Wilmington at night.
This is a historic performing arts theater that you can find in downtown Wilmington.
The theater was created in the year 1858 and has a beautiful exterior. The building has a Classical Revival style that looks very beautiful.
Also, the theater is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
You can go to this place to see great live theater performances and musicals that I’m sure you’ll like.
Also, there are other events that take place at the Thalian Hall. For example, there is a film series that you can attend here and there are other film screening events.
Do a Carriage Tour
Another great nighttime activity when you are in the city of Wilmington is doing a horse-drawn carriage tour.
In the city, you can find a company that offers great carriage tours that take place in historic downtown Wilmington, NC.
Carriage tours are a wonderful way to discover the city. Also, such a tour can be very romantic, so it is great for a date as well.
If you want to do this tour at night, you have to do so on certain days of the week. From April through October, you can do the carriage tours until 10 PM on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. From November through March, you can do the tours till that time on Friday and Saturday.
Also, it is possible to do a private carriage tour. This can be perfect for special occasions.
Play an Escape Game in the Evening at The Exit Games
An escape game is a fun game that you can play when it gets dark outside in the city.
This is an immersive game during which you have to escape from a room by finding clues and solving puzzles. By doing this, you can find the last clue to escape from a room.
Moreover, there is a certain time limit in which you have to escape from the room. When you escape in time, you win the game.
One of the best places where you can play an escape game is The Exit Games. This place has several themed rooms that can be a lot of fun to play in. If you want to have fun, playing an escape game here is one of the best things to do in Wilmington at night.
Go to the Cameron Art Museum on Thursday Nights
If you like art, you can go to the Cameron Art Museum. You can go to this place every Thursday night as the museum is open till 9 PM on that day.
At the Cameron Art Museum, you can find both permanent and temporary exhibitions.
You can see great art from many different places in the world. For example, there are international and national works of art that are great. Besides that, you can also go to this museum to see great works by local artists.
Furthermore, the museum covers many different art disciplines, which makes there are a lot of different types of works to see here.
You can often do a guided tour of the museum and learn about its collection.
What’s great is that there are also often events here. For example, you can often listen to live music at the museum.
Go to the Summer Concert Series at Airlie Gardens
The Airlie Gardens are another great place to check out in the evening.
This is a public garden that you can find in the city of Wilmington and it was created in the year 1886. The garden features thousands of beautiful plants and trees. For example, there are azaleas, magnolias, palms, and many other species of plants, flowers, and trees.
The garden is perfect for a relaxing stroll, but when want to do something in the evening, you can do so during summer!
In summer, there is a concert series that takes place in the garden. This concert series features a lot of different genres of music that I’m sure you’ll like.
Bowl and Have Fun at TenPin Alley
Bowling can be a lot of fun to do when you want to do something at night in Wilmington.
You can go to Ten Pin Alley for this.
This is a modern bowling center where I’m sure you’ll have a great time.
The bowling alley has 24 lanes in total on which you can play a fun game.
Besides that, there is more at Ten Pin Alley.
For example, there are game rooms where you can play fun games.
Also, there is a large pool hall that can be great for a fun night as well.
Furthermore, there are two bars at this place. So if you want to combine having dinner and having fun, this place is perfect for that.
See a Show at the Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College
The Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College is yet another great place to go at night.
This is a performing arts theater that is part of Cape Fear Community College.
It is a very modern place where all kinds of shows take place.
For example, you can go here to enjoy great Broadway musicals.
Also, there are dance performances that are very good and there are often concerts.
Furthermore, you can sometimes attend comedy shows here and a variety of others.
Because of this large variety, there are likely events at the theater that you are going to enjoy!
Also, what’s great is that this place has seasonal shows. For example, during the holiday season, you can go here for very good Christmas shows.
Have Dinner at Floriana Wilmington
Floriana Wilmington is a great restaurant that is located in the city.
This is an independent Italian restaurant where you can get delicious food that is made with seasonal ingredients. Furthermore, the restaurant works together with local producers to gather the ingredients.
You can get very good pasta dishes and a variety of other dishes here.
You can go to this place for dinner every day of the week till 10 PM.
Also, what’s nice is that the dining room of this restaurant is very cozy.
Another great thing about this restaurant is the outside balcony. You can sit down here at night to enjoy a delicious dinner with a view of the river. This is especially great during sunset!
Go to a Performance of the Cape Fear Blues Festival
The Cape Fear Blues Festival is a lovely festival that takes place once every year for 3 days in total. Moreover, the festival takes place in the month of June.
The festival has been taking place for many years and the festival is an important event for the musical heritage of the region.
At the festival, you can enjoy great blues performances by local and regional artists, as well as great performances by national artists. Also, what’s great is that you can see both emerging artists, as well as more established artists, perform at the festival.
Moreover, the performances of the festival take place at a lot of different venues in the city.
So if you want to listen to blues when you are in Wilmington at night, this festival can be great!
See a Show at the Greenfield Lake Amphitheater
The Greenfield Lake Amphitheater is a venue that you can find in Greenfield Park.
It is a very large amphitheater that has a capacity of 1,200 people.
Lots of events take place at this amphitheater throughout the year.
And all of these events take place in the evening.
For example, you can enjoy great classical music at the amphitheater and there are many other genres of music represented by the acts that take place here.
What’s great is that you can see the night sky while enjoying the great performances when you are here. This makes your night in Wilmington very special for sure!
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Wilmington Things To Do at Night Tips
Whether you can do some of the nighttime activities in Wilmington on this list depends on when you are visiting the city of Wilmington.
For example, if you want to see a show at The Wilson Center at Cape Fear Community College when you are visiting determine which show you can see. So keep that in mind when planning a trip to any of these activities.
Also, you might need to buy tickets or make a reservation in advance to be able to do the activities that are listed here.
Things To Do in Wilmington at Night Map
As there are so many great nighttime activities, I’m sure you’ll have a great time in the city. Thanks for reading this things to do in Wilmington at night guide!