New Hanover County Arboretum, Wilmington

What a FANTASTIC day we had. Our family of three was surprised to find that we hadn’t visited the New Hanover Arboretum in the five years we’ve lived in Wilmington, NC & even more shocked when we heard it was free!!! We will certainly be spending some time outdoors looking at all the beautiful flowers!! They have a Japanese Garden & two little zen sand gardens!! A lovely little tea house & a path that’s great for strollers. We’re looking forward to all the lovely critters & birds we will see there. They also have a ton of happy, hungry fish you can feed in their koi pond!

I would love to come back to this community gem. It’s the perfect size if you want to enjoy beautiful, well-maintained and completely charming scenery rather than walking long trails. The fairytale cottage, koi pond, bridges, and Japanese garden make it a great spot for kids (plus there’s a fence around the property so it feels safe). If I lived locally, I’d be here all the time.