Fodor's Expert Review Cape Fear Museum of History and Science

Trace the natural, cultural, and social history of the lower Cape Fear region from its beginnings in this, the oldest continuously operating museum in North Carolina (founded 1898). The interactive Cape Fear Stories exhibit provides a chronological history of the region from early Native Americans to the 20th century. Other exhibits explore the more than 400 film projects shot in the Cape Fear area in the past 30 years and the back stories of local heroes like basketball star Michael Jordan. Kids can get in touch with the area's environment by feeding Venus flytraps, and the fossilized skeleton of a 1.5-million-year-old giant sloth (20 feet long, 6,000 pounds) makes a great photo backdrop. New Hanover County Cape Fear Museum Park, with a neat children's playground, is adjacent to the museum.