The North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher sits on the Cape Fear coast in Kure Beach, one of three sites in the state’s aquarium system that trace back to a trio of marine resources centers opened on September 17, 1976. Renamed in 1986 and rebuilt into a roughly 92,000-square-foot facility after a 2002 renovation, it grew into a favorite stop for families exploring the barrier islands south of Wilmington.
Before its current closure, the aquarium drew record crowds with exhibits built around the Cape Fear River and the open Atlantic, anchored by a massive multistory ocean tank and a freshwater conservatory full of native reptiles and amphibians. Longtime residents like Luna the albino alligator and Maverick the bald eagle made the aquarium a recognizable name across southeastern North Carolina.
Stats at a Glance
- Location: Kure Beach, North Carolina
- Opened: September 17, 1976 (as a NC Marine Resources Center; renamed 1986)
- Size: About 92,000 square feet
- Species/Animals: About 240 species and nearly 4,000 animals
- Annual Visitors: Over 500,000 in its record 2022-2023 fiscal year
- Famous For: Luna the albino alligator and the 235,000-gallon Cape Fear Shoals tank
- Current Status: Closed since May 2026 for a $75 million expansion
A Window on the Cape Fear
At the heart of the aquarium stood the Cape Fear Shoals Open Ocean Tank, a two-story, 235,000-gallon habitat with multilevel viewing of sharks, stingrays, groupers, and moray eels drawn from local waters. Visitors entered through the Cape Fear Conservatory, a freshwater building stocked with native snakes, turtles, frogs, and alligators, including Luna, the facility’s well-known albino alligator.
Touch pools in the Coastal Waters Gallery let guests handle horseshoe crabs and sea urchins, while dive shows and feeding programs rounded out a visit built entirely around species found just offshore from Kure Beach.
A Multi-Year Transformation
The aquarium closed on May 26, 2026, to begin a multi-year, roughly $75 million renovation and expansion that officials say will make it the largest aquarium in North Carolina once finished. Planned additions include a new 400,000-gallon shark habitat, a live coral habitat, an interactive touch pool, and an expanded education center.
During construction, the aquarium is running a scaled-down, free exhibit called Discovery Bay inside Independence Mall in Wilmington, offering a handful of small tanks while the Kure Beach site is rebuilt. A full reopening at Fort Fisher is expected in a few years.
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North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher FAQs
Is the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher open right now?
No. The Kure Beach facility closed in May 2026 for a multi-year, roughly $75 million expansion. A small interim exhibit, Discovery Bay, is operating free of charge at Independence Mall in Wilmington in the meantime.
What is the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher known for?
It’s best known for its 235,000-gallon Cape Fear Shoals ocean tank and longtime residents like Luna, an albino alligator, and Maverick, a bald eagle.
When did the aquarium first open?
The site opened September 17, 1976, as one of three North Carolina Marine Resources Centers, was renamed the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher in 1986, and was rebuilt into its current form after a 2002 renovation.
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Photo: Ken Thomas / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.