Wilmington's Top-Rated Free-To-Visit Attraction Is A Large Family-Friendly Garden With Paved Beauty [Publish 3/29]

Stressed? Anxious? Just need a low-commitment stroll in nature? That's what the New Hanover County Arboretum was designed for. In warmer months, colorful flowers bloom in its beds. Carefully designed pools reflect the stones and hedges all around. Brooks trickle over little falls. And a wealth of trees rise above it all, forming green canopies above brick walkways. This is a place to watch koi fish ease through the water and bees bobble from petal to petal. As you stroll down these thoughtfully paved walkways, your tension should float away with the breeze.

The Arboretum is a 7-acre property just east of downtown Wilmington, North Carolina. Converted out of an old baseball field, the arboretum was first conceived by County Director Pete Lewis and officially opened in 1989. You'll find several themed sections, including a Japanese-inspired garden (pictured above), a vegetable patch, and the butterfly sanctuary. There's a whole portion dedicated to carnivorous plants, echoing the "Garden of Carnivores" in Wilmington's wildly unique park. Children can frolic in a special play space, complete with a Lilliputian cottage, and an Italianate gazebo stands on the edge of a green. The setting is gorgeous enough to exchange vows here, although the Arboretum recently stopped hosting weddings.

The best part: Visits are free, so you can walk right in, just about any day of the year, between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. The property is owned by the county, so it behaves much like a public park; the relaxed setting and kid-friendly spaces make this a low-pressure outing for families. The manicured environment is consistent with Greater Wilmington, a popular beachy portside gem that was named North Carolina's cleanest city in 2025. The arboretum is also one of the top-rated attractions in the area, with a 4.6 score on Tripadvisor and over 250 reviews — in other words, most folks who visit leave with a smile on their face.

Aside from open admission, the arboretum also hosts free guided tours. Most guides are Extension Master Gardener Volunteers who are well-versed in landscaping and horticulture. History buffs and amateur gardeners alike can learn about the diverse sections of the estate, including a sculpture of a sea serpent, a traditional Japanese archway, a raked Zen garden, and a Contemplation Garden, which honors the many branches of the U.S. military. If you just want a pleasant place to sit outside and knock out some work, the arboretum offers free Wi-Fi throughout and several spots to sit.

The arboretum is about 9 miles from downtown Wilmington, or about 20 minutes by car; there's a sizable parking lot out front. If you don't feel like driving, you can hop the 206 bus at Padgett Station, which takes about 45 minutes and stops right outside the gardens. These suburbs ease into the islands and wetlands that mark the outer edges of Wilmington; New Hanover is just a short drive from Ogden, a serene suburb with fun shops near the coast. There are a few hotels nearby, but most travelers will likely stay in Wilmington's historic center or along suburban Route 17.