Open daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. year-round Adults (Ages 13-61): $10.95 Seniors (Ages 62 and older): $9.95 Children (Ages 3-12): $8.95 Ages 2 and younger and NC Aquarium Society Members: FREE Group Discounts: Groups of 10 or more receive 15 percent off Aquarium admission when the group registers 24 hours in advance and purchases all tickets with one payment. A 25 percent discount is available for 50 or more tickets purchased in advance. School Groups: North Carolina school groups are admitted free if registered in advance. Click here for information on Home Schools. Free Admission Days: The Aquarium admits all visitors free of charge on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, and on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, the third Monday each January. 900 Loggerhead Road, Kure Beach, NC 28449 The Aquarium is located in Kure Beach on US 421, about 20 miles south of Wilmington. From Southport, take the Southport-Fort Fisher Ferry. See ferry schedule here. Get Directions on Google Maps
Enjoy a variety of food and drinks at the SharkBites snack bar. SharkBites is open daily from March through September and on weekends during October and November. View SharkBites menu Group Meal Plan March – September: Monday – Saturday 10-5, Sunday 11-5 October: Thursday – Saturday 10-5, Sunday 11-5 November: Saturday 10-5, Sunday 11-5 Closed December – February Tips and insider information to make your visit to the Aquarium fin-tastic: Built-in flash devices on still cameras are permitted. Flashlights, laser pointers and video lights are not. Please keep these and any other lighting devices off as you tour the Aquarium, for animal safety. For commercial photography and filming, please visit the Press Room. Carolina Beach, Kure Beach, & Fort Fisher in Pleasure Island While there are many exciting things to do and see on Pleasure Island you can't overlook the main attraction: our beautiful beaches. The beach information below is provided to help you have a safe and enjoyable visit to Pleasure Island.
We invite you to search our site on Where to Stay, Where to Play, Where to Eat and explore Local Businesses to get the most out of your trip. CAROLINA BEACH (Town Limits) It is illegal to have alcohol on the beach, glass containers, ATVs and dune buggies, littering, bonfires, disturbing sea turtles and/or nesting sites, surfing within 500 feet of any pier and the use of personal watercraft/jet skis within 1500 feet of the shore of the Atlantic Ocean. It is illegal to set off fireworks. Cutting or uprooting sea oats is punishable by fine. No horses are allowed on the beach. Dogs are prohibited on Carolina Beach from April 1 through Sept. 30. During months dogs are allowed, they must be on a leash and owners must always remove the dog's waste from the beach. You must have on your person at all times, a plastic or paper container that can be used to clean up and contain dog waste until it can be disposed of in an appropriate container. This container must be produced and shown, upon request, to anyone authorized to enforce this ordinance.
Unattended beach equipment should be removed between sunset and sunrise. ALLOWED IN FREEMAN PARK ONLY (NORTH END) $20 daily fee or a yearly fee is required. Purchase annual pass between January 1 and March 31 for $60. Annual pass $100 after March 31. Driving is allowed in POV's (personally owned vehicles) - 4 wheel drive only. Overnight camping permitted only on sand portion and out of vehicular travel aisles, beginning at Marker 6 and extending north until the end of the park. Small campfires allowed between November 1st through March 31st. All fires must be in containers that do not exceed 35 inches in diameter and only allowed north of Marker 6. Dogs are allowed between October 1st and March 31st off leash as long as they remain under voice command. Owners must always remove the dog's waste from the beach. KURE BEACH (Town Limits) It is illegal to have alcohol on the beach, glass containers, ATVs and dune buggies, littering, bonfires, disturbing sea turtles and/or nesting sites, surfing within 500 feet or any pier and the use of personal watercraft/jet skis within 1500 feet of the shore of the Atlantic Ocean.
Dogs are prohibited in Kure Beach Town Limits from April 1st to September 30th. Unattended beach equipment should be removed between 7:00 pm and 8:00 am. FORT FISHER STATE RECREATION AREA (South End) $12 daily or $50 yearly fee. Call 910-458-5798 for information on dates of 24 hour access. Driving is allowed in POV's (personally owned vehicles) - 4 wheel drive. Sun screen tents are okay but camping, horses, ATV and dune buggies, littering, disturbing sea turtles and/or nesting sites, surfing within 500 feet of any pier and the use of personal watercraft/jet skis within 1500 feet of the shore of the Atlantic Ocean is not allowed. Campfires allowed in washtub - must take all ashes when you leave. Leash law year round. Metal Detectors not allowed during June, July or August. There are many parking options at all of Pleasure Island's beaches. Parking can become scarce on summer weekends, especially holiday weekends with great weather, so it's best to arrive early on these days.
Click on the link below for a detailed listing of available parking lots and spaces in Carolina Beach, as well as a parking map and enforcement information. Click on the link below for information on parking in Kure Beach, including the locations of beach access lots. Parking is currently free all year round in Kure Beach, but on street parking is not permitted in residential areas. Free parking is available at the Fort Fisher State Recreation Area.Palm Air Realty, Inc is an outgrowth of Kure Beach icon, Palm Air Cottages; which operated as a 6 unit vacation rental business originating in 1954. Ea Ruth, Owner/Broker/REALTOR® and Anne Brodsky, Owner/Property Manager, purchased the business in 2004. Together we started Palm Air Realty, Inc in February 2009 when we realized our deep passion for serving people desiring fun vacations and home ownership in the wonderful communities of Kure and Carolina Beach and greater Wilmington. It was a natural transition to formulate a Real Estate firm on the island to grow Real Estate sales and expand Property Management.
Anne has her Bachelor’s degree in Education and her Master’s degree in Social Work & Counseling. She was the manager of Palm Air Cottages from 2006 – 2009 where she oversaw growth during a tough economic climate. Anne oversees all of the Property Management at Palm Air Realty rentals; Her contribution has earned her the reputation of geting things done in a timely manner always focusing on the wide breadth of guest and home owner needs. Anne serves on several community boards that offer a continuum of services for guests and owners on Pleasure Island. Ea has a North Carolina real estate license, Short Sale and Foreclosure represtative, a Graduate of the Real Estate Institute, and an Associate’s degree in Business Management. She is affliated with NAR, NCAR, WRAR and is currently the co-chair of the Wilmington Association Governmental Affairs Committee. Ea has been in the Real Estate business for more than 11 years experience working closely with buyers and sellers.
She understands the beach real estate market as well as the greater Wilmington market. Ea guides home buyers and sellers to make informed decisions within the current housing market to obtain the best possible results in the shortest amount of time. Ea's entrepreneurial spirit, attention to detail, sensitivity to individual needs, strong negotiation skills, self-motivation, and thoroughness are just some of the driving forces behind the unsurpassed integrity, professionalism and ease of customer relations you will find at Palm Air Realty. Whatever your real estate needs; customer service ranks #1 at our firm. Palm Air Realty offers expert assistance with all types of residential properties, vacation properties, and home sites; as well as referrals of highly accredited professionals for home construction, renovation, interior design or staging needs that you might have. The southern coast of North Carolina offers more than just a place to live, it offers a lifestyle brimming with sun, sand, golf, boating and a culture of history deeply ingrained throughout Wilmington and the local beaches.
These opportunities and past-times are what make the greater Wilmington beaches so popular with year-round residents, retirees, and second-home vacationers. Ea and Anne are both active community volunteers offering time and aid to the following important community events and organizations: Island of Lights Organization Kure Beach Disc Golf Kure Beach Town Banners Pink Houses of Hope Pleasure Island Seafood, Blues & Jazz Festival The key objective at Palm Air Realty, Inc is to embrace all our interactions and activities as a cohesive, harmonious team focused on exemplifying our mission. Just as customer satisfaction is an intricate part of our success, so is our internal satisfaction and working relationships. That is why we believe that exemplary workers along with client and guest satisfaction make our company a success and will be the key to our longevity. We believe that partnerships work well when all of it's members are vaued! At Palm Air Realty, Inc, we stake the success of our business on our strong-held belief that integrity matters.