Welcome to the Wrightsville Beach Museum of History

With a history of pre-Civil War sailing regattas and being named the 1930s Playground of the South with Big Band music at Lumina pavilion, to its current fame a Best Small Beach Town with the best East Coast surfing and stand-up paddle boarding, Wrightsville Beach has quite a story to tell. Visit the museum and explore its vibrant past as it relates to today’s beach community. We have a variety of programs throughout the year and weekly children’s free programs. Come by! We aren’t far!

Walk through the 1909 Myers Cottage and feel what it was like to be at Wrightsville Beach “back in the day.” See a bedroom with period furnishings, a bathroom with 1920s bathing suits hanging to dry, a kitchen filled with items typical of the 1920s-60s, and a porch lined with rocking chairs. The permanent display includes our lovely shell collection, maps from the 1920s, and a scale model of the beach and its buildings circa 1910 with a running trolley car.

Our soon-to-be-opened 1924 Bordeaux Cottage features the Waterman Room exploring local water sports, professions, and maritime culture. The Chris Stone Exploration Room provides space for hands-on activities. The Lumina Room has exhibits on Lumina Pavilion. We look forward to hosting the Smithsonian exhibit Water/Ways December 4, 2020 through January 18, 2021.

All year, 24/7, come by and rock on the wide porches, play checkers, be awed by the Hurricane Pole, or search for sharks teeth. 

Upcoming Events

Admissions