Home to a thriving arts community, Wilmington boasts 12 community theatre groups, a symphony, dozens of art galleries, art and history museums, as well as an independent film festival and numerous outdoor arts and entertainment festivals. It also boasts some of the arguably best restaurants in the South. Local attractions include the Battleship North Carolina and the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher. The economy and cultural scenes are influenced by the University of North Carolina at Wilmington as well as the local film industry, and of course, the Cape Fear River and the nearby beaches. Home to Screen Gems studio, and known as "Hollywood East", Wilmington is a major center for American Film and Television production, including Warner Brother's Dawson Creek and One Tree Hill. Among the films made in Wilmington are Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood, Forrest Gump, I Know What You Did Last Summer, Sleeping with the Enemy, and Firestarter.

• Population - 97,000
• Founded in 1739 - Located on the Cape Fear River on the Inner Banks 123 miles south east of Raleigh and 70 miles north of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
• Birthplace of Michael Jordan, Trot Nixon, and David Brinkley