A new interpretive center is coming to Fort Fisher State Historic Site in Kure Beach. Nearly three times larger than its 1965 predecessor, the new center will welcome more than a million annual visitors and showcase museum exhibits about the history of Fort Fisher. In addition, the Underwater Archaeology Branch of the Office of State Archaeology will receive a new conservation lab.
These projects have been in the planning stage for many years and can begin moving forward now that the full funding amount has been secured for both projects. The Friends of Fort Fisher, Inc., the historic site’s official support group, has been instrumental in the planning and in obtaining funding. The project budget is approximately $25.5 million, most of which has been appropriated over several budget years.
Plans are also in place to reconstruct a portion of Fort Fisher’s earthen ramparts that were demolished during World War II for the construction of an airstrip. The Friends of Fort Fisher will hold a capital campaign to raise the $3.5 million needed for the reconstruction. The campaign will launch at Fort Fisher’s summer living history program on Saturday, June 11.
“This funding, secured in no small part through the amazing work of the Friends of Fort Fisher and our site staff, will provide a powerful opportunity to tell a more inclusive and transformative story of this land and all that it witnessed,” said Michelle Lanier, director of the Division of State Historic Sites.
Historic site manager Jim Steele remarked, “A new interpretive center and restored earthworks will be welcome additions to Fort Fisher. The exhibits will cover Fort Fisher history in a broad, all-inclusive manner and feature something for every visitor. Visitation at Fort Fisher now exceeds one million visitors a year, and it is time for facilities that can accommodate such crowds and for historical interpretation that sets new standards in museum exhibits and scholarship.”
Located at 1610 Fort Fisher Blvd S, Kure Beach, N.C. 28449, Fort Fisher is part of the Division of State Historic Sites in the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR), the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational, and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary D. Reid Wilson, NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries, and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state's history, conserving the state's natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, three science museums, three aquariums and Jennette's Pier, 41 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the N.C. Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, and the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please visit www.ncdcr.gov.