Plenty to do in Jacksonville: Zoos, Museums and Aquariums

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knolls Shores offers a variety of family friendly treats.

If you like animals, you could check out Lynwood Park Zoo. Located between Jacksonville and Richlands off of Highway 24/258, the Lynwood Park Zoo has all sorts of animals to see and pet. They’ve got everything from American Alligators to Zebras and quite a bit between. With admission less than $10 a person, it’s pretty cheap, too.

The North Carolina Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shoresis a great place to visit with fish and other watery critters. It’s a bit of a drive from Jacksonville, but definitely worth the trip. The aquarium was recently renovated and has it’s very own indoor waterfall, not to mention a shark tank, a Manta ray touch tank and (Mini’s and my personal favorite) a couple of river otters. Admission is pretty inexpensive, as well.

And, if you’re near the NC Aquarium, you might as well drive a bit further and visit the Fort Macon State Park. The park is home to an American Civil War base and recently built a new education center. The Fort has plenty of dark dank tunnels to walk through and provides a great view back in time to mid-19th Century military life. Frequently, the Fort hosts demonstrations on musket and canon firing. Admission is free.

The Onslow County Museumin Richlands is the place to see into Onslow’s past. Stretching from the early beginning of Onslow County to today, the museum provides a small peek into our community’s importance to North Carolina. There’s a “fossil dig” behind the museum which is a bit of outdoor fun, as well. At less than $5, admission is cheap.

As you can see, there’s a lot to do in our area. And this isn’t even getting into the really good stuff. Stay tuned for upcoming posts on events, festivals, parties and camps.

Ask questions, make suggestions  or share your ideas in the comments.