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KURE BEACH, NC — In the interest of visitor safety and security, the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources’ Division of State Historic Sites announced today that Fort Fisher State Historic Site will temporarily close to the public beginning Tuesday, April 16, as workers relocate exhibits, artifacts, and staff offices to the site’s new 20,000 sq. ft. visitors center located at 1610 Fort Fisher Blvd South in Kure Beach.

As the new visitor center nears completion, work is also set to begin on the restoration of earthworks that were demolished to build an airstrip during World War II when the site served as a training base. The temporary closure applies to all site facilities west of US Highway 421, including the museum, restroom facilities, tour trails, and parking lots. The site’s Battle Acre Tour Stop will remain open. Plans call for a phased opening over the summer.

Known as the Gibraltar of the South, Fort Fisher protected the port of Wilmington during the American Civil War until it fell to U.S. forces in January 1865. In 1961, the site was designated a National Historic Landmark. Its original visitors center was built to accommodate an expected 25,000 visitors a year. The site now hosts over one million visitors annually.

About Fort Fisher State Historic Site
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 (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.

The department manages more than 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.