Meet Up
We will start our morning in front of the Burgwin-Wright House & Gardens.
Burgwin-Wright House & Gardens Private Outlander-Themed Tour
EXCLUSIVE private Outlander-themed tour of the house & gardens.
Built in 1770, the Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens is the only structure in Wilmington from the colonial era open to the public. Operated as a museum house, it offers visitors a unique opportunity to view a fine example of Georgian architecture and experience what life was like during pre-revolutionary Wilmington. All rooms are furnished with 18th and 19th century antiques and showcase hundreds of objects. Occupying an acre, the colonial style gardens consist of seven distinct areas, including an orchard with pomegranate and fig trees, a kitchen garden and a rose garden.
Constructed on the ballast stone walls of the former city jail, circa 1744, the house retains many vestiges of its previous incarnation, such as outdoor and sub-basement jail cells and a freestanding kitchen house with a massive hearth replete with period cooking utensils.
After touring the home where Governor Tryon was known to visit, you will have time to wander around the lovely gardens plus visit the gift shop. You will also receive a complimentary souvenir from the Burgwin-Wright House during your visit.
Walking In Jamie & Claire's Footsteps
Hunter Ingram, the assistant museum director of the Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens, will take you around downtown Wilmington on a first-of-its-kind, 90-minute walking tour to talk about the city as it would have been seen by Claire and Jamie Fraser, including the mysterious tunnels underneath the city, the city’s first jail and the all-consuming arrival of the American Revolution. An EXCLUSIVE Outlander-inspired walking tour developed for NC Sassenach Tours!
Lunch in the Burgwin-Wright Gardens
We’ll rest up with a special Lunch & Learn hosted by Dawn Woo in the beautiful gardens of the Burgwin-Wright House.
Cape Fear River History Cruise
Step aboard “The Wilmington” for this EXCLUSIVE private, chartered Outlander-themed tour of the Cape Fear River. We will be joined by local historian, Jack Fryar, who assisted Diana Gabaldon with her research of Wilmington and the Cape Fear area. He will share the Cape Fear’s notorious past and its ties to Scotland while we pass by and learn about the sites of today. A full cash bar is on board PLUS you’ll receive a complimentary Rum Punch and a souvenir cup!
Free Time OR Self-Guided Tour of Bellamy Mansion
If you saw something on the Walking Tour you would like to revisit, here’s your chance to spend a little time on your own to do that or to visit one of the many shops located in the Historic District.
—OR—
OPT-IN: If you would rather get a taste of the life Auntie Jocasta might have lived on River Run, then join us on a self-guided tour of Bellamy Mansion. a 10,000-square-foot, twenty-two room mansion which was constructed primarily by skilled, enslaved workers and local, free black artisans between 1859 and 1861. This mansion is also located within walking distance in the historic distance. (NOTE: You will be able to opt-in to the Bellamy Mansion self-guided tour when booking.)
Dinner at The Pilot House Restaurant
William Craig constructed the original restaurant building as a residence in 1870. Mr. Craig was a cooper, or a maker of wooden barrels. Many of Mr. Craig’s barrels were almost certainly used for the storage and transport of naval stores. The house was moved to its present grounds in 1977 from a location on Wooster Street.
In May 1978, The Pilot House Restaurant was founded by Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wright Jr. as the first dining establishment in the newly restored historic Chandler’s Wharf. In our many years of service, we have endeavored to maintain a tradition of Southern regional cuisine. All our dishes are made from scratch using the freshest ingredients, as well as seafood and fowl, indigenous to our area. Our menu ranges from “down home cooking”, to Cajun, as well as fused traditional Southern fare with a contemporary twist.
OPT-IN: Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington
Named “Top 5 Ghost Walk” by USA Today! We will end our tour with what started the whole Outlander story – a ghost! On this 90-minute walking tour we will journey into the depths of old Wilmington to the city’s most actively haunted homes & burial grounds. We will walk cryptic alleyways and discover haunted nooks unavailable anywhere else. Get up close and personal with the spirits and hear eerie tales of ghostly occurrences, including actual encounters during recent tours.
We’re not sure if we will spot Jamie, as he did roam the streets of Wilmington, but we will surely be keeping a close eye out! (NOTE: You will be able to opt-in to the Ghost Walk of Old Wilmington when booking.)
