[1] The Cape Fear Museum was founded in 1898 by the local chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy to preserve artifacts relating to the Civil War.

The museum currently collects artifacts relating to the history, science, and cultures of the Lower Cape Fear, defined as a 50-mile radius around the city of Wilmington.

The extended region encompasses portions of Columbus, Bladen, Sampson, Duplin, and Onslow counties.

[3] On the first floor of the museum, visitors can explore The Michael Jordan Discovery Gallery which examines the region's ecosystems.

The first section of the exhibition, Land of the Longleaf Pine, examines the history of the region from the first inhabitants through the American Revolution.