In the JCPenney wing of Independence Mall, across from the arcade, there's a storefront with lined seahorses, dart frogs and a red lionfish. Carnivorous plants grow behind the glass. You don't need a ticket, and the doors stay open until 8 p.m. six days a week. This is Discovery Bay, and for roughly the next two years it's the North Carolina Aquarium in Wilmington.
It's a big change from the old trip. The aquarium most local families know sits just south of Kure Beach on U.S. 421, less than a mile from the Fort Fisher ferry terminal. Visiting it was something you planned. The version at 3500 Oleander Drive is something you can walk into between errands, and that difference shapes how the aquarium fits into a normal week until Fort Fisher reopens.
Why the Whole Aquarium Closed at Once
The NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher closed on May 26, 2026. Officials broke ground two days later. The project doesn't leave a wing or exhibit open. The aquarium's renovation FAQ says all areas closed for the full project, which is "estimated to span beyond two years."
The schedule the aquarium announced in April put construction at about 30 months. That estimate came with no reopening date. Thirty months from the May 26 start works out to roughly late 2028, but that's a calculation from the estimate, not a date the aquarium has announced.
Six weeks after Fort Fisher closed, the mall location held its ribbon cutting on Wednesday, July 8. Port City Daily reported the opening and quoted Fort Fisher director Joanna Zazzali: "While we await the amazing transformation happening at NCA Fort Fisher, we're thrilled to be up and running with a fun and relaxing space at Independence Mall." State officials had first aimed for mid-June, so the opening came a few weeks late.
Where the Animals Went
Most of the animals didn't move to Oleander Drive. According to the FAQ, most stayed at Fort Fisher with the animal care team. Some went to the sister aquariums at Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island, and others went temporarily to zoos and aquariums accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Most of the animal care, facilities and security staff also stayed at Fort Fisher, while some staff now work at the mall.
| Who | Where they are now |
|---|---|
| Lined seahorses, dart frogs, red lionfish, scorpionfish, bluestriped grunt, copper sweeper, mosquitofish | Discovery Bay, Independence Mall |
| Venus flytraps and pitcher plants | Discovery Bay, Independence Mall |
| Fort Fisher's two sand tiger sharks | Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island, a move the aquarium says was planned long before the renovation |
| Most of the remaining collection | Still at Fort Fisher, under the aquarium's own animal care team |
| Some animals | Sister NC Aquariums and other AZA-accredited facilities |
The sharks are a separate case. The FAQ says moving them north wasn't about construction. It was a long-term plan to give the female and male more room as they grow. Fort Fisher's best-known animals are now on the Crystal Coast and the Outer Banks, and the new shark habitat being built at Kure Beach will be the main attraction when the aquarium reopens.
A Free Room That Stays Open Until 8
Discovery Bay is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. The state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources calls it "a complimentary experience." Before it opened, the aquarium said it would stay free for the whole Fort Fisher renovation.
Those hours and the free entry change what the aquarium is good for. A weeknight visit after dinner works. So does a 20-minute stop with a toddler on a rainy afternoon, or a quick look with visiting relatives on the way home from the stores on Oleander. The space has marine and freshwater habitats and ambassador-animal encounters. It also shows behind-the-scenes animal care and life-support areas, which visitors rarely saw at the full aquarium. The NC Aquarium Society runs the gift shop.
Discovery Bay doesn't post a schedule for keeper talks or feedings, so you can't plan around a specific encounter. Encounters and education programs are listed as part of what it offers, without set times.
The Programs Moved to the Mall Too
Taking the exhibits off site meant moving the community calendar too. Over the summer the aquarium moved its annual Femme in STEM event to Independence Mall's Center Court, WWAY reported. It took place on September 26. Members get their own event later this fall.
What's on the calendar for the rest of 2026:
- Boo! To Trash Beach Cleanup. Sunday, Oct. 25, 4 to 6 p.m., at Carolina Beach Pier, 1800 Carolina Beach Ave. N. Costumes encouraged, with a contest.
- Discovery Bay Member Morning. Sunday, Nov. 15, at Independence Mall, listed on the NC Aquarium Society membership page.
Some events are now held off site entirely. In late August the Society held Suds for Sharks at Savard Beer & Board, with shark experts, trivia and conservation updates.
One program won't be back during construction. The FAQ says Fort Fisher won't hold summer camp, but beach cleanups, the Earth Day 5K, teacher workshops, in-school and virtual programs, story times and EcoEdventures will continue. Families who counted on aquarium camp for summer 2026 had to find something else, and the closure estimate suggests summer 2027 will be the same.
For members, the full-size aquarium experience now means a road trip. Membership benefits haven't changed. They include year-round entry to Pine Knoll Shores and Roanoke Island, walk-on access to Jennette's Pier in Nags Head, free admission to the NC Zoo in Asheboro, and discounts at more than 150 AZA-affiliated zoos and aquariums.
What the Wait Is Paying For
The building planned for Kure Beach is much bigger than the one that closed. Its centerpiece is a 400,000-gallon sand tiger shark habitat viewed through a curved window 40 feet wide and 15 feet tall. Plans also include a 10,000-gallon Pacific coral habitat, a shark-and-ray touch pool, and a larger education center with new classrooms.
Port City Daily's groundbreaking coverage lists other additions: a 4,000-square-foot rooftop skydeck, new generators, a redesigned parking area, a catering kitchen, a family restroom, a nursing room and a sensory room. Port City Daily also reported that the budget, first set at $65 million, had grown to $81 million by the May groundbreaking. The funding includes $49 million in state-supported funds, $4.5 million from a state flex fund, private donations and aquarium reserves.
Local money is part of it as well. In late August, New Hanover County awarded the project a $25,000 grant, according to the NC Aquarium Society.
So for now the trade-off is clear. Until roughly late 2028, Wilmington's aquarium is a free room off Oleander Drive with seahorses, lionfish and flytraps, open most evenings until 8. After that, it goes back down U.S. 421 to a shark tank holding 400,000 gallons.
At Kenyon Realty Group, we keep track of changes like Discovery Bay moving onto Oleander Drive because they affect how a week here actually runs. If you want to know which family routines along the coast stay where they are and which ones are moving, schedule a private consultation.
