Burgwin-Wright House hosts Outlander-themed tours as series nears end

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A popular television series with ties to North Carolina is nearing its conclusion, and a Wilmington historic site is using the moment to connect fans with local history.

The Burgwin-Wright House and Gardens is hosting a series of Outlander-themed tours and events this weekend, part of a broader slate of programming tied to the long-running series as it wraps its final season.

The series, which blends historical fiction with time travel, follows characters whose storylines move from Scotland to the American colonies, including the Cape Fear region.

“Nearly 20,000 Scottish are going to come to the Cape Fear region specifically,” said Hunter Ingram, assistant museum director at the Burgwin-Wright House. “And so the story of Jamie and Claire Fraser… they arrive here in the Cape Fear Region prior to the Revolution, and they interact with a tremendous amount of our history.”

Ingram said the historic site uses the show as a way to engage visitors with both fiction and documented local history.

The Burgwin-Wright House has branded the weekend’s programming as “Outlander Weekend in Wilmington,” though Ingram said interest in the tours extends beyond the current events tied to the series finale.

While some weekend events have sold out, the museum said similar walking tours and river cruises are offered throughout the year, including programs focused on colonial Wilmington, Revolutionary War history and local legends.

“We do walking tours every month,” Ingram said. “We also have topics like Cape Fear Legends and Lore and Colonial Wilmington in the Revolution.”

The tours highlight historic figures and sites in the region, including Moore’s Creek and Brunswick Town, as well as Wilmington landmarks connected to the colonial era.

Ingram said interest in the series continues to draw visitors to the area and to the historic site, particularly as fans discover the Wilmington-related storyline introduced in later seasons.

“We walk in the footsteps of Jamie and Claire Fraser here in Wilmington,” he said. “But in a way, they’re walking in the footsteps of real Scottish highlanders.”

The Burgwin-Wright House said additional Outlander-related tours are scheduled later this year.

You can find more information here.