Wilson, North Carolina: World's Tallest Replica of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
A working lighthouse in a parking lot pays tribute to the nearby Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
Worrell's Seafood Restaurant
- Address:
- 213 Goldsboro St. SW, Wilson, NC
- Directions:
- Worrell's Seafood Restaurant. Come into Wilson on Hwy 264 Business. At Goldsboro Street, turn toward downtown. Worrell's will be on the left.
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Visitor Tips and News About World's Tallest Replica of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
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The lighthouse is still there, but no longer a seafood restaurant. The whale is on the ground now, and that poor guy needs some love. It's a block away from the Whirligig Park.
[Lindsey, 03/29/2023]
Worrell's Seafood, in whose parking lot the lighthouse stands, "closed for the summer" in 2015 and never reopened. The interior of the building has been completely gutted and doesn't look like it's reopening any time soon. The fisherman and pelican that stood on the roof are gone. The big whale on the side of the building and the lighthouse are still there, although the whale's paint is starting to peel pretty badly.
A shame, since this is all just a block away from Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park.
[Dean Jeffrey, 06/29/2019]
I just visited last week. The lighthouse, whale, and cannon are all intact, and since they're only a block from Whirligig Park and less than 10 miles from I-95, the entire town is worth a visit.
[kate schwarz, 01/27/2018]
This lighthouse looks as out-of-place as the whale on top of the building next to it. The lighthouse sits in the middle of town in a parking lot. Right next to the parking lot is a fish restaurant with a huge whale on top of the building, and a shark cage next to it. There is also a life-size fisherman and a huge pink flamingo in front of the restaurant.
This one area is a treasure trove for the offbeat attraction seeker.
[Woody Sinkko, 08/28/2008]
The "World's Largest Replica Lighthouse of the World's Largest Lighthouse" is on the same street as one of the Wilson Muffler Men. The lighthouse stands in the parking lot of Worrell's Seafood Restaurant, which is worth seeing in itself, especially for the big whale on the side of the building.
Worrell's opened in 1929. In Feb. 2000, it was completely gutted by fire. All that was left standing were the walls. By August, it had reopened, looking inside and out almost exactly the same as it had before the fire.
[Dean Jeffrey, 04/22/2001]Page of 2 [Next 1 items]
Nearby Offbeat Places
Vollis Simpson Whirligig Park, Wilson, NC - < 1 mi.
Muffler Man - White's Tire #2, Wilson, NC - < 1 mi.
Freeman Round House and African American Museum, Wilson, NC - < 1 mi.Latest Tips Across Roadside America
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June 2009: Michael Unruh writes: "Cape Hatteras is not the world's tallest lighthouse. That honor is currently disputed between the Yokohama Marine Tower in Yokohama, Japan (348 ft) and the Perry Victory and International Peace Memorial in Put-In-Bay, Ohio, USA (351 ft). Either way, they are both much taller than Cape Hatteras, which stands 193 feet tall."