BEAUFORT — Yard games, sailboat rides and other nautical fun will be offered during Maritime Day, set for 11 a.m. to 2 pm. Saturday on the Gallants Channel grounds off West Beaufort Road at the foot of the high-rise bridge.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort’s Friends of the Museum organization host the annual Maritime Day event on the second Saturday in June. The day celebrates the maritime industry and stems from National Maritime Day, which was created by Congress in 1933 and is observed annually on May 22.

“Maritime Day is a fun, family-friendly, community event that brings people together on the beautiful Gallants Channel waterfront,” said Friends Director of Operations Brent Creelman.

Activities include sailing in the museum’s fleet of traditional wooden boats, cane pole fishing, kite flying, kids’ activities and games. There will also be educational displays, live music and more along the Gallants Channel waterfront. All activities are offered at no charge, though donations are appreciated.

“Free traditional sailboat rides are very popular,” Creelman said. “There will also be lots of yard games on the Great Lawn, so come ready to play.”

Food and beverages will be available for purchase, or feel free to bring a picnic lunch. Maritime Day will wrap up with a celebration to specially recognize those who have purchased bricks for the courtyard by the flagpole.

Maritime Day is taking place where the new Maritime Education Center will be located. The groundbreaking is expected this summer with the facility up and running in early 2026.

For more information on the museum, visit ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com. For more information on Maritime Day or the Friends of the North Carolina Maritime Museum, call 252-728-1638 or visit maritimefriends.org.

North Carolina Maritime Museum system staff have planned a range of programs at its three facilities next month.

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, N.C., Maritime Museum at Beaufort and N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport make up the system that is part of the Division of State History Museums in the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

Reopened May 20 after extensive renovations, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras is named in honor of the thousands of shipwrecks that sank off North Carolina’s coast.

Dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the state’s coastal culture and maritime history, highlights include a Monomoy surf boat, a first-order Fresnel lens from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and interactive displays showcasing shipwrecks off the coast. The exhibits cover periods from pre-colonial times to the present, offering a comprehensive journey through the region’s history.

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday. For more information, visit graveyardoftheatlantic.com.

Staff have the following talks planned for June as part of the Salty Dawgs Lecture Series:

• North Carolina Whales: Diversity, Distribution and Conservation 11 a.m. June 4. Keith Rittmaster, Beaufort museum natural science curator and Bonehenge Whale Center director, is to share an overview of species he encounters through his work and some of the conservation issues they face.
• Early NC Ferry Crossings 11 a.m. June 11. Benjamin Wunderly, Beaufort museum education curator, will discuss some colonial-era river crossings and the ferry systems that carried vehicles and passengers to the outer barrier islands of the state’s coast.
• In the Eye of the Storm: Hurricanes, Archaeological Sites, and Environmental Change in Coastal NC 11 a.m. June 18. Join Allyson Ropp, a maritime archaeologist and historic preservation archaeological specialist with the North Carolina Office of State Archaeology, for a presentation that looks at how hurricanes impact the work of finding and preserving history.
• U.S. Life-Saving Service 11 a.m. June 25. James Charlet has planned an informal lecture on the U.S. Life Saving Service.

Beaufort museum

The Beaufort site reflects coastal life and interprets lighthouses and lifesaving stations, the seafood industry, motorboats, and is a repository for artifacts from Blackbeard’s wrecked flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, including cannons, grenades, belt buckles and beads. The Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center teaches boatbuilding for all ages.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Many of the following events require registration, which can be done by calling 252-504-7758 or at ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com:

• Behind the scenes at the Whale Center 10 a.m. June 7. Free, 40-minute program on the marine mammals, including bottlenose dolphins, that live off the coast. Registration required by noon the day prior.
• Introduction to Wooden Boat Building 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. June 8-9. Two-day, hands-on course. Fee is $200, or $180 for Friends of the Museum members. Advance registration is required.
• Kids’ Cove 11 a.m.-1 p.m. June 9 and again 11 a.m.-1 p.m. June 12. Free-play program for ages 0-5 and their caregivers. Different maritime themed craft and wiggle activity each month. Registration preferred.
• Exploring Coastal Habitats on the Rachel Carson Reserve 9 a.m.-noon June 18. Guided hike through different habitats and sandy, muddy, and wet terrain found on Town Marsh and Bird Shoal. Cost is $25. Registration required by noon the day prior.
• Fish and Fishing 9 a.m.-noon June 20-21. Third and fourth graders can learn about coastal fish and fishing methods. Fee is $90. Registration required. Contact Wunderly at 252-504-7741 or ben.wunderly@dncr.nc.gov for information on the limited scholarships available.
• Kayak the Salt Marsh 9 a.m.-noon June 25. Basic kayak instruction and safety lessons on shore followed by a 1.5-mile paddle through the salt marsh in a sit-in cockpit touring kayaks. Cost is $35 or $30 with own kayak. Registration required by noon the day prior.
• Sailors Life 9 a.m.-noon June 25-26. Young mariners entering first and second grade can learn how sailors lived aboard a ship. Fee is $90. Registration required. Contact Wunderly at 252-504-7741 or ben.wunderly@dncr.nc.gov for information on the limited scholarships available.
• A General History of Mermaids 11 a.m. June 27. Associate Education Curator Christine Brin will share some of the iconic tales of mermaids, as part of its Maritime Heritage Series. No charge or registration needed.
• Seashore Life I 9 a.m.-noon June 27-28. Students going into first and second grade can investigate the coastal marine life of the tidal flats, salt marshes, and sounds on local islands during this two-day class. The field-based classes include ferry ride, barrier island hiking, and animal identification. Fee is $90. Registration required. Contact Wunderly at 252-504-7741 or ben.wunderly@dncr.nc.gov for information on the limited scholarships available.

Southport museum

The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport features exhibits that tell the story of the region’s people and their relationship with the Atlantic Ocean and the Cape Fear River, which converge nearby.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.  The museum is open to the public at no charge.

The following programs are being offered at no charge, but donations are accepted:

• Skipper’s Crew: Light It Up with Lighthouses 10 a.m.-3 p.m. June 1. Program features hands-on activities that combine arts and history. Lights will be dimmed and interactives muted during the first two hours to provide a calmer environment for those with sensory sensitivities.
• Anchors Aweigh: Go the Distance: Map Reading and Orienteering 11 a.m.-3 p.m. June 12. Hands-on activities that focus on a specific part of Lower Cape Fear and North Carolina history. 
• Anchors Aweigh: Declaring Independence 11 a.m.-3 p.m. June 26. Hands-on activities that focus on a specific part of Lower Cape Fear and North Carolina history. 

HATTERAS — Following last week’s private tours and state officials doing the honors at a ribbon-cutting ceremony, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum reopened to the public Monday with a brand-new exhibit gallery that artfully illustrates the sweep of four centuries of some of the most dramatic maritime history in the world.

“I have a question for you,” said North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources Secretary Reid Wilson during his remarks Thursday. “The last five letters of the word history — what do those letters spell? Story.”

And that is the value of museums: telling the human story, he told a large crowd gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Understanding where we were, he added, is the only way we move forward.

“We should not be scared of our history,” he said. “We should learn from it.”

For the island community, the celebration is more than the museum reopening; the celebration is that it is completed. It took 38 years of persistence from stubborn Hatteras Villagers to get there. But that’s another story.

“Goodness gracious, I hardly know where to begin to thank the hundreds of individuals and entities who this important cultural facility would not be possible without them and their sacrifices both personal and in their livelihoods,” said Danny Couch, president of the nonprofit Friends of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, in his remarks Thursday.

Couch, a Hatteras Island native, is one of those who stuck it out for decades, never letting go of the idea that Hatteras had to have a maritime museum.

“Raleigh (officials) said it should be in Manteo or Nags Head,” he told Coastal Review in a later interview. “Which is the last thing you want to tell a Hatterasman.”

Standing at the entrance in front of a huge digital measuring stick showing current weather conditions and past hurricane details, Wilson applauded the new state-of-the-art exhibits that include features such as touchscreens, holographic historic people and a huge dynamic sculpture of lifesavers rowing a surfboat through a stormy sea.

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum harbors a motherlode of maritime stories unique to the Outer Banks, from colonial exploration to piracy to heroic lifesaving service rescues to vicious U-boat attacks to premier boatbuilding.

Situated off the treacherous Diamond Shoals, which squeezed vessels transiting the Atlantic shipping lane close to Cape Hatteras, the Outer Banks has the largest number of the 2,000 shipwrecks scattered along the North Carolina coast.

Today, shipwrecks are only part of subject at the museum, but their significant role on the Outer Banks was the spark that ignited the idea for the museum in Hatteras Village and villagers’ minds. Some islanders have compared a shipwreck off the beach in the old days to a Walmart store spilling its contents today.

Couch remembers the seed first germinating, back in 1973 when a team on the Research Vessel Eastward from Duke University’s Marine Laboratory in Beaufort discovered the long-sought Civil War-era ironclad U.S.S. Monitor 16 miles off the Hatteras coast, where it sank in a storm on New Year’s Eve, 1862.

“Literally, when the Eastward was over top, we saw it as a tremendous opportunity,” he said. “We thought it was a great way to bring in people and a great way to tell our history here.”

There was no place to house even a few artifacts, but villagers wanted to find funding to build a museum. The Monitor was designated as a National Marine Sanctuary, the nation’s first, in 1975. It was to be managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. In 1987, The Mariners’ Museum in Newport News, Virginia, was chosen as the principal repository for more than 210 tons of artifacts recovered from the wreck site.

Villagers were disappointed, but they knew they were up against strong competition.

“A lot of it is the isolation out here,” Couch said about being passed over.

But a year before the Virginia museum was selected, local representatives from the National Park Service and Congress encouraged the nonprofit Hatteras Village Civic Association to compete for the artifacts. Thanks largely to Rep. Walter Jones Sr., a Democrat who represented the Outer Banks at the time, Congress in 1988 passed a bill that funded a feasibility and design-development plan. Jones also made sure that any future Hatteras museum would get a share of Monitor artifacts.

The museum was formally incorporated the next year and designated a nonprofit educational organization in 1991. The National Park Service agreed for a nominal fee to lease the museum 7 acres near the Hatteras docks.

Cathy Parsons, one of the original museum board members, during a chat in the gallery after the ribbon-cutting, remembered the then-Cape Hatteras National Seashore superintendent’s excitement.

“Tom Hartman came running up to us and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got a plan!’” she recounted about the superintendent, who was especially supportive of the museum idea. “He said, ‘Y’all should pull something together and put a bid in for the artifacts.’ We did that.”

Along with Belinda Willis and Katie Oden, Parsons is one of the original group of villagers who somehow pulled together the support and money to build the museum.

“It was a group effort,” she said. “They did all the work. All I did was the money part.”

Willis said that the museum originally was going to be small — about 6,500 square feet — and would look like an old Coast Guard station. She described interviewing to find a director, a fundraiser and the architect. Money started coming in: $1 million from NOAA, $800,000 from the state.

Before long, the museum building and its concept expanded.

“It just was mushrooming and mushrooming until we realized that we had a tiger by the tail,” Couch said.

From 1995 to December 1999, additional state and federal support rolled in, and construction began Dec. 10, 1999. The nearly 19,000-square-foot museum, with its imposing ship-like exterior, opened in 2002, with its interior partially completed.

Joseph Schwarzer, who retired in March, was hired as the museum’s executive director in 1995, and he later became director of all three state maritime museums.

Along with Schwarzer’s yeoman work at the helm, the three women who still live in Hatteras also gave credit to their late fellow board member Dale Burrus, who mastered dealing with the political aspects and reveled in talking about the island’s maritime history and the importance of the museum in its telling. Then there was dedication of other late advocates, Richard Jones with the Hatteras Monitor and the late Irene Nolan, then-editor of the Island Breeze and later the founder and editor of the Island Free Press, who volunteered for the museum and kept the islanders informed about the project.

Over the years, continued contributions of charitable funds and grants, including from the Outer Banks Visitors Bureau, allowed slow progress on the museum, which had been transferred to the state in 2007.

The museum proved to be a popular public attraction, despite its limited exhibits. But to the frustration of the island community — and Schwarzer — funding always seemed to fall short of finishing the gallery and the exhibits.

There were plenty of times they wanted to give up, the women agreed.

“Lots of times,” Willis said. “Then something would happen and we’d get a little push forward.

“We wrote many a letter.”

Meanwhile, as Willis put it, “the community lost faith in us.” Added Oden: “For 20 years, they’d keep hearing how close we’re getting, how close we’re getting. When we finally opened up, none of this was here. They would be shocked.”

In 2021, money was provided for renovations, and in 2022, contractor Riggs Ward Design started work on the exhibit design.

In addition to the Monomoy surf boat in the center of the gallery area, a first-order Fresnel lens that had once been atop the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse dominates the exhibits, which include numerous artifacts ranging from Native Americans here, early English settlements, wars and shipwrecks, including U-boats.

As visitors step into the museum, they’re greeted with a huge video screen with scenes that thrust them into the ocean with lifesavers and fishers and sailors and that carries them over the barrier islands for a bird’s-eye view. All doors open automatically in the middle like those on Star Trek to ensure temperature control. And the Meekins Chandlery Gift Shop now has entrances from the lobby and the museum.

“This is where the state of North Carolina — as a colony — began to develop, to lead us where we are today,” North Carolina Office of Archives and History Deputy Secretary Darin Waters told attendees before the ribbon-cutting. “And I’m so proud of the fact that you are going to see all of that told within this museum.”

North Carolina Maritime Museums System Interim Director Maria Vann, who joined the project in 2023, said the gallery “has been re-imaged as a treasure chest filled with this region’s unique tales of tragedy and triumph.”

Vann said in a later interview that the selection of a new director is underway, but she is not involved.

“The department will make the decision,” she said. “That decision is not mine.”

Now that the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is actually completed, the former board members said they believe that villagers will be more supportive and start pulling out their old shipwreck artifacts from under the bed to donate to the museum.

“Finally — after all these years!” the women exclaimed in unison.

“This is our vision: a world-class museum that can be enjoyed by everyone,” Willis added.

“It’s a national museum. It’s a peoples’ museum.”

North Carolina Maritime Museum officials and staff are set to welcome visitors to the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras for the first time in two years.

Also in the coming month, officials with the museum system’s are planning to welcome back watercraft enthusiasts for its 48th annual Wooden Boat Show May 4 in Beaufort; and at the Southport museum, staff are preparing to launch a new program May 29.

The Hatteras facility has been closed since 2022 for a complete renovation. A ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for 10 a.m. Monday, May 20, when the overhauled facility reopens to the public.

First opened in 2002, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is named after the thousands of shipwrecks off the state’s coast.

Public information officer Cyndi Brown told Coastal Review that the Hatteras museum has undergone a “major transformation, with a completely redesigned lobby and a new gallery space with state-of-the-art features and interactive elements that bring our coastal history to life.”

Exhibits cover from precolonial times to the present and offer a comprehensive journey through the region’s history.

Inside, visitors will find interactive experiences, from touch screens to holographic video displays, “providing visitors with engaging ways to delve into the region’s maritime heritage,” Brown said. She added that children, in particular, can enjoy scavenger hunts and programs designed to both educate and entertain.

There is a Monomoy-class life-saving surfboat, a first-order Fresnel lens from Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and displays showing shipwrecks off the coast, Brown added.

Special programs and activities are scheduled for the week the museum opens, Brown said.

Following the museum opening at 10 a.m. Monday, May 20, there will be a program at 11 a.m. on the “U.S. Life Saving Service Operations along the North Carolina Coast” with Beaufort museum’s Education Curator Benjamin Wunderly. He will share the history of U.S. Life-Saving Service operations, the precursor to the Coast Guard.

“The History of the Oldest NC State Law Enforcement — 200 Years of Service (1822-2022)” is at 1 p.m. May 20 with N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries Marine Patrol Capt. Christopher Lee. Visitors can hear about the state’s longest-serving law enforcement agency, which can trace its roots back to 1822 when the North Carolina General Assembly enacted legislation to impose gear restrictions on oyster harvest.

“Brigadier General Billy Mitchell: Father of the U.S. Air Force and Hatteras Hero” is scheduled for 2 p.m. May 20 with area historian Danny Couch. Mitchell is often regarded as the father of the U.S. Air Force. Aviation experts often question why Mitchell chose to conduct his historic strategic bombing experiments at Hatteras, and the answer is simple: He liked to fish, according to the museum.

“North Carolina Whales: Diversity, Distribution and Conservation” will begin at 11 a.m. Tuesday, May 21. Beaufort museum Associate Education Curator and Bonehenge Whale Center Director Keith Rittmaster will talk about the whales most commonly spotted off the coast and show related display items.

Learn about “John Rollinson: Hero of Hatteras Island” 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 21, with Couch. Rollinson (1827-1906), was Hatteras’ first paid schoolteacher, collector of the Port of Hatteras and reluctant Civil War outlaw.

“Women in Whaling” is at 11 a.m. Friday, May 22, with Beaufort museum’s Associate Education Curator Christine Brin.

A talk on the “Lost Colony” is at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 23, with Hatteras native Scott Dawson. Hear Dawson’s take on the English who attempted to colonize the New World in 1587 and the mystery surrounding their disappearance.

North Carolina Aquariums’ Aquatic Wildlife Inhabiting Shipwrecks will take place May 20 to May 24. Staff with the Roanoke facility will be on site with this hands-on activities.

The museum will operate on a new schedule after reopening. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Friday and will be closed Saturdays and Sundays.

There is no admission but donations are appreciated and directly support museum operations, Brown said.

48th annual Wooden Boat Show in Beaufort

The Beaufort museum has set aside one Saturday a year for almost 50 years for enthusiasts to celebrate traditional wooden boatbuilding.

The 48th annual Wooden Boat Show scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, May 4, will again bring to the coastal town dozens of wooden vessels, ranging from classic, vintage sailboats to modern power boats.

Grant Caraway, director of the wooden boat show, told Coastal Review that the annual show has been a mainstay for those in the antique and wooden boat community.

There will be many attractions this year, including dozens of classic restored boats and motors, a pirate encampment, and kid’s activities like face painting and toy boatbuilding, Caraway continued.

Plus, Caraway said, there will be public sailboat rides offered from 1-3 p.m.

In addition to the wooden boats, for the second year there will be miniature vintage outboards on display.

“We’ll have outboards on both sides of the street,” Caraway said in a statement. “These miniature outboard motors are really cool. While most people think they’re toys, they were actually used by manufacturers as a marketing tool.”

Brown said Monday morning that though online registration closes Tuesday, boats can register up until the day of the show by calling 252-504-7758. “We will always make room for more boats,” she said. “Right now we have 35 registered.”

Registration for a first vessel is $30 and includes an event T-shirt. Additional boats are $5 each. Register on the website by April 30 or by phone at 252-504-7758 until the day before the show.

Also on the grounds will be knot-tying demonstrations, a book sale, vendors, maritime art, boating skills virtual trainer, sailboat races and more, all offered at no charge.

While most activities are at the museum, the in-water boat show will be a few blocks away at the Beaufort Docks.

“We award 16 different categories with handmade wooden awards made here at the Maritime Museum,” Caraway said for the judge’s selections.

Attendees will be able to choose their favorite by voting for the People’s Choice winner and for the model expo.

An opening reception with refreshments and entertainment is set for 5-7 p.m. Friday, May 3, at the museum’s Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center across the street. There is no charge to attend. The kickoff is being held at the same time as the museum’s Spring First Friday, which celebrates featured artists at the museum’s Port of Call Museum Store.

‘Anchors Aweigh’ in Southport

The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport is launching its new program,
“Anchors Aweigh,” on May 29.

The drop-in style program offered from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day its scheduled features hands-on activities that focus on a specific part of Lower Cape Fear and North Carolina history.

The debut activity is “Anchors Aweigh: Got the Blues?” an indigo-dying program from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Several “Anchors Aweigh” events are scheduled throughout the summer, as well.

The program June 12 will be on map reading and orienteering, on June 26, declaring independence, July 10 “Wash it up! Laundry in the Age of Sail,” July 10, flags in history July 24, and cyphers and codes Aug. 14.

More Maritime Museum events

Beaufort museum

The Cape Lookout Lighthouse — 11 a.m. May 2 will focus on the history of the Carteret County landmark. The presentation will cover both the destroyed 1812 tower, and the still-standing 1859 tower, as well as some lesser-known facts about the “Diamond” tower. No charge to attend the Maritime Heritage Series program.

Kids’ Cove — 9-11 a.m. May 8 and again 11 a.m.-1 p.m. May 12. This free-play program is designed for children up to 5 years and their caregivers. There is a different maritime-themed craft and wiggle activity each month. This is screen-free program begins an hour before the museum opens to the public. To register, call 252-504-7758 or visit the website.

Kayak the Salt Marsh — 9 a.m.-noon May 9. A member of the education team will give a basic kayak instruction and safety lessons on shore then lead a 1.5-mile paddle through the salt marsh. The program is recommended for ages 12 and up, though anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Participants must know how to swim; some kayak experience is recommended. Cost is $35 or $30 if you bring your own kayak. Register online by noon May 8 at 252-504-7758 or on the website.

Museum’s Most Wanted: Conservation Basics-Identifying and Dealing with Museum Pests — 11 a.m. May 9. Museum conservator Michelle Crepeau will identify common museum pests, their impact on collections, and both historical and modern methods of mitigation and prevention. The program offered at no charge is part of the Maritime Heritage Series.

Exploring Coastal Habitats on the Rachel Carson Reserve — 9 a.m.-noon May 15. The guided hike will take visitors through the different habitats and the sandy, muddy, and wet terrain found on Town Marsh and Bird Shoal in the Beaufort area. The program is recommended for ages 12 and up, but all participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $25. Register online or by calling 252-504-7758 by noon May 14.

Behind the scenes at the Whale Center — 10 a.m. May 17. The 40-minute, behind-the-scenes look shows how marine mammal skeletons are prepared for educational display and the mammals found in area waters. The Bonehenge Whale Center operates as a partnership between the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the Carolina Cay Maritime Foundation. Register online or by calling 252-504-7758 by noon May 16.

Sea Turtles in North Carolina — 11 a.m. May 23. Program for World Turtle Day will focus on different species of sea turtles and the trials they face before they even emerge from their sandy nest. No charge for the program through the Maritime Heritage Series.

Southport museum

Skippers Crew: Mullet Over — 10 a.m.- 3p.m. May 4. Designed for all ages, but specifically geared toward younger patrons, this activity features hands-on activities and crafts focusing on combining arts and history. Lights will be dimmed and interactives muted during the first two hours to provide a calmer environment for those with sensory sensitivities. No charge to participate.

Deep Dive into History — drop-in series 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, May 18. Madline Spencer of the state’s Underwater Archaeology Branch based at Fort Fisher State Historic Site will explain the tools of the trade of an archaeologist, how they preserve what they find, and how they help us understand the past during the program, “Digging for the Past.” Designed for all ages, the series gives visitors a deeper understanding of our shared past through costumed interpreters and artifacts. Being offered at no charge, registration is not required.

Third Tuesday: “Silent Sentinels” — noon May 21 with the North Carolina Military History Society. Part of the museum’s Third Tuesday lecture series held at the Southport Community Building, 223 E. Bay St. Lectures are geared for ages 16 years and older. No charge to attend, but registration is requested because seating is limited. Call -910-477-5151 or visit the website.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Southport is hosting a ceremony for a newly installed exhibit highlighting Cape Fear’s commercial fishing history and its redesigned display on hurricane history. And the Beaufort museum is also gearing up for the season with a spate of programs.

In Southport, the ribbon-cutting is set for 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 3, for the new “A Way of Life — Working the Water” and the updated “Storms that Shape Us” exhibits.

This ceremony is just one of many activities and programs the state Maritime Museums Systems has in store for Southport and its Beaufort location. The Hatteras museum remains closed for renovation, so there are no public programs currently scheduled there.

The Maritime Museum System’s Maritime History Curator David Bennett and Exhibit Design Curator Rebecca Edwards will attend the April 3 ceremony in Southport.

“The exhibit has been very well-received since its conception,” Edwards said in a release. “I really appreciate the community support, and I am looking forward to having the chance to celebrate it.”

Edwards pointed out that many of the artifacts on display were donated specifically for the exhibit. “Having these items and sharing them in the context of how they were used can help give visitors insight and appreciation for the Cape Fear fishing communities.”

Museum Education Curator Shannon Walker said one part of the fishing exhibit has been particularly popular with the younger visitors.

“The kids love playing in the wheelhouse,” Walker said in a statement about the space designed to mimic the helm of a shrimp trawler. “They have all of the captain’s tools at their command, including the wheel, throttle and even a radio.”

Last reimagined in 2019, the recent redesign of the “Storms that Shape Us” was out of necessity to accommodate the fishing exhibit and to update what was on display, officials said.

Edwards streamlined the layout and worked with Bennett and other Maritime Museum System staff to incorporate additional information on the community’s resilience in the face of the many hurricanes that have come ashore in the Cape Fear region.

The Southport museum also is offering for younger visitors SKIPPER’S CREW: Skipper’s Naturalists from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 6. This event features hands-on activities and crafts that combine arts and history. Lights will be dimmed and interactives muted during the first two hours to provide a calmer environment for those with sensory sensitivities. The program is being offered at no charge, but donations are accepted and appreciated.

As part of the museum’s Third Thursday lecture series, join Jim McKee, manager of the Brunswick Town Historic Site, for the presentation “Rice Culture in the Cape Fear” at noon April 16 in the Southport Community Building, 223 E. Bay St. Lectures are geared for ages 16 years and older. Open to the public at no charge, reservation are required since seating is limited. To register call 910-477-5151 or visit ncmaritimemuseumsouthport/events.

Beaufort events

A few hours up the coast is the Maritime Museum in Beaufort. Open to visitors from 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, there’s no charge to visit the museum but donations are welcome.

The staff at this location are offering a variety of activities in April, including guided kayak trips and walking tours on Shackleford Banks and the Rachel Carson Reserve.

Most programs require registration, which can be done by calling 252-504-7758 or visiting ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com.

“Kayak the Salt Marsh” is scheduled for 9 a.m. to noon April 10. The education team will teach the basics of kayaking and safety on shore followed by a 1.5-mile paddle through the salt marsh in sit-in cockpit touring kayaks. The program is recommended for ages 12 and up, though those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Participants must know how to swim and some kayak experience is recommended. Cost is $35, or $30 with own kayak. Registration is required by noon the day prior.

“Kids’ Cove” will be held from 9-11 a.m. April 10 and again 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 14. This free-play, screen-free program for birth up to age 5 and their caregivers is designed with a different maritime-themed craft and wiggle activity each month. Programs begin an hour before the museum opens to the public.

Take a look “Behind the scenes at the Whale Center” 10 a.m. April 12. The 40-minute program at the Bonehenge Whale Center is being offered at no charge. Learn about the marine mammals, including bottlenose dolphins, that live off the coast of North Carolina, and preparing the marine mammal skeletons for educational display. The Bonehenge Whale Center operates as a partnership between the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources and the Carolina Cay Maritime Foundation. Registration required by noon the day prior.

During the program, “Exploring Coastal Habitats on the Rachel Carson Reserve” set for 9 a.m. to noon April 18, attendees will be able to discover the various plants and animals through Rachel Carson Reserve’s different habitats and the sandy, muddy, and wet terrain found on Town Marsh and Bird Shoal. The program is recommended for ages 12 and up, though all participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $25. Registration required by noon the day prior.

“Beaufort’s Dolphins, Getting to Know Them” is at 11 a.m. April 18 with Museum Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster in the museum’s auditorium. He’ll lead an informal discussion about the biology, behavior, and conservation issues affecting “Beaufort’s Dolphins.”  Bottlenose dolphins occur in the waters off Beaufort year-round but they’re not the same individuals all year. The program being offered at no charge is part of the museum’s Maritime Heritage Series, an informal lectures focused on the state’s rich maritime history, coastal environment, and culture.

The education team will lead Hiking and History on Shackleford Banks, a part of Cape Lookout National Seashore, from 9 a.m. to noon April 24. Participants will take a ferry to the undeveloped barrier island for the 2.5-mile hike through sandy terrain. Recommended for ages 12 and up, all participants under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Cost is $35. Registration required by noon the day prior.

A program is being offered at no charge on the International Fishermen & Allied Workers of America in Eastern North Carolina starting at 11 a.m. April 25 in the museum’s auditorium. Following World War II, the Congress of Industrial Workers embarked on a campaign to unionize the South. As a part of that campaign, the International Fishermen and Allied Workers of America, a small Seattle-based labor union, attempted to unionize the state’s commercial fishing industry. The union found short-term success before failing. The program is part of the Maritime Heritage Series.

The discovery in 2021 of a new species, the Rice’s whale, which is directly connected to Beaufort’s Bonehenge Whale Center, will be one of the topics covered during the whales and whaling symposium at the North Carolina Maritime Museum scheduled for Friday.

The program is to begin at 10 a.m. in the museum, 315 Front St. in downtown Beaufort. The symposium is being offered at no charge but because seating is limited, reservations are requested. For more information or to reserve a spot, visit ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com or call 252-504-7758.

“The symposium is an opportunity to learn about the whale species off the coast of North Carolina and the history related to the harvesting of whales directly off our shore,” museum Education Curator Benjamin Wunderly said in a statement. “By bringing in guest speakers, the community gets an opportunity to learn about topics we couldn’t typically cover in our regular programming.”

Wunderly is an organizer of the symposium, working with North Carolina Maritime Museum Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster on the day’s lineup of speakers. Rittmaster is director of Bonehenge Whale Center, which is adjacent to the museum’s Gallants Channel property, and has been helping organize the symposium since the first held in 20165.

“This symposium has been very popular,” Rittmaster said in a release. “I think it’s fun too.”

Rittmaster is the first presenter and will discuss “Whales in North Carolina: Diversity, Distribution, Seasonality & Conservation” starting at 10 a.m.

“North Carolina has impressive whale diversity,” Rittmaster said, noting that up to now, 34 species have been documented off the state’s shores. “As far as I know, that’s more than any other state.”

Russell Fielding of Coastal Carolina University and Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus, University of Washington, will follow at 11 a.m. with “So Wide a Chase: Melvillian Whaling in the Twenty-first Century Caribbean.”

John Ososky of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History will present “From ‘Save the Whales’ to ‘Save the Rice’s Whale’: A History of Modern Smithsonian Whale Conservation” at 1 p.m. After the bones for the new species were treated at Bonehenge Whale Center in 2019, the bones were then taken to Washington, D.C., where it was identified in 2021 as a newly discovered species, the Rice’s whale.

Wunderly will speak at 2 p.m. on the “The Old Whale Fishery of North Carolina.”

After a break for dinner, the symposium will wrap up with a 6 p.m. presentation by the North Atlantic Right Whale Aerial Survey Team. Meghan Bradley, Renee LaGarenne, and Rylie Gonzales of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will discuss their survey methods and address the need for right whale conservation. They will also highlight some special cases of right whales in North Carolina waters.

In addition to the programs, there will be displays showcasing marine mammal bones, teeth, baleen, oils and skeletons, as well as educational games.

BEAUFORT — Before the 37-foot peace ship, the Golden Rule, visits here in early March, the North Carolina Maritime Museum on Front Street will host a program about the ship’s mission in opposition to nuclear weapons war.

Dr. Arnold Oliver will speak at 3 p.m. March 4 in the museum auditorium. Admission is free and registration is not required. 

Golden Rule is scheduled to dock in Beaufort that week and will be open for tours and crew visits 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 8-10 and free sailing as tides and weather permit.

This is one of the many programs the museum will offer in March for all ages.

Golden Rule became popular in 1958 when four Quakers sailed the wooden ketch toward the Marshall Islands to halt the atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons. The ship was was later pressed into private service but eventually sank in 2010 during a storm in California, according to information provided by the museum.

Veterans For Peace raised and rebuilt the Golden Rule, completing the work in 2015. The ship and crew, which revived both the ship and the original mission, are currently on a great loop tour around the eastern United States that includes the Beaufort stop and one in Wilmington March 2-5.

For more information on Golden Rule, visit vfpgoldenruleproject.org. The N.C. Maritime Museum is at 315 Front St. in downtown Beaufort. For information on the March 4 program or to register for any of the other programs at the museum, call 252-504-7740 or visit ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com.

March schedule

Ribbon-cutting and Spring First Friday 5 p.m. March 3. The Port of Call Museum Store First Friday series resumes in March with a celebration of the one-year anniversary of the redesigned store, now operated under the Friends of the Maritime Museum. The Carteret County Chamber of Commerce will be on hand to host an official ribbon-cutting and join in on a toast the first year. First Fridays, which will be held in March, April and May, feature local artists, jewelers and crafters showcasing and selling their art. The receptions are free and open to the public.

Merry-time for Tots 10 a.m. March 8. Ages 2-5 and their caregivers participate in a maritime themed hands-on experience, craft and activity. Each program is 45-60 minutes long. Caregivers are asked to stay for entire program. Registration required; $10 per participating child, $5 for Friends of the Museum members, or buy a three-month package and get 20% off.

Ocean Infants 9 a.m. March 9. The program for 0-2 years and their caregivers, involves maritime items such as whale bones, shark teeth, and pirate hats. Registration is $5 per participating child, $2 for Friends of the Museum members or buy a three-month package at 20% off.

“The World’s First Ironclad Warship: Lincoln’s Secret Weapon” 1 p.m. March 9. In A 57-minute film will show an elite team of divers as they attempt to recover priceless artifacts of American naval history from the USS Monitor that sank in 1862 off the coast of Cape Hatteras during a storm. Free.

North Atlantic Right Whale Aerial Surveys in North Carolina 6 p.m. March 10. A presentation at the museum will focus on the work by a team to document the existence and importance of right whales, as well as their plight, off our state’s coast. North Atlantic Right Whale aerial observers with the Clearwater (Fla.) Marine Aquarium Research Institute will present the North Atlantic Right Whale Aerial Surveys in North Carolina program on March 10 at 6 p.m. in the museum auditorium. Free.

Lift Half-Model Class 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. March 11-12. Learn how to read a set of plans and use the basic woodworking tools to shape a lift half-model of a North Carolina Shad Boat during a two-day course. The models are built following a step-by-step procedure and are then taken home to apply a finish. Course fee is $120, or $108 for Friends of the Museum). Course size is limited, and advance registration is required.

North Carolina’s Oyster Boom 11 a.m. March 15. Join Maritime Historian David Bennett for a free presentation in partnership with the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries on the history of four different fisheries in North Carolina as part of the division’s celebration of 200 Years of State Marine Fisheries Management and Conservation in North Carolina.

By Hook or By Crook 11 a.m. March 16. Ranked amongst the fiercest pirates from the “Golden age of Piracy,” Anne Bonny and Mary Read have stories that daytime TV could only aspire to. Join Associate Education Curator Christine Brin in the museum auditorium to learn about these women pirates. The program may not be appropriate for younger children as topics of adultery and pregnancy will be discussed. Free.

Lofting a Boat 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 18-19. Learn how to “loft,” the process of taking information from a boat plan and drawing it out in full scale in preparation for creating templates to build a boat. Fee is $110, or $99 for Friends of the Museum. Course size is limited, and advance registration is required.

Book launch: ‘Drought, Drought, Torrential’ 2 p.m. March 18. Join Susan Schmidt, PhD, in the museum auditorium for the launch of her newest book, “Drought, Drought, Torrential.” The program will feature Schmidt reading some of the poems from her latest work, as well as a discussion of the poetry from this publication and her previous works.

The Oyster Patrol: Early Enforcement of North Carolina’s Oyster Laws March 23, 11 a.m. Join Maritime History Curator David Bennett in the museum auditorium to explore the challenges and controversies that the Shell Fish Commission faced while patrolling the state’s waters. Free, no registration required.

Adults-Only Tour 6-8 p.m. March 24. Enjoy a beverage of choice while learning about some lesser-told maritime history stories that features tales of love triangles, indecency, drugs, and more. This program is rated R due to language, alcohol and explicit content. Participants must be 21 years of age or older. Tickets are $30 per person or $25 for Friends of the Maritime Museum members. Cost includes tour, moonshine tasting, and souvenir cup. Register by noon the day prior.

Carolina Maritime Model Society Meeting 2 p.m. March 25. The Carolina Maritime Model Society exists to promote the production of high-quality ship models and encourage members and the public to participate in a craft that is as old as shipbuilding itself. Meetings, which are open to the public, are held in the museum auditorium.

Introduction to Wooden Boat Building 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. March 25-26. The course begins with the design and lofting of boats and moves on to the setup, steam bending and different methods of creating the backbone of small boats. Course fee is $180 or $162 for Friends of the Museum. Course size is limited, and advance registration is required.

Beaufort’s Dolphins: Getting to Know Them 11 a.m. March 30. Bottlenose dolphins occur in Beaufort year-round but they’re not the same individuals, and we’re learning a lot from photo-ID and stranding response. Join Museum Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster in the museum auditorium for an informal discussion about the biology, behavior and conservation issues affecting “Beaufort’s dolphins.”  Free.

MOREHEAD CITY – The N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries is partnering with the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort to offer a series of presentations on the history of four different fisheries in North Carolina.

The presentations are part of the division’s celebration of 200 Years of State Marine Fisheries Management and Conservation in North Carolina. The North Carolina General Assembly on Dec. 30, 1822, approved An Act to Prevent the Destruction of Oysters, and for Other Purposes, in the State, which restricted oyster harvest gear and prohibited the export of North Carolina oysters to other states. It was the first statewide law governing marine fisheries, and it was the beginning of state marine fisheries management in North Carolina, eventually leading to the establishment of what is now the N.C. Division of Marine Fisheries and the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission.

David Bennett, curator of Maritime History for the Maritime Museum system, will give presentations on the below topics with Division of Marine Fisheries staff also on hand. The following Wednesday sessions begin at 11 a.m.:

• March 15 – North Carolina’s Oyster Boom.
• April 19 – Reevaluating the Origins of the North Carolina Menhaden Industry.
• May 17 – Shrimping in North Carolina.
• June 21 – The Early History of North Carolina’s Recreational Fishery.

The Maritime Museum has also scheduled the following 11 a.m. Thursday presentations pertaining to the history of fisheries:

• Feb. 23 – North Carolina’s Antebellum Shad & Herring Fisheries.
• March 23 – The Oyster Patrol: Early Enforcement of North Carolina’s Oyster Laws.
• Oct. 26 – North Carolina’s Crab Fishery.

Bennett, who also oversees the Maritime Museum’s Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center, holds a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill and an master’s in Maritime History from the University of Exeter in the United Kingdom. His research interests focus on North Carolina’s commercial fishing industry as well as traditional workboats. 

The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort will offer in February programs for little learners, two-day boatbuilding courses, a talk on love triangles at sea, and a chance to archaeological conservators.

Museum Associate Education Curator Christine Brin took over as programs coordinator when she was promoted in October. In her new role, she oversees the museum’s event schedule.

“I’m always excited to see how people respond to the variety of programs we have on our schedule each year,” Brin said. “But this year, I’m paying even closer attention so moving forward I can make sure the events we host continue to appeal to locals and visitors.”

The Maritime Museum is at 315 Front St. in downtown Beaufort, and the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center, which houses boatbuilding programs, is across the street from the museum. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Admission to both sites is free. Donations are appreciated.

For more information on any of the programs or to register before the event, call 252-504-7758 or visit ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com/events.

The February schedule is as follows:

Lift Half-Model Class 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Feb. 4-5. Learn how to read a set of plans and use the basic woodworking tools most commonly found in a boatbuilder’s tool kit to shape a lift half-model of a North Carolina shad boat during this two-day course at the watercraft center. The models are built following a step-by-step procedure and are then taken home to apply a finish. Course fee is $120, or $108 for Friends of the Museum members. Course size is limited, and advance registration is required.

Merry-time for Tots 10 a.m. Feb. 8. Ages 2-5 and their caregivers will be able to participate in a maritime themed hands-on experience, craft, and activity during the program offered every second Wednesday. Topics rotate between pirates, sharks, whales, and fish with a focus on both experience and exposure. Each program is 45-60 minutes long. Caregivers are asked to stay for entire program. Pre-registration required; $10 per participating child (Friends of the Museum members $5). Or buy a three-month package and get 20 percent off.

Ocean Infants 9 a.m. Feb. 9. The program for 0-2 years and their caregivers involves maritime items such as whale bones, shark teeth, and pirate hats. This program, offered every second Thursday, is designed to give the caregiver and infant the chance to bond, learn, and socialize. Registration before the event is required. Cost is $5 per participating child, $2 for Friends of the Museum members, or buy a three-month package and get 20% off.

Love at Sea program 11 a.m. Feb. 9. Duels, deathbed confessions and love triangles help make up some Crystal Coast love stories. Join Associate Education Curator Christine Brin in the museum auditorium as she shares eight of her favorite stories of love at sea during this unique approach to Valentine’s Day. Free, no registration required.

Heart of the Sea program 7 p.m. Feb. 14. Join the museum for a Valentine’s Day presentation about its beloved whale Echo. Learn about putting together his skeleton and preserving his heart. This presentation also covers the story of Bonehenge Whale Center, a massive volunteer effort inspired by the skeletal display of our sperm whale and its heart. Free, no registration required.

Don’t Be So Salty: Diffusion and Desalination in Archaeological Conservation 11 a.m. Feb. 16. Ever wonder why archaeological conservators keep things in tanks, or why a crusty cannon can take more than 10 years to travel from ocean floor to museum showcase? Join Museum Conservator Michelle Crepeau as she breaks down the fundamentals of desalination and the underlying science that makes it all work. Free, no registration required.

North Carolina’s Antebellum Shad and Herring Fishery 11 a.m. Feb. 23. For generations, river herring and shad were the most important fisheries in eastern North Carolina. Join Maritime History Curator David Bennett in the museum auditorium to explore the business of operating these fisheries and the role of black labor in the decades prior to the Civil War. Free, no registration required.

Introduction to Wooden Boatbuilding 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Feb. 25-26. Explore the art of boatbuilding from start to finish during a two-day, hands-on course at the watercraft center. The course begins with the design and lofting of boats and moves on to the setup, steam bending and different methods of creating the backbone of small boats. Additional topics include how to make planking systems, both carvel and lap strake, and all the appropriate fastening systems. By the end of the course, students will have the knowledge and skill to choose a design and style of boat to build on their own and the confidence to take on the job. Course fee is $180 or $162 for Friends of the Museum members. Course size is limited, and advance registration is required.

Carolina Maritime Model Society Meeting 2 p.m. Feb. 25. The model society exists to promote the production of high-quality ship models and encourage members and the public to participate in a craft that is as old as shipbuilding itself. Meetings are open to the public and take place in the museum auditorium.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport will take “Deep Dives into History” monthly during 2023.

This month’s program, “Navigation Tools in the Age of Sail,” will be from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21. The free drop-in program designed for all ages will showcase the tools that helped seafarers of old explore the world. Registration is not required.

The “Deep Dive into History: Navigation Tools in the Age of Sail” program will include a hands-on activity. Using string, a weight, a straw, and paper, visitors will recreate and learn the basics of using a 1728 Gunter’s quadrant.

The program, developed by Museum Manager John Moseley, combines living historians, material culture displays and hands-on activities to provide visitors a greater understanding of the wide ranging and varied history of the region, the state and the country. A newly launched series, the first program featured dentistry in the Colonial age, and the second shared the history of local USOs during World War II.

“Latitude sailing and dead reckoning were two early methods to find your way, but both had their limitations,” Moseley said in a release. “The change in technology from a cross staff to the octant and the shift from maps to nautical charts greatly improved the abilities of the navigator to get where they were going safely.”

Moseley will set up and staff a station with many navigational tools on display, demonstrating how they were used.

“For sailors arriving in the Cape Fear River to trade for naval stores and rice, making sure these cargoes made it from one port to another took a great deal of mathematical skills, intellect, and sailing knowledge,” Moseley added.

“Part of our mission is to interpret the material culture pertinent to the maritime history of the region,” Moseley said. “This hands-on program will help us offer visitors an even deeper understanding of history and its importance.”

The Deep Dive series will continue monthly with the exception of February and December.

The museum is at 204 E. Moore St., Southport. For more information, call 910-477-5152 or visit ncmaritimemuseumsouthport.com or facebook.com/NCMaritimeMuseumSouthport.

Dr. Chris Oakley, professor in the Department of History at East Carolina University, is slated to speak at 6 p.m. Thursday for this month’s installment of the “Science on the Sound” lecture series at the Coastal Studies Institute on the ECU Outer Banks Campus.

This monthly, in-person, lecture series brings perspectives from all over the state and highlights coastal topics in northeastern North Carolina. Each lecture is free of charge, and all are welcome to attend. 

In his presentation entitled “Maritime Indians: The Coastal Algonquians of the Outer Banks,” Oakley will highlight his research on the coastal Algonquians native to the region.

Although the Carolina Algonquians did not develop extensive ocean navigation and exploration, evidence strongly suggests that their culture was heavily influenced by the sea and the coast well before the arrival of Europeans. In fact, a significant portion of their culture and society was based on an environment that was dominated by the presence of water, especially the large sounds created by the barrier islands of the Outer Banks, according to the institute.

This project will examine the maritime history, culture, and legacy of the Carolina Algonquians of eastern North Carolina. The project will employ a multidisciplinary approach, incorporating history, anthropology, archaeology, geography, and biology.

The program will be livestreamed and a recorded version will be available for later viewing on the institute’s YouTube Channel.

Post has been updated.

With camps for little mariners, programs for older learners and activities for all ages scheduled, the state’s three maritime museums are planning for a busy July.

The museums, part of the Division of State History Museums in the state Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, are in Hatteras, Beaufort and Southport.

“The educators at our three museums offer programs year-round that focus on maritime history and culture,” Maritime Museums Public Information Officer Cyndi Brown told Coastal Review.

“But during the summer, we add even more opportunities for children and adults to develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of the maritime history and environment,” Brown added. “This increase lets both our first-time and our returning visitors explore the maritime world in new ways and in greater depth.”

A slew of talks, hands-on projects, camps and more are scheduled throughout the month. Museums are free to visit, although there are fees for some activities.

Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, named in remembrance of the thousands of shipwrecks off the North Carolina’s coast, is dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the state’s coastal culture and maritime history, including these shipwrecks.

The museum features exhibits on piracy, war, lifesaving, commerce, diving and coastal living. The museum has on display remnants of the earliest known shipwreck found in North Carolina waters, dating to 1650, and objects from other shipwrecks including the USS Monitor, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, and the USS Huron.

“Through our summer speakers series and our maritime crafts we entertain and educate all ages about the Outer Banks and its fascinating maritime history. A museum activity can provoke a lifelong love of learning,” said Mary Ellen Riddle, education curator at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras. 

“The maritime history of the Outer Banks is far reaching with global, national and state impacts,” Riddle said.

“The coastal location and nearness to the Gulf Stream and an extension of the Labrador Current brought heavy trade traffic to an area that was dangerous due to shoaling, weather, war and sometimes piracy,” Riddle explained. “As a result of these conditions, we have over 2,000 shipwrecks in our waters. We think of the related stories and shipwrecks as invaluable repositories of history that teach us about eras, people, places, and technology from all over the world.”

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is at 59200 Museum Drive, Hatteras, and is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday-Saturday. The museum will be closed Monday for the Fourth of July holiday.

This month, the Hatteras museum will host speakers and offer craft activities.

The Salty Dawgs Speaker Series will feature historians, divers, maritime history master’s candidates, musicians, professors, researchers and authors that will cover piracy, shipwrecks, whaling and sea shanties. The free, 30- to 45-minute talks begin at 11 a.m. and take place every Tuesday through September. The public is invited. No reservation needed.

The series includes the following:

• A Picture Show of Outer Banks Shipwreck Diving with underwater photographer Marc Corbett is set for July 5. Corbett, who will soon publish a book on nearshore wrecks, will discuss shipwrecks on the Outer Banks. His photography has been on display at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum and has been in multiple publications.
• Cooking Seafood Hatteras Style with Sharon Peele Kennedy will be July 12. Kennedy will prepare a seafood chowder to taste and sign copies of her cookbook, “What’s for Supper?” that focuses on recipes using locally caught seafood. Kennedy’s family roots are deep on Hatteras Island.
• Sea Shanties and Songs of the Sea with JR Shanty Co. will take place July 19 and July 26. Wife and husband folk duo Julianne Laird and Richard Workman performs traditional sea shanties and songs of the sea.

Maritime Crafts for all ages will be from 10:30 a.m. to noon July 6, July 13, July 20 and July 27. Supplies will be provided for coastal-themed crafts during these free events.

Crafting Sailor’s Valentines is 10:30 a.m. to noon July 21. Create a Sailor’s Valentine using shells, and discover the history of the maritime art. All supplies furnished for the free event. All ages welcome.

In addition to special programming, the museum offers family- and youth-friendly scavenger hunts. Visitors search for objects throughout the museum and receive a surprise.

N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort

The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort shares the story of lighthouses and lifesaving stations, the seafood industry and motorboats. Educational programs focus on marine life, science and ecology.

On permanent display is an exhibit with artifacts from Blackbeard’s wrecked flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, among them cannons, grenades, belt buckles and beads, found off the coast of Beaufort. In the the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center across the street, boatbuilding classes are held for all ages.

“Creating opportunities to educate people about North Carolina’s maritime history and environment is important for the museum year-round, but even more so during the peak tourism season,” said Benjamin Wunderly, associate education curator at the Beaufort site.

“Visitors coming from across the state, country and even farther allow us to reach a much broader audience that typically wouldn’t be here in the off-season. The museum capitalizes on the situation by offering a variety of educational programs for varying ages and interests,” he added.

The museum at 315 Front St. in downtown Beaufort, and the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center, across the street, are open year-round. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday.

From kayaking to a sailboat race, the Beaufort museum has a range of activities planned.

Kayak the Salt Marsh 9 a.m. to noon July 1. Basic kayak instruction and safety lessons on shore followed by a 2-mile paddle through the salt marsh. Cost is $35 or $25 with own kayak. Registration is required by noon the day prior. 

Maritime Heritage Series: The Cape Lookout Lighthouse 11 a.m. July 6. Wunderly will talk about the history of light towers at Cape Lookout at the free talk. No registration required. Attend in person in the museum auditorium, watch online via the museum’s Facebook page or sign up for Zoom at ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com/sign-up-for-virtual-programs/.

Fish & Fishing 9 a.m. to noon July 6-7. Third and fourth graders will learn about coastal fish and fishing methods during this two-day class. Cane poles, bait, and tackle are provided for dock fishing and they will use nets to catch and identify marine life in nearshore waters. Advance registration is required. Cost is $90 per child. 

Seashore Life I 9 a.m.to noon July 7-8. First and second graders will investigate the coastal marine life of the tidal flats, salt marshes and sounds on local islands in this two-day class. Field-based classes include ferry ride, barrier island hiking, and animal identification. Cost is $90 per child. Advance registration is required.

Great Fourth Race 9 a.m. July 7. Traditionally-rigged sailing craft rally to celebrate the historic voyages that carried news of the signing of the Declaration of Independence to the Outer Banks. Boat registration required to participate in the free event. Boats will gather in Taylors Creek between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Organized by the Traditional Small Craft Association Friends of the Museum Chapter. For information, call 252-728-1638 or visit maritimefriends.org.

Boat in a Day Class 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. July 9, July 15 and July 30. Teams up to four people assemble a small flat-bottomed plywood boat suitable for paddling. Fee is $630, or $567 for Friends of the Museum. Course size is limited, and registration is required.

Pirates! 9 a.m. to noon offered on July 11-12 and July 28-29. First and second graders will work with their fearless captain to learn how pirates like Blackbeard lived. Cost is $90 per child. Registration required.

Merry Time for Tots Summer Science School 9-10 a.m. July 13. Children entering preschool can listen to a story, estuarine critter observation and a related craft. Cost is $5 per child. Registration required.

Ocean Infants 9 a.m. July 14. The program for birth up to 2 years old and their caregivers, involves maritime items such as whale bones, shark teeth, and pirate hats. Registration required. Cost is $5 per participating child or $2 for Friends of the Museum members.

Boats & Models 9 a.m.-noon July 18–19. Third and fourth graders will build a sportfishing boat model at the museum’s Watercraft Center. Museum exhibits and field trips will demonstrate the boats used for offshore charter fishing. Cost is $90 per child. registration required.

Coastal Adventures 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 18-20. Seventh through 10th graders will examine environmental conservation issues such as marine debris and protected species. Through field observations and data gathering at local nature preserves, students will learn how scientists and natural resource managers deal with conservation challenges. Cost is $120 per child. Registration required.

Maritime Matinee: “Wild Caught” 1 p.m. July 21. Free showing of “Wild Caught: The Life and Struggles of an American Fishing Town” in the museum auditorium. Film chronicles commercial fishermen in Sneads Ferry and their struggles in the industry. Free, no registration required.

15th annual Crab Cake Cook-off 6 p.m. July 22. Fundraiser for the Friends of the Maritime Museum at the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center. For information or tickets, call 252-728-1638 or visit maritimefriends.org.

Exploring Coastal Habitats 9 a.m. to noon July 26. Discover the various plants and animals of the salt marsh and tidal flats at the Rachel Carson Reserve. Cost is $20 a person. Register by noon day prior. 

For information or to register for any event at this museum, call 252-504-7758 or visit ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com/events/.

N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport

The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport, at the confluence of the Cape Fear River, Atlantic Ocean and Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, tells tales of pirates, blockade running, commercial fishing and other nautical adventures.

“Museums are in a unique position to offer engaging content to aid in learning retention over the summer,” said Katy Menne, who leads the education programs at the Southport site. “Getting to add hands-on fun surrounding the topic of water brings summers to life, since many visitors are coming to the beaches for an escape and enjoyment. We provide both in our exhibits and programs.”

The museum at 204 E Moore St., Southport, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and closed Sunday and Monday.

The Southport museum will offer camps for children under 12 and its monthly Third Tuesday Talk in July.

Little Mariners Camps are for ages 4 to 6, with a guardian, and take place every other Wednesday. Each camp is $7 with a 10% discount for Friends members at the Family level and above. Registration closes the day prior at 5 p.m.

• Red, White, and Blue Whale is at 2 p.m. July 6. The class includes a sing along, craft, and story time.
• Duck Dash is from 2 p.m. July 20. Ages 4 to 6 can color, and race ducks then listen to a great story about five little ducks.

First Mate Four-Day Camps are being offered for ages 7-12. Each camp is $60 with a 10% discount for Friends members at the Family level and above. All programs are subject to N.C. state taxes. Registration closes the day prior at 5 p.m.

Camps are from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and include the following topics and dates:

• Salty Sea Life July 12-15. Learn about the sea life local to the Lower Cape Fear and how they have helped the region economically. Students will take a trip to the North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher, as well as walk the Southport waterfront.
• Colonial Days July 26-29. Learn how port town residents lived everyday life and then travel to an old Colonial City.

Call 910-477-5151 or visit ncmaritimemuseumsouthport.com/events to register for these camps.

Third Tuesday: “The Submarine Blitzkrieg against North America and the U.S. Response: December 1941 to August 1942” with Dr. Salvatore R. Mercogliano 7 p.m. July 19 at the Southport Community Building, 223 E. Bay St. Admission is free but reservations are required since seating is limited.

Submitted by North Carolina Maritime Museums

The undead won’t be the only reawakening during a Halloween event set for Friday. The event itself is a sort of resurrection of the Fright Nights hosted in years past by the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort. 

The museum’s inaugural “Boo-Fort Halloween” will feature a trunk or treat and haunted trail hayride, both from 4 to 6 p.m., and a drive-in showing of “Night of the Living Dead” Friday at its Gallants Channel Annex, 293 W Beaufort Road Extension.

Kicking off the Halloween-related activities, there will be a talk at 11 a.m. in the museum auditorium on Maritime Myths and Legends. The free, informal lecture looks at the possible origins of some of the best-known sea monsters and more.  

“Boo-Fort grew from one little thing,” museum Associate Education Curator Christine Brin explained. “We started with the drive-in movie thinking it’d be fun. Then we added the Trunk or Treat, which I wanted to do at the museum for years.” 

Not long after planning started, museum volunteer Joanne Powell brought in the East Carteret High School Film Club to add a haunted trail hayride.  

“Joanne was the creator of the Fright Night programs,” Brin said. “So she came out of ‘retirement’ for this.” 

The free Trunk or Treat activity from 4-6 p.m. features decorated trunks filled with goodies for trick-or-treaters. Businesses, organizations and individuals who would like to host a trunk are welcome to do so. The spots are free but trunk hosts must decorate with a child-friendly theme, supply their own treats and be set up on site by 4 p.m. and leave no later than 6 p.m. Contact Brin at Christine.Brin@ncdcr.gov to reserve a spot. 

The haunted trail hayride will also run from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday and then again from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 30. Students from the East Carteret High School Film Club will be haunting the nature trail. Officials warn that some of the scenes may not be appropriate for younger children. 

Brin said while she was initially most looking forward to the Trunk or Treat, after meeting with the ECHS students her excitement has increased about the haunted hayride. 

“Now that the haunted hayride is coming together with the high schoolers, it’s beyond my imagination,” she said. “Their enthusiasm and ideas are unmatched.” 

Admission to the Haunted Trail Hayride is $5 each and 8 and under free. Proceeds benefit the film club. 

Yard games will be set up on the lawn, and Frank’s Franks food truck will be on site starting at 4 p.m. for those who want to grab some refreshments.

Boo-Fort Halloween wraps up with a free drive-in showing of 1968’s “Night of the Living Dead” at sunset around 6:30 p.m. The low-budget horror movie where the dead come back to life is not as violent and gory as later horror movies, but there are still plenty of violent moments. Parents should note that there is also occasional mild profanity and some cigarette smoking. There is no pre-registration or fee for the showing. Parking is on a first-come, first served basis. Donations will be accepted. 

For more information, call 252-504-7740 or visit ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com. 

Submitted by North Carolina Maritime Museums

A brief gathering on Wednesday morning unveiled another first for the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport: tactile maps of the facility. 

The maps combine contrasting graphics and braille to allow visitors with low-vision or who have blindness to independently access the museum at 204 E. Moore St. in downtown Southport.

The map outlines the layout of the museum, including walls, doors, emergency exits and openings between exhibits and hallways. Its two pages, the map and its legend, will be mounted on either side a foam board and handed out to those who would benefit from having an aid in navigating the site.

The tactile map is just one of the tools recently added to enhance the museum experience. 

“We’ve taken a lot of small steps to offer greater inclusion,” Education Curator Katy Menne said, listing the semi-guided ASL tour, multilingual signage and dedicated spaces and tools for those with sensory sensitivities already offered at the museum. “After working to address those needs, we wanted to do something for those with low vision and/or total blindness.” 

She thought it was worth exploring tactile maps, which she had heard about during webinars and in talking to staff with the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. She and Museum Manager Lori Sanderlin took the idea to the Southport Lions Club and the Friends of the Museum for financial support. 

Southport Lions Club President Ken Updike said it made sense for them to support the project since it so clearly aligned with the group’s mission to help with vision needs.  

“The whole project they presented just made it easy for us to get on board,” he said. “It’s a good fit for us and good fit for the community.” 

Updike, along with five other members of the club, joined museum staff and Friends President Tom Hale for Wednesday’s “unboxing” ceremony where Menne unveiled the maps for the first time.  

“To see this today,” Updike said, “it’s going to change how people come in here. They can be independent.” 

And that independence is one of the goals of both the maps and the other tools in use at the museum, Menne said.  

“You can wander and explore on your own,” she said, adding that the next step is creating 3-D reproduction of its artifacts.

The goal is to have at least one artifact per exhibit that is 3-D printed or a reproduction that visitors can interact with physically. It’s part of a larger goal to include an interactive or a game tied to each exhibit to help visitors of all abilities learn more by incorporating movement and touch. 

“Hands-on experience has a more lasting impact,” Menne said. “It’s making that personal connection.” 

The N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free. For more information, call 910-477-5151 or visit ncmaritimemuseumsouthport.com.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport is hosting a Living History Weekend next month that on the early 20th century of the region and will share how that history ties to today. 

The Living History Weekend will be from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 18 and from noon to 4 p.m. Sept. 19 at the museum, 204 E Moore St., in downtown Southport.

This year’s theme is World War I and the U.S. Life-Saving Service and spans the first couple of decades of the 20th century. Reenactors, authors and documentarians will be onsite, as well as organizations that support veterans.  

“We are not only looking at things that occurred, we’re looking at the awards, medals and military services rolled out around that time,” museum Education Curator Katy Menne said. “It’s a way to learn about organizations that assist veterans in the world today, specifically those that formed in the wake of World War I.” 

Likewise, many of the medals that were awarded starting with World War I are still in use today. Learning about them, Menne said, was particularly interesting. 

“Getting to share about heroic men and women who were awarded these medals is really cool,” she said. “It’s been an interesting conversation starter.” 

There will be an interactive scavenger hunt taking place as well. The back of a site map will include a list of the stations on-site. Visitors will get a stamp at each site visited, and once the stamp section is filled the map can be taken to the front desk to receive a prize. 

“The scavenger hunt is designed so they deliberately interact with reenactors, items, booths and our staff members,” Menne said. 

Other interactive activities include a make your own poppy flower station, coloring cards of the two main World War I award citations and draft records of men from the five-county region. 

“We’re trying to get their history involved,” Menne said. “A lot of these names we still have in the area.” 

The museum started its Living History Weekend to offer a more interactive style of learning and schedules it annually on the third weekend of September. Over a five-year cycle, they adjust the theme to represent a different time period. 

“We want to give equal recognition to the region’s maritime history,” Menne said. “We’re hopeful that people will feel comfortable coming out to learn with us.”

For more information, call 910-477-5151 or visit ncmaritimemuseumsouthport.com.