North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort The museum collects, preserves, researches, documents and interprets the maritime history, culture and environment of coastal North Carolina. The N.C.
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This is an official social media account of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. Maritime Museum in Beaufort reflects coastal life and interprets lighthouses and lifesaving stations, the seafood industry, motorboats, and more. Studies in marine life, science, and ecology are available for all ages. The Beaufort museum is the repository for artifacts from Blackbeard’s wr

ecked flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, among them cannons, grenades, belt buckles and beads. The Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center teaches boatbuilding for all ages. For more information, visit www.ncmaritimemuseums.com. Free admission to the public. Donations appreciated. About the North Carolina Maritime Museums

The North Carolina Maritime Museums are part of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. The three North Carolina Maritime Museums preserve and interpret North Carolina’s coastal life and history. They paint a picture of the maritime and coastal culture including fishermen, boat builders, decoy carvers and more. They present exhibits of painters and pirates, shipwrecks and sailboats, and about marine life and protection. One historic coast...Three unique museums! In addition to the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort, the other two maritime museums include:

North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport
The N.C. Maritime Museum at Southport tells the story of the Cape Fear region and its people. The museum is at the intersection of the mighty Cape Fear River and the vast Atlantic Ocean. It shares tales of pirates and pillage, blockade running and riverfront archaeology, and other nautical adventures. Ongoing educational programs for children and adults about this area that was a haven for blockade runners and also a pirate hideout are available. Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras
The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras is named in honor of the thousands of shipwrecks that litter North Carolina’s coast, and is dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the state’s coastal and shipwreck history, with emphasis on the years 1524 through 1945. Shipwrecks associated with piracy, the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and World Wars I and II are the subject of changing exhibits. The museum has remnants of the earliest known shipwreck found in North Carolina waters, dating to 1650. www.graveyardoftheatlantic.com

About the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's cultural resources to build the social, cultural and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDCR's mission is to enrich lives and communities by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries in North Carolina that will spark creativity, stimulate learning, preserve the state's history and promote the creative economy. NCDCR was the first state organization in the nation to include all agencies for arts and culture under one umbrella. Through arts efforts led by the N.C. Arts Council, the N.C. Symphony and the N.C. Museum of Art, NCDCR offers the opportunity for enriching arts education for young and old alike and spurring the economic stimulus engine for our state's communities. NCDCR's Divisions of Archives and Records, Historical Resources, State Historic Sites and State History Museums preserve, document and interpret North Carolina's rich cultural heritage to offer experiences of learning and reflection. NCDCR's State Library of North Carolina is the principal library of state government and builds the capacity of all libraries in our state to develop and to offer access to educational resources through traditional and online collections including genealogy and resources for the blind and physically handicapped. NCDCR annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council and the State Archives. NCDCR champions our state's creative industry that accounts for more than 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $18.5 billion in revenues. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.

Feathered Friday!Weighing around half an ounce and measuring 4–5 inches, the painted bunting is a tiny bird with big col...
06/19/2026

Feathered Friday!
Weighing around half an ounce and measuring 4–5 inches, the painted bunting is a tiny bird with big colors!

North Carolina is home to the easternmost breeding population of the painted bunting. Each spring, these “flying rainbows” arrive along our southern coast to nest in maritime forests and dense shrublands before heading south for the winter.

Adult males are hard to miss with their electric blue heads, lime‑green backs, and bright red underside. Females and juveniles sport a bold lime‑green look that helps them blend into coastal thickets.

Images: Male painted buntings in coastal North Carolina 2024. (Images courtesy Mark James Smith).

06/18/2026

The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport is hiring! The Administrative Associate II position will also serve as Visitor Services and Volunteer Coordinator, and duties will include a variety of basic hospitality, visitor services, and office support roles.
For more information, visit http://bit.ly/4a30iA4
This posting closes on June 25 at 11:59PM. All applications must be submitted online. Please do not contact the NCMMSPT directly.

Mountain Gateway Museum Mcdowell is hiring a Museum Administrator! The person in this position will be responsible for o...
06/18/2026

Mountain Gateway Museum Mcdowell is hiring a Museum Administrator!

The person in this position will be responsible for overseeing interpretation of and ensuring compliance with, all applicable Local, State, Federal, Departmental, Divisional, and professional regulations; Budget management, inventory control, and purchasing; Supervision of personnel; Security and safety of buildings, staff, and collections; Analyzing and solving technical problems; Recommending formulation or revision of policies and procedures; Advising on allocation of funds and effectiveness of operations; Frequent public contacts and attendance at meetings, and generally, promoting the Mountain Gateway Museum.

This job position closes at 11:59 p.m. on June 29.

Learn more at:

Agency Dept of Natural and Cultural Resources Division Museum of History Job Classification Title Regional History Museum Administrator (NS) Position Number 60083987 Grade NC15 About Us The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) takes care of the things that people love a...

On June 17, 2013, US Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach officially added a new 45‑foot Response Boat–Medium (RB‑M) t...
06/17/2026

On June 17, 2013, US Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach officially added a new 45‑foot Response Boat–Medium (RB‑M) to its search and rescue fleet. This vessel was the 126th of 170 delivered nationwide as part of a major modernization effort. Stations Emerald Isle and Hobucken had already welcomed their RB‑Ms in 2012, and these boats have been safeguarding North Carolina mariners ever since. Many thanks to the USCG crews who operate them daily.

Learn more about the history of the US Coast Guard and lifesaving along our coast in the museum’s newly renovated exhibit, “Always Ready.”

Image: RB-M 45 on the York River in Virginia. (Image courtesy U.S. Coast Guard).



Images: Displays featured in the exhibit “Always Ready” at the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort.

On June 16, 1893, Elizabeth City’s “Economist‑Falcon” reported a rapid rise in pound‑net fishing. Introduced to the Albe...
06/16/2026

On June 16, 1893, Elizabeth City’s “Economist‑Falcon” reported a rapid rise in pound‑net fishing. Introduced to the Albemarle Sound around 1870, pound nets grew from 117 in 1880 to 950 by 1890. While widely used to catch river herring in northeastern North Carolina, pound nets became an important tool for catching flounder in Carteret County.

Stop by the museum to learn more about the state’s commercial fishing history in our exhibit featuring early oyster harvesting, crabbing, and the development of local fisheries.

Images: Pound nets used in Colerain, 1935-40. (Images courtesy NC State Archives).

Image: Commercial Fishing exhibit at NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort.

On June 15, 1987, North Carolina designated the shad boat as the state’s historical boat. Designed by Roanoke Island boa...
06/15/2026

On June 15, 1987, North Carolina designated the shad boat as the state’s historical boat. Designed by Roanoke Island boatbuilder George Washington Creef Sr. and inspired by early split‑dugout logboats, the shad boat reflects the state’s coastal heritage.

Learn more in the museum’s exhibit “North Carolina’s Working Watercraft,” which highlights regional boat design and historic vessels, including dugout canoes, flat‑bottom skiffs, and the North Carolina shad boat.

Image: Model of shad boat on display at NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort.

Image: Shad boat at NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort.

Image: George Washing Creef Sr. (Image courtesy NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort).

Images: “North Carolina’s Working Watercraft” at the NC Maritime Museum in Beaufort following 2026 updates.

M/V “Thomas A. Baum” served North Carolina proudly since 1995, carrying cars and passengers across the Neuse River betwe...
06/13/2026

M/V “Thomas A. Baum” served North Carolina proudly since 1995, carrying cars and passengers across the Neuse River between Cherry Branch and Minnesott Beach. Named for ferry pioneer Thomas A. Baum, it continued a legacy that began in the 1940s with North Carolina’s first state-run ferry service.

After decades on the water, “Thomas A. Baum” retired and was sold in 2022 to a ferry service in the Virgin Islands. NCDOT replaced it with the larger “Rodanthe” as part of its 22-vessel fleet, one of the largest state-owned ferry systems in the nation

Image: Car ferry “Thomas A. Baum.” (Image courtesy NCDOT Ferry Division).

Fish Friday June means mackerel season on our coast! Spanish and king mackerel are migrating through in huge numbers. In...
06/12/2026

Fish Friday
June means mackerel season on our coast! Spanish and king mackerel are migrating through in huge numbers. Interestingly, many mackerel species, including the king and Spanish, don’t have a swim bladder, so they have to keep swimming their whole lives to stay afloat and breathe!

Spanish Mackerel have green backs, tiny scales, bright yellow/olive spots and weigh up to 13 pounds.

King mackerel are significantly bigger than the Spanish, growing up to 5.5 feet and weighing up to 100 pounds. King mackerel have iron‑gray backs, silver sides, and a sharp drop in the lateral line.

Both move north for summer and south for winter, making June prime time as they pass our stretch of coast.

Who’s heading out this weekend? Share a pic of your catch or your favorite lure!

Image: Robert Cranton with North Carolina and World All Tackle record for Spanish mackerel* that weighed 13 pounds and was caught at Ocracoke Inlet in 1987. (Image courtesy North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality).

Image: James Winch with North Carolina record holding King mackerel that weighed 82 pounds, 4 ounces, and was caught off Ocracoke in 1999. (Image courtesy North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality).

On June 9, 1864, the Confederate blockade runner SS “Pevensey” made its final dash. After slipping past Union forces fou...
06/09/2026

On June 9, 1864, the Confederate blockade runner SS “Pevensey” made its final dash. After slipping past Union forces four times, its luck ran out off Pine Knoll Shores when the Union ship “New Berne” forced it aground.

To keep its cargo from enemy hands, the crew blew the ship’s boilers, escaped to shore, and were ultimately captured and taken to Fort Macon.

A fiery end to one of the coast’s boldest runners.

Image: SS “Pevensey” donated by Gretchen Guthrie. (Image courtesy NC State Archives).

On June 6, 1920, Dr. J. Buren Sidbury opened Babies Hospital across from Wrightsville Beach. Sidbury chose the location ...
06/06/2026

On June 6, 1920, Dr. J. Buren Sidbury opened Babies Hospital across from Wrightsville Beach. Sidbury chose the location because he believed that seaside breezes had curative powers and were especially good for expectant mothers. It remained the state’s only pediatric care facility until Duke Hospital opened in 1930. The hospital served the community for decades until it closed in 1978 and was demolished in 2003.

Image: Staff from Babies Hospital. (Image courtesy NC State Archives).

Note post edited to remove a misspelling

Address

315 Front Street
Beaufort, NC
28516

Opening Hours

Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm
Saturday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

+12525047740

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