Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

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Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum Maritime Museum dedicated to presenting, preserving, and protecting the maritime history and culture of the North Carolina Outer Banks. The Harvey W.
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This is an official social media account of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources. The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras is named in honor of the thousands of shipwrecks that rest in the waters off North Carolina’s coast and is dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the state’s coastal and shipwreck history. Shipwrecks associated with piracy, the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, and World Wars I and II are the subject of our exhibits. The museum has remnants of the earliest known shipwreck found in North Carolina waters dating to 1650. For more information, visit www.ncmaritimemuseums.com. The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras is open: Monday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. - Closed Saturdays, Sundays and most State Holidays. Free admission to the public. Donations are appreciated. About the North Carolina Maritime Museums:

The North Carolina Maritime Museums are part of the North Carolina Department of Natural and 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 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 Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, the other two maritime museums include:

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort
The N.C. 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 wrecked flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, among them cannons, grenades, belt buckles and beads. Smith Watercraft Center teaches boatbuilding for all ages. 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. About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) 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. NCDNCR'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, NCDNCR offers the opportunity for enriching arts education for young and old alike and spurring the economic stimulus engine for our state's communities. NCDNCR'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. NCDNCR'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. NCDNCR 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. NCDNCR 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.

Join us until 1 p.m. today for Cookie Archaeology! Our Education Curator, Molly Trivelpiece, leads kids in a quest to le...
10/03/2026

Join us until 1 p.m. today for Cookie Archaeology! Our Education Curator, Molly Trivelpiece, leads kids in a quest to learn about the process of artifact identification and conservation using a delicious piece of equipment.

NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources

Join us this Saturday for a unique hands-on opportunity to learn all about archaeology using cookies!  Come by anytime b...
10/01/2026

Join us this Saturday for a unique hands-on opportunity to learn all about archaeology using cookies! Come by anytime between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. to participate.

https://graveyardoftheatlantic.nc.gov/news/events/cookie-archaeology

Event is free and open to the public. It is sponsored by the Friends of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum.

NC Department of Natural & Cultural Resources

Hwy 12 reopens this afternoon at 3 p.m.! Note this is only for outgoing traffic leaving the island and visitors are not ...
09/29/2026

Hwy 12 reopens this afternoon at 3 p.m.! Note this is only for outgoing traffic leaving the island and visitors are not permitted onto Hatteras Island at the moment.

A huge thank you to NCDOT NC 12 and North Carolina Ferry System for working so hard to get our island back up and running.

If you aren't leaving yet, come by and see us! We're open 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.

N.C. Highway 12 will reopen to northbound traffic leaving Hatteras Island at 3 p.m. today (Tuesday, Sept. 29). A temporary one-lane gravel roadway will initially carry traffic in one direction only.

Southbound traffic will not be permitted until further notice. When southbound access resumes, current State of Emergency restrictions will remain in place, meaning only Priority One and Priority Two individuals will be permitted to enter Hatteras Island. There is no timeline for when visitor access will be restored.

Heavy congestion is expected when the temporary roadway opens. Drivers should be patient, pay attention and use caution.

Emergency ferry service between Rodanthe and Stumpy Point will continue 24 hours a day until congestion subsides and officials determine the route is no longer needed.

Visitors with upcoming Hatteras Island reservations should not travel toward the island at this time. Contact your accommodations provider directly with questions about your reservation.

Read more: https://bit.ly/3VFMGWZ

Feeling a little stir crazy from being stuck on the island longer than expected? We are excited to reopen tomorrow at 10...
09/28/2026

Feeling a little stir crazy from being stuck on the island longer than expected? We are excited to reopen tomorrow at 10 a.m!

Come visit us and learn about how storms and shipwrecks have impacted life on the Outer Banks over the centuries. We’ll be open from 10am-5pm. Tuesday-Saturday.

The George A. Kohler wreckage stranded on the beach about five years after she wrecked. This ship is a great example of ...
09/28/2026

The George A. Kohler wreckage stranded on the beach about five years after she wrecked. This ship is a great example of how the local community made use of a vessel, taking wood and other parts for use in their own homes. Eventually the wreckage was burned for the WWII effort to collect as much iron as possible.

Pictured is the wreck of the George A. Kohler between Avon and Salvo on the Outer Banks, May 1938.

Five years earlier, in August of 1933, a hurricane beached this four-masted schooner on its way to Haiti. Thankfully, Chicamacomico coastguardsmen were able to rescue all 10 crew members (and one dog).

Due to its massive size, saving the vessel was an impossibility. While the ship lay moldering on the beach for over a decade, pieces and parts slowly disappeared into the hands of scavengers.

Eventually it was burned during WWII to reveal iron for the war effort, all that remains today are portions of her buried hull--periodically peeking above the surface with the shifting sands of the Outer Banks.
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ConDev814A
From the Conservation and Development Photograph File, State Archives of NC.

It’s been a rough few days for Hatteras Island, but this story has brought so much joy to our little island. Congratulat...
09/27/2026

It’s been a rough few days for Hatteras Island, but this story has brought so much joy to our little island. Congratulations to the newly married couple!

The centerpiece of our exhibit space gives a good feeling of what it's been like on the ocean the past few days! Given t...
09/25/2026

The centerpiece of our exhibit space gives a good feeling of what it's been like on the ocean the past few days!

Given the amount of water on roads in Hatteras Village and forecasted impacts from the next few high tide cycles, Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum will be closed Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026.

Due to impacts from the nor'easter, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum will be closed to the public Friday September 2...
09/24/2026

Due to impacts from the nor'easter, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum will be closed to the public Friday September 25th.

📷courtesy Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

Address

59200 Museum Drive
Hatteras, NC
27943

Opening Hours

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

Telephone

+12529860720

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