North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort

This is an awesome museum and it is FREE. There is a parking lot, but you may find it full as we did. There is parking along the street. You may have a bit of a walk depending on how busy. There are bathroom to the right when you enter. They even have a ship theme. For kids there is a scavenger hunt sheet you can pick up at the front near the welcome desk. You can also start your tour with a video. There are a number of interactive things throughout the museum. There is a lot of information about the early settlers, fishing industry, Blackbeard, and Coast Guard. The flow and visual presentation are wonderful. We and our teenage son enjoyed! There is a gift shop near the entrance. If you collect the flattened penny there is a machine near the entrance to the gift shop. It takes a $1 bill. Across the street is the Maritime center where you can see them building a ship. They build a ship each year that is auctioned off for the benefit of the museum.

Such an interesting place with some pretty neat artifacts. The museum is free, but please be sure to donate so we can keep stuff like this free to the public. They have a pretty huge library in the back of the museum that is staged perfectly and you could spend a few hours in there honestly. If you’re ever in town, take a stop. There is free parking in the back, for museum guests only.

The museum was a fantastic addition to our trip to Beaufort, NC. We went both days we were in town. The legendary Blackbeard the pirate is highlighted in the museum explaining the Bigger than life escapades of pirate history. Explore the life of seamen on whale ships and the early history of the sea village of Beaufort. Take a few extra monuments to relax in free library and explore the gift shop. We’ll worth the visit!