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.

Lots of fun exploring this free little museum with my kids! I found the relics recovered from the Queen Anne's Revenge to be very fascinating! I especially enjoyed the scavenger hunt for my kids to keep them busy while I enjoyed the exhibits!

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!

What a wonderful museum! So much to take in give yourself a few hours. The museum is relatively small but is packed with great interactive displays! From learning about the North Carolina coastal habitats to Learning the history of Blackbeard this museum is fun for all ages! There’s no charge to visit the museum but they do except donations.

Another great free museum in NC everyone should check out. Lots of artifacts on display from Blackbeard's ship the Queen Anne's Revenge that sunck not far off the coast. Also on display is a history of the maritime industry in eastern NC. Very informative. All the staff we interacted with were pleasant and helpful. This museum is free however, donations are welcome!

The museum is definitely worth visiting. Admission is free, but you are free to give a donation, which should be done to help keep it open. There were artifacts and historical accounts about Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge, in addition to many interesting historical maritime exhibits.

This is a great museum about maritime practices in the local area. Admission is free but the museum accepts donations. There is a robust pirate, Black Beard, and Queen Anne’s Revenge exhibit. It should take about 30-90 minutes to walk through all of the exhibits, depending on your interest level. There is a gift shop and a library with comfy chairs. It was under construction when we went so there may be more exhibits by the time you visit.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum has free admission. You need to find parking somewhere in town as there is not a parking lot for visitors. It was really busy on my last visit likely because people were seeking the air conditioning. My main focus was to see the additions from the conservation lab in Greenville to the Queen Anne's Revenge exhibit. I know how long of a process it is to recover and preserve the remnants. Beaufort's location on the coast has a lot of history, besides learning about the pirates, you can learn about the shipwrecks and life-saving stations, lighthouses and the Fresnel lens, the Rachel Carson Reserve, commercial fishing, whales, surfing and other recreational activities. The museum does a great job showcasing the town's history with the interactive displays. They even have a scavenger hunt sheet for the children. The library was closed to the public on my visit. If you are in Beaufort or nearby, the museum is worth a visit.

A must visit when in Beaufort, super friendly staff and a wonderful place to learn about the area from marine life to pirates. A scavenger hunt makes it interesting for the whole family, from kids to adults. Mr. Myers (front desk) was awesome and really made the visit fun & informative. The exhibits are well done, informative, and interesting for the whole family. Take some time to cool off, learn something, and enjoy some super clean restrooms. If all that is not enough to entice you, it is FREE !!!

This museum never disappoints! Always something new inside. Be sure to drop some money in their donation bin, as the staff works hard to provide great exhibits, many hands-on activities for the kids (scavenger hunt anyone?) and provide so much local history in one place. Find a volunteer and ask them about the whale bones that are hanging from the ceiling and the heart in the case - very interesting story. The gift shop has many items great for kids and adults alike. Support this local treasure - you won't find this information anywhere else.

We visited this free museum while staying in Beaufort and really enjoyed an hour or so here roaming around freely and exploring the exhibits. It's interesting that Blackbeard the pirate, has ties here, as his flagship sunk nearby. Several items recovered from the wreckage are on display here and an interesting display of ship life onboard. There are also a number of exhibits on local fish populations and fishing styles and techniques along with a pretty cool library room and full whale skeleton. A small but cute gift shop is on site as well and they have bathrooms, a penny souvenir machine, and a continued open-air boat museum next door is also a part of the establishment. I'm glad it was free... and is donation based, bc it is not something I'd want to pay a lot for - but it was very informative and easy to visit.

This is a free museum located in Beaufort. I enjoyed a self guided tour through the museum and watched the video that was playing, which was very well done. Lots of good information on the video. The museum is well done with lots of interesting exhibits. This is a great place to take children, as there are some "hands on" things, such as a ships wheel, that they can do. Be sure and read the descriptions of the exhibits, as they are very helpful to understand what you are viewing. I enjoyed my visit here and would recommend it to everyone. Do NOT miss the gift shop! There are great items there that you cant find anywhere else.

Open with pandemic precautions. The one-way path to go through the museum is marked with arrows and signage. There are also separate entry and exit doors. If you are a history buff on pirates, especially Blackbeard, and artifacts from the days of pirates, you should find plenty of things to capture your interest for a bit, Should that not be your area of interest, you'll enjoy what the small museum has to offer in less than 30 minutes. I enjoyed the information and artifacts associated with Blackbeard. Also liked the whale skeleton and the displays showing sailboat styles, NC coastal surfing, and the theater room with a display of Pirate themed movies over the years. You can't complain about the admission price - it's free! The staff I encountered were polite and informative on my Beaufort area questions.

We had a great visit to the Maritime Museum and received quite a history lesson as well! I was bit on overload trying to read and grasp all the information that was available! I would highly recommend a visit to anyone interested in the history of the shores of North Carolina!

We stopped in on a Saturday morning and checked out the exhibits before walking around Beaufort. The building is not very large but there was enough space for a popup model train exhibit the day we were there, plus their usual exhibits focusing on maritime life and pirate lore. It is free and relatively kid-friendly, plus you know they have a gift shop. If you or your kids are really into pirates, they will enjoy it. Worth an hour or so if you're in the area but I don't know if it's worth a special trip just to see the museum.

Great maritime museum with a little something for every member of the family. There's a suggested donation of $6 per adult, but it's not enforced. Lots of small exhibits so you could spend 5 minutes walking through or 5 hours reading everything in the place! Lots of local maritime information and pirate lore. They also have a cute little gift shop with postcards and maritime themed gifts. Bottom line:great place to stop in and learn a little something about maritime history!

A small but enjoyable museum located in downtown Beaufort. My grandmother and I ended up here after taking the Historic Beaufort Double-Decker Bus Tour because the folks running the tour mentioned the museum was free (they appreciate voluntary donations, of course) and had a great display of Queen Anne's Revenge items, a Blackbeard exhibit, etc. While small, the pieces exhibited are highly interesting... and things are organized in an effective way. The museum doesn't take long to go through, so it's certainly worth a quick visit.

Like a few other reviewers have already mentioned, this museum is not all that large and it really is up to you to gauge what your interest level is and how long you want to stay. For the hyperactive crowd this place might be a 20 minute buzz through. For the more literate crowd that likes to learn things and put some time in, you could burn 2+ hours here no problem. The collection represents to me three main areas: I. Local fishing history/heritage II. Local maritime history/heritage III. All things Blackbeard with the obvious focus on Queen Anne's Revenge artifacts. While the pirate themed displays get all the attention and is the sizzle that no doubt draws people in, the actual backbone of the place is more about the boating and the maritime angle. The displays while certainly on the dry side are very well done and really showcase a lot about what put this area on the map even to this day. Highlights would be the boat building shop across the street from the museum, the full sized whale skeleton on the ceiling and the displays about all of the submarine activity that took place off of the NC coast during WWII. Of the three NC Maritime Museums I think this one resonates the best. Not to say that the other two are bad because they certainly are not but this is well put together with good content and enough technology that only enhances what's here. If you go: The Maritime Museum is open year round weekdays 9-5, Saturdays 10-5 and Sundays 1-5. It is free but they do have a donation box/bin near the entrance when you walk in. I put a few bucks in and it looked like most people were as well because it had a good bit of $$ in it. I really thought that parking might be an issue as things in the Beaufort area are fairly tight but they do have a small on site lot (maybe 20 spaces) that had two or three left on the weekday we went in late July. I also noticed other reviewers here and on the other large travel review site mentioning that photos were banned here but I took tons without issue as were several other people. Maybe they don't like it if you use flash but everyone there was taking pictures without issue and what little staff that was present were all kibitzing behind the table near the entrance. They also do several events throughout the year but particularly in season and they are very active on FB and Twitter with information or near daily historical blurbs that pertain to the area.

Very informative and interesting. The staff was friendly. We enjoyed the visit and our granddaughter did too. She is only 18 months old but enjoyed the interactive displays especially the small boat that she was able to climb in.

This museum has a great deal to offer. It's arrangement is a bit odd but the materials they have are interesting and in good shape. They offer materials in regard to recent shipping industries, historical pirate information and objects as well as fishing information. They lack a bit in specific parts of history like the near absence of the change that occurred in the area during the 1850's to 1860's when a regional industry based on kerosene, oils and tars extracted from the towering pine trees then growing in the area. In spite of this the information provided is generally true to life and records what instances they have focused on with a fair amount of accuracy. Their materials regarding the local fishery are exceptional and excellent resource in determining how the present problems of the fishery have arisen. They also raise interesting points on how to solve the problem which you, the visitor, will be able to discern for yourself. The museum is generally well lit. There are games for the children to play like a 'Treasure Hunt' which allows the children, or adult participants, to search for items throughout the museum. That is a particularly fun game, and my favorite, I recommend it highly. The museum is one of the focal points during the 'Pirate Invasion' which occurs annually during the summer months and is a celebration of maritime history, piracy and community!

Super fun for family's and kids ! Even the teenagers enjoyed reading the information and doing the scavenger hunt !

This place is fascinating! If you're into pirates, history, the ocean, boats, or marine life you'll love this little museum. Its free and chock full of great information on all things relating to the ocean in this region. We loved the wall of fish (who knew there were fish called "Crappie" and "Wahoo"?), the in-depth Blackbeard pirate display (did you know his final ship was called "Queen Anne's Revenge"?), and the sperm whale skeleton and heart! The library full of intricate boat models and floor-to-ceiling books made us want to curl up and read more about the sea. It's a small, self-guided museum, although I think there are some guided tours because we saw a pirate-clad woman giving information to a group of land lubbers. You won't want to leave without sitting in the skiff (or is it a slip? You learn all the names of the different kinds of boats here) and learning about the surfing industry here and on the outer banks. So cool!

This Museum is a perfect "Rainy Day" visit. The location and building are easy to find and nice to navigate inside. The volunteers were helpful and knowledgeable about the history around the area relating to maritime as well as other topics. We thoroughly enjoyed the Black Beard and Queen Annes Revenge portion of the tour but as soon as that portion is over, the visit can get a little drawn out and be a little bland. But that shouldn't hinder the fact that there is plenty of maritime history and neat facts and exhibits to look at. Took us about an hour to go through the whole thing. Will recommend to others when in the area or need ideas for a bad weather day when near Morehead.

Arrived here about 3 p.m. and the staff declined to show us the video. We were the only visitors, it being February. There are very thorough displays on the active recovery of the sunken ship, Queen Anne's Revenge, with an enjoyable visit with one of the artifact restoration professionals. Highly interesting display about the early days of ship wreck rescue squad. My husband thoroughly enjoyed the display about the Civil Air Patrol. We got lost in Beaufort trying to leave town as a new bridge was recently opened and so all the roads seem to be under construction.

We had a rainy day adventure at the museum(two couples in their 20s/30s, one toddler) we were immediately greeted by the sweetest woman who you wish would be your grandmother because she is so great with kids. She gave the toddler a map with key "landmarks" to find in the museum, also a free she'll and a stamp. He was very much entertained with the interactive museum. The husbands really loved the pirate portion, with interesting information about the site. I fell in love with the huge library in the museum, and could have stayed there for hours. A great trip, solely run on donations, so donate well!!

Cute little museum... They give the kids a scavenger hunt so they are excited about looking around..It only takes about 30 minutes to get through it...

First of all, it is free, so you can't beat that! My son particularly enjoyed all of the weaponry and artifacts on display. The best to me was the huge whale skelton suspended above, and then the whale's heart on display below. It is on the main strip, easy to walk to and just pop in for a visit.

This is such a quaint, yet awesome little museum! Big things come in small packages....is that how it goes? This place looks more like a beach post office or maybe even a little business but inside are great artifacts- my fave being from Blackbeard's "Queen Anne's Revenge". If you are a NC Coast history buff or even a pirate fan, HELLO JACK SPARROW, then this is a place you must go and visit. I agree with Chad E. that it is unassuming on the outside, but for Beaufort, and for the NC Coast, this is a great little maritime museum. It looks like it would be fun for the kids also, but from experience, the adults love it too!

This cool museum in downtown Beaufort will take less than an hour to cruise through, unless you happen to REALLY be into maritime history. For everyone else, it's a neat little attraction in a picture-perfect seaside town that's worth a quick visit if you happen to be in the area. And since it's a state museum, there's no admission charge (but you're encouraged to leave a donation on the way out). Our kids enjoyed the Blackbeard exhibit, with relics from the legendary pirate's Queen Anne's Revenge, located a few years ago at the bottom of Beaufort Inlet. They also had a blast completing the scavenger hunt (ask at the information desk), which made things like outboard engines a little more interesting. If the weather's nice, be sure to ask if you can visit the Crow's Nest on the museum's roof. It requires a staff escort, and the ascent up the spiral staircase can be a little intimidating for kids (and a few grown-ups, too). But the view of downtown Beaufort, and across Taylor's Creek, makes it worthwhile. On a clear day, you can see as far as Cape Lookout, where its world-famous lighthouse flashes signals to ships and vacationers alike. The North Carolina Maritime Museum is well worth a visit for anyone vacationing in the Lower Outer Banks.

This is a great place to visit with kids. Very informative. The staff is very friendly. Enjoyed all of the Queen Anne's Revenge items and facts.

This is a wonderful little place with a lot to see, and they are currently adding more. They also have many different programs. There is no entry fee, but guests can choose to make a donation. If you've come to Beaufort, you should certainly make time for a visit.

This is one of the best museums I've ever visited. Requests donations, but doesn't require admission. The pirate Blackbeard, his flagship the Queen Anne's Revenge was found just outside of the town in 1996 so they have multiple and ever increasing artifacts from the wreck at the museum. Every time I'm in Beaufort I stop here for a visit. The museum isn't dedicated to Blackbeard and QAR so there is much for everyone to enjoy.

Wasn't expecting much so walking in the door was a complete surprise. Did expect the skiffs & sailboats but the re articulated sperm whale & plunder from the Queen Anne's Revenge was so interesting. Nice little gift shop, too.

Neat little museum in downtown Beaufort. Voluntary donation is your entry fee. Great place for younger kids - lots of activities.

Maritime carpentry and boatbuilding skills are kept alive here at this living history facility, where artisans and boatwrights create new craft using historic tools and techniques.

Nice place. Humble on outside but really lives up to its name on the inside. Makes sense not too many windows so that they can preserve the artifacts inside. With not much to do in Beaufort, NC, it makes sense to visit this museum as you stroll the water front. Future visitors will have more to see once they finish the real life pirate exhibit since the real finds are excavated nearby.

Not a big museum but they had a really neat Blackbeard exhibit. And very informative volunteers offering g information about the exhibits. Make sure to check out Blackbeard's "potty" if your in the area. The museum is free but you have to pay to park on the street in Beaufort. About $1.25 per hour.

Great little, quaint museum! So unassuming we had no idea what the building was until we walked up to the front door. The lady at the front desk was exceedingly friendly and helpful! They've got Blackbeard relics and a plasticized whale heart. Win x2. And it's free! Please visit, and please donate!

This is an interesting museum to visit if you have the time and it is free (I think it still is, it's been about 4 years since we last visited)... Cameras and camcorders are not allowed inside.

Just the nicest helpful people that volunteer here. Helpful with needed tools and used to let tie ups for $1 per foot.

FREE!!! Great little museum - very well done. They give each kid a clip board with a treasure hunt map of things in the museum - It kept them engaged and busy - and they had a blast doing it! Lots of interesting maritime history and Blackbeard's shipwreck finds. Make sure you take a peek at the shipbuilders structure across the street!

We loved their movie that talks about Blackbeard. They have some really cool exhibits, and I learned a lot. Definitely one of the more interesting museums I've been to.

Very interesting and informative! Great for the whole family. Kind of stinks that no photography is allowed , but overall a fantastic experience!

Hadn't been here in many years, arrived June 2017 with the kids. The museum is free and everyone really had a great afternoon learning about Blackbeard and looking at recovered artifacts from QAR. The only downside is that the gift shop appeared sparse and the selection of shirts was unimpressive. They used to sell some very artistically creative Blackbeard shirts.

Interesting...The Blackbeard memorabilia is especially intriguing

WOW this is surprisingly fun!! I know, you are expecting the same old-same old, tired museum with boring stuff hung on walls. NO! This is a fun museum, and I have to say as a local, the Queen Ann's Revenge and the life saving sections are a Don't Miss. This is really a treasure we have here. My 13 yr old son and 20 yr old college student both thought it was great, took hours to go through the exhibits and both said they were glad they had a chance to do it. Fun photo op: at the end of the QAR exhibit, there is a scuba diving wall with interactives; this a fun to pose as the photos look like you are underwater with the diver. Corny? Heck ya! If you are brave enough, they have a widows' walk up on top of the building; you can see the Diamond Lady from there, the horses on Carrot Island and it has the BEST view of Beaufort. If it's not open, ask. The people who work there are really incredibly friendly.