The Museum is the official home of artifacts recovered from Blackbeard's flagship, Queen Anne's Revenge. Other exhibits feature the state's rich natural ecosystems, the development of specialized boats for the region, lifesaving stations, the seafood industry, and boatbuilding.

In 1718, the notorious pirate Blackbeard lost his flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, when it ran aground in Beaufort Inlet.

For more than 270 years, it was hidden by water and sand – a mystery to archeologists around the world.

In 1996, private company Intersal, Inc. discovered the shipwreck. The Museum became the official repository for all Queen Anne’s Revenge artifacts and has offered an interactive and permanent exhibit which opened in 2011.

Now Blackbeard and his crew sail again in history, artifacts, interactive features and legends.





The “Whales and Whaling” exhibit is the first phase of a major exhibition on North Carolina’s commercial fisheries. Photographs, information and artifacts tell the story of North Carolina’s unique style of whaling. The crowning feature – a 33.5-foot sperm whale skeleton – helps to teach visitors about the species of whales that are found off the coast today.

The Museum showcases coastal heritage and history with exhibits on pirates, shipwrecks, settlers, boatbuilding, the seafood industry and marine science. Learn how boats evolved from dugout canoes to high-speed motorboats. Read stories of life-saving and tales of the high-seas.

Across the street from the Museum, the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center buzzes with the action of traditional boatbuilding. Visitors are encouraged to watch, and take boatbuilding courses offered throughout the year for all skill levels. Opened in 1991, the Museum’s Watercraft Center carries on the rich boatbuilding heritage of North Carolina coast.