Lighthouse is under a major renovation, but still a must stop when visiting the Cape Hatteras…read moreNational Seashore. Easy plentiful parking and nice modern restrooms. Gift Shop has a little bit if everything and a friendly helpful Staff. Young woman at front desk was super. She even had a list of local cancelation stamps for those of us in the pursuit of unique stamps for your book. Make sure to visit the museum and chat with Ranger Chris Lampley - Super friendly and informative on the area, and had some great pointers for local birding to include a morning bird walk happening the next morning. So much information and an opportunity for Junior Rangers to get thier book to complete for a very cool badge. Definitely worth the drive and visit. We will be back to see how it looks after the restoration.

The lighthouse is currently under an impressive renovation- and even that is impressive! Go see it…read moreon every stage of this immense project and see the powerful historical part of the coast! The museums are also amazing and well managed. Can't wait to go back when it's completed!

Food always great! Service awsome! We were stranded on the…read moreisland do to an Nor'easter storm. Staff was very friendly and kept us updated on local news. Thank you for taking care of us... breakfast lunch and dinner!

This marker stands at the curve where NC 12 turns to start heading north along the Outer Banks. It…read morepoints out the history of the geographic and nautical vicinity. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "'Diamond Shoals. 'Graveyard of Atlantic.' German submarines sank over 100 ships here, 1941-42, in the "Battle of Torpedo Junction." Shoals are 3 mi. south." Diamond Shoals is a shifting series of sandbars off Cape Hatteras. It has long threatened ships due to its volatile location where the Gulf Stream meets the Labrador Current. Recognizing the danger, Congress authorized the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in 1794 and later deployed lightships and established the U.S. Life Saving Service to aid mariners. Though steamships reduced wrecks by the early 20th century, German U-boats sank numerous vessels near the shoals during both World Wars. Today, modern navigation has improved safety, but the shoals remain a cautionary zone for passing vessels. There is room to stop and read the marker, which is number B-41 and was erected in 1962 by the Archives and Highways Departments. [Review 796 of 2025 - 4228 in North Carolina - 24356 overall]

This monument stands in the parking lot opposite the ferry terminal, close to the water. It points…read moreout the history of the Confederate form that stood nearby and lists those who served in the Civil War from here. The etched stone marker reads, "The remnants of Fort Ocracoke are submerged in Ocracoke Inlet, 2 miles to the west - southwest, toward Portsmouth Inlet. The last of possibly four forts on Beacon Island, the mostly earthen Fort Ocracoke was constructed by mainland Confederate volunteers, beginning on May 20, 1861, the day North Carolina seceded from the Union and joined the Confederacy. "After Union victories on Hatteras Island in August, 1861, the Confederates partly destroyed the fort and abandoned it without a fight. Mainland Union forces completed the destruction in September, 1861. Beacon Island was consumed by the waters of Ocracoke Inlet in the first half of the 20th century. The fort's remains were discovered and identified by members of surface interval diving boats in August 1998, acting on a tip from Ocracoke Charter Boat Captain, Donald Austin." On the rear, "In Memory of Veterans of the Civil War from Ocracoke & Portsmouth Islands" and it lists their names. The marker was erected by the Hyde County Heritage Trail. [Review 779 of 2025 - 4211 in North Carolina - 24339 overall]

This marker is next to the parking lot of the Hatteras Ferry Terminal. It has the same text on both…read moresides, reading "Fort Hatteras and Fort Clark, 2 miles s. west, fell to Union troops on Aug. 29, 1861, after two days of heavy naval bombardment." Online, there is more information. In 1861, Hatteras Inlet was a vulnerable point in the Confederate defense of North Carolina, prompting Brigadier General Walter Gwynn to recommend fortifications there. Despite approval from Governor Henry Toole Clark, the forts--Hatteras and Clark--were poorly equipped and manned by undertrained troops with short-range weapons. By late July, both forts were completed and flying Confederate flags, but their sand-and-sod construction and limited firepower left them exposed. On August 28-29, Union forces led by General Benjamin F. Butler launched a successful assault, quickly capturing Fort Clark and bombarding Fort Hatteras until its surrender. This defeat opened the way for Union control of the Pamlico and Albemarle Sounds, marking a strategic turning point in the coastal campaign. There is room to stop and read the marker. It is number B-38 and it was erected in 1959 by the North Carolina Archives and Highway Departments. [Review 787 of 2025 - 4219 in North Carolina - 24347 overall]

Located across from the iconic U.S. Weather Bureau Station, the Hatteras Convention Marker provides…read moreinsight into a lesser-known period of Civil War history. It captures the intricate political scheming and allegiances that developed throughout the Outer Banks, where some residents sought safety under the Union flag despite never having favored secession. It honors a daring but brief attempt at reunion during the Civil War. Following the occupation of the region by Union forces, Union Colonel Rush C. Hawkins called the Hatteras Convention on November 18, 1861. In addition to designating Hatteras as the state's temporary capital and appointing Marble Nash Taylor as its interim governor, delegates ruled that North Carolina's secession was void. Taylor even demanded a congressional election, but the U.S. Congress disregarded the results, and the experiment was essentially terminated when President Lincoln appointed Edward Stanley as military governor. [Review 790 of 2025 - 4222 in North Carolina - 24350 overall]

On the west side of North Carolina 12 in Hatteras, this marker points out a critical radio…read moremilestone. And here I am listening to FM radio! The marker reads, "From near here in 1902 R. A. Fessenden sent the first musical notes ever relayed by radio waves. Received 48 miles north." It is marker number B-53 and it was erected in 1988 by the Division of Archives and History. On December 24 1902, Fessenden transmitted the first intentional radio broadcast, which included him playing his violin and reading a passage from the Bible. These sounds traveled 48 miles north to Roanoke Island, marking the first time musical notes were sent by radio waves. Fessenden's work introduced the continuous wave principle. His success in transmitting voice and music wirelessly revolutionized communication and laid the groundwork for future broadcasting technology. Fessenden patented more than 500 ideas, mostly in the field of radio, and is recognized as the originator of the continuous wave principle in wireless transmission, the foundation for modern AM radio. [Review 797 of 2025 - 4229 in North Carolina - 24357 overall]

We enjoyed our visit to this historic property. There are several buildings to walk through and see…read moreto understand life at the Life Saving Station. Lots of history in a beautiful setting. Well appointed gift shop with books on local history. Leandra made for a fantastic docent with plenty of information to share.

I thought this museum was a good idea but wasn't executed all that well. The placards were mostly…read morewebsite printouts of news articles and pages (printed with the access date and time...) with small font and not at all curated like a museum. The museum curator also mentioned it would take an hour but the whole premises were small and took max 30 minutes to cover. Outside of the main building, the others were more arrangements of memorabilia without any explanations. They could have done this place more justice. I understand charging admissions ($10 regular, $6 student) given the cost of renovation to make this into a museum, but those prices seemed too steep considering what you got.

This marker is located with another on North Carolina Highway 12 just north of Hatteras. There is…read moreroom to stop and read the markers. It has the same text on both sides, reading "Bill Mitchell. 1879-1936. Brigadier general of the Army Air Service, demonstrated air power by bombing battleships off coast, Sept. 5, 1923. Landing field was here." In 1923, Brigadier General Billy Mitchell dramatically demonstrated the vulnerability of battleships to aerial bombing by sinking the USS Virginia and USS New Jersey off Cape Hatteras using Army Air Force bombers, despite skepticism from military leaders like General Pershing. Mitchell's outspoken advocacy for air power led to his court-martial and resignation, but his 1924 prediction of a Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor proved eerily accurate when it occurred in 1941. Though he died in 1936, Mitchell's vision was vindicated, and in 1946 Congress honored him posthumously with a unique Special Congressional Medal of Honor for his pioneering contributions to military aviation. There is more information online. This is marker number B-32 and it was erected in 2005 by the North Carolina Office of Archives and History. [Review 792 of 2025 - 4224 in North Carolina - 24352 overall]