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]

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]

This monitor is along North Carolina Highway 12 not too far from the Hatteras Ferry Terminal. It…read morepoints out an important naval battle of the Civil War that took place some distance from here. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "U.S.S. MONITOR. Fought C.S.S. "Virginia" ("Merrimac") in first battle of ironclad ships. Lost Dec. 31, 1862, in gale 17 miles southeast. First marine sanctuary." The USS Monitor, designed by Swedish inventor John Ericsson, was a groundbreaking ironclad warship during the Civil War, notable for its raft-like hull and revolving turret armed with two eleven-inch Dahlgren guns. Ericsson secured 240 patents for its equipment, including forty-five for the turret alone. On March 9, 1862, the Monitor famously faced the CSS Virginia at Hampton Roads in the first battle between ironclad ships. After four hours of combat, the Virginia withdrew, granting the Monitor a tactical victory. The ship's innovative design and its dramatic role in naval history continue to captivate, especially through stories of its modern-day recovery. On December 29, 1862, the USS Monitor left Hampton Roads to be towed to waters off the coast of Wilmington. Shortly after midnight on December 31, the ironclad sank during a storm off the coast of Cape Hatteras. Four officers and twelve crewmen were lost. The ship was found in 1973, bottom up, in about 240 feet of water. There is room here to stop and view the marker. It is number B-50 and it was erected in 1976 by the North Carolina Division of Archives and History. [Review 791 of 2025 - 4223 in North Carolina - 24351 overall]

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!

No passport needed for this thrilling trip to a small section of the UK! Recommend the fish and…read morechips.

First some backstory taken from another site:…read more "The stories of how the sailors came to rest on the Outer Banks are intertwined, and begin with the sinking of the San Delfino, which was destroyed by German torpedoes in 1941. After the attack, the body of one of the ship's officers Michael Cairns washed ashore on the beaches of Buxton, and was quietly but respectively buried nearby in Buxton Woods by village locals. A few weeks after the sinking the body of an unknown sailor washed up and was buried next to Cairns. " The below article explains the history of the site in Buxton and the site on Ocracoke better than I can. www.charlotteobserver.com/living/travel/article9080264.html If you go: During the annual ceremony in May the general public is welcome to attend. The rest of the year if you are going to visit (assuming that you're coming from the north) just follow the directions to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse except instead of making the left turn into the parking area continue down Lighthouse Road. Pass Loggerhead Lane and then maybe a fifth of a mile on the right you will see an NPS style brown sign letting you know that you've arrived. There's parking for maybe two or three cars and the graves are set back a few yards on the right under the trees.

This is an absolute MUST VISIT if you're ever in the area. The views are incredible & the…read morelighthouse & grounds are well kept. We enjoyed walking the pier and seeing multiple views of the lighthouse. There is ample parking and despite the original house being under construction due to a fire, there are plenty of restrooms.

After visiting the Hatteras Lighthouse and finding it all wrapped up in scaffolding, I was super…read moreexcited to get here to Bodie Island to find this one ready to photograph and visit. The Bodie Island Lighthouse is a striking black-and-white banded tower that has stood sentinel over the Outer Banks since 1872. This lighthouse is the third built in the area--the first, constructed in 1847, was abandoned due to a poor foundation, and the second, built in 1859, was destroyed during the Civil War by retreating Confederate troops. The current structure rises 156 feet and houses an original first-order Fresnel lens, casting light visible for up to 19 nautical miles. It was automated in 1940 and later transferred to the National Park Service in 1953. After extensive restoration, it opened to the public for climbing in 2013. Visitors can ascend its 219 steps for panoramic views of the surrounding marshes and Roanoke Sound. The lighthouse is part of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore and remains one of the few tall brick lighthouses in the U.S. still equipped with its original lens. It was way too hot today to try climbing anything let alone that. I took my pictures and was more than satisfied. [Round number review 800 of 2025 - 4232 in North Carolina - 24360 overall]

Plenty of parking, clean restrooms, great a/c and a wonderful staff at front desk. They also have a…read morenice gift shop. They promote a scavenger hunt to engage the whole family while visiting the museum. The exhibits are well done, very informative and eye catching. The exhibits managed to get the attention of a disinterested teenager-LOL For you Cancelation Stamp collectors, be sure to ask for any special stamps at info desk (they have some cool ones). Best of all - FREE ENTERTAINMENT

Pros: it's free, so a $20 donation helps them keep the lights on…read more There's some interesting artifacts, a lot of storyboards. Otherwise, the Titanic Exhibition is much more interesting, with a lot more to see, and more immersive. You're done in a few minutes, but they've tried. In short, it's boring.

What a unique experience I had finding this place…read more I had posted on Facebook that I was in town from LA and a friend from 30 years ago, then at first met at my first job in California randomly responded about the Old Burying Ground and said I should visit it. We were downtown and hitting a couple spots, and I was mentioning to my friend that lives locally about her response and it came right at the same exact moment that we were passing the cemetery and she pointed it out, so we quickly stopped and backed up and parked, and took a venture inside, mainly to see the girl that was buried in a barrel of rum, holy cow when you see the age of some of these graves and realize how extremely old they are, and you really quickly getting a sense of the magnitude of the history of the place. It is well worth your time to visit and explore.

Beautiful , historic graveyard . If you love history this burying ground is definitely worth a stop…read more. Plan to spend around 30 minutes here , maybe longer if you take your time to read the tombstones . It's a well kept graveyard but be sure to watch your step as the terrain is uneven in some areas . If you really want to learn more about the town's oldest graveyard , you can take a tour offered by the Beaufort Historical Association . Go to the website or visit the Beaufort Historical Center on Turner Street for more info . It's a peaceful final resting place for hundreds of notable people , soldiers , seaman and most notably , the Rum Girl .

Just a brief update:…read more If you have been to the lighthouse over the past few years, you know that work has been ongoing at the keepers quarters. What this means in the short term is that three or four parking spaces for the lighthouse on lighthouse road are being taken up by various trucks or construction equipment. This can be mitigated by a short drive down to the Ocracoke Assembly of God Church where they, obviously not during Sunday services, have plenty of parking in two separate areas. (It goes without saying, follow their sign and don't be dick, give them a few bucks in their drop box). The main walkway to the lighthouse is still very much open and you can see what you would have seen prior, the exterior, since climbing here has never been a thing. While the work on the keepers quarters was supposed to have been done by now, but it'll get there when it gets there and the upside is that you'll be able to get inside and see some of it versus it being fully closed to the public.

This was the number one thing I wanted to see on Ocracoke and now that I've seen it, I'm happy! I…read morelove lighthouses, having visited 128 lighthouses across the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Portugal, the Republic of Ireland and even a lightboat in Sweden. Do lighthouses in Oklahoma (Lake Hefner), West Virginia (Summersville) and Vermont (Shelburne) count? They do for me! Ocracoka's lighthouse is easy to access with parking lots nearby and it's maybe a one mile walk from the ferry terminal. It was built in 1823 by Massachusetts builder Noah Porter and is the oldest operating lighthouse in North Carolina and the second oldest still standing in the state. It was constructed to guide ships safely through the treacherous Ocracoke Inlet into Pamlico Sound, a vital route for maritime trade and military supply lines. Standing 75 feet tall with a conical brick structure, the lighthouse was automated in 1955, and while visitors can access the base during summer months, the tower itself is not open for climbing. Its enduring presence and simple elegance make it one of the most beloved landmarks on the Outer Banks. [Review 775 of 2025 - 4207 in North Carolina - 24335 overall]