Wonderful little museum and gift shop. The free museum (donations requested) is in the restored…read moreDavid Williams house. The inside and outside exhibits tell the story of early islanders, including the pirate Black Beard, and Ocracoke Island life. Displays include period rooms, model boats, decoys, and local seashells. The little gift shop offers a mix of local themed books, works by local artists, locally made items, and assorted gifts for all ages--all reasonably priced compared to other area shops.

Neat little museum and gift shop on Ocracoke. Suggested donation is $5/child .. $10/adult. We spent…read morea bit of time here checking out the history of Blackbeard and other things local to Ocracoke.

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

So, if there is anything to know about me, I will go out of my way to visit a museum. No matter how…read morebig or small. No matter the cost. I enjoy learning a bit about an area, it's good to expand your knowledge. As most have noticed, this is a free museum to visit. Unlike what the one reviewer said, you actually get more than "what you pay for." Other things that others have touched on. Yes, this is end of the line before the ferry to Ocracoke. Be mindful of the lanes when trying to get here, you may end up at the ferry. Ample parking, and there is beach access nearby. I have to touch on this, they did a really good job on design here. They incorporated the shipwreck theme throughout. From the entrance of the land you see large anchor. The building, when you are further away from it, looks like a large boat. Almost like an ark. Then, when you do get inside, the theater area where they show the video, you are inside the hull of a sunken metal ship. You don't see this until you are outside this area and roaming about the rest of the museum. Like there are holes in hull. Then there is the big lifeboat display. It's quite stunning. Then there area the display of items from shipwrecks. So many different eras here. Touching on safety and rescue here as well. The lighthouse display feels massive in this room. And that's the thing, everything this museum has is housed in one room. But it is partitioned in such a way that each display feels like its own area. After you are done with the museum portion the exit takes you into the gift shop. Take your time to find the right souvenir. Once you exit the gift shop make sure to check out the displays in this area. It's kind of a continuance of the museum. I will leave you with this. My favorite part about this museum was the digital display at the beginning. Showing you just how high the storm surge can get during any given storm. Topping out at over twenty feet. When you stand next to it, you feel tiny. On your way out, check out the grounds area around the parking. More information out there.

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!

I think the museums along OBX are small collection-type. The collection here is rich and very…read moreinformative. I learned a lot of history, about art from different tribes. There was one room which was more of an exhibit and resembled a home. The museum generally focused on Native American history at large but was not super helpful in informing you about the Croatan or Roanoke groups which were local to the region prior to European colonization. I understand the historical record is rather sparse but it would have been nice to have more connection to the location we were in. Nevertheless, I learned quite a bit about the role of the code talkers during WWII, saw models of original canoes, and more which were all rather interesting!

Many excellent artifacts with great descriptions and historical context. Very friendly staff!read more

The horses of Ocracoke Island, known as Banker Ponies, are believed to be descendants of Spanish…read moremustangs brought ashore after shipwrecks in the 16th century. One theory traces their arrival to the 1565 wreck of the Tiger, commanded by Sir Richard Grenville, who may have unloaded livestock onto the island. These ponies roamed freely for centuries, becoming part of the island's culture and even serving in beach races and as work animals. In 1959, they were penned to protect them from increasing car traffic after the highway was built. Today, the remaining herd lives in a protected enclosure managed by the National Park Service, preserving a living link to Ocracoke's maritime past. Sadly, there weren't any ponies this morning when I stopped by. [Review 783 of 2025 - 4215 in North Carolina - 24343 overall]

Our favourite beach access is directly across from the Ocracoke Pony pens, where the horses that…read moreare no longer able to care for themselves due to injury, age, et al, are cared for and guarded. You can still adopt a pony (donate) just like the Corolla Wild Horse Fund, and anything you give goes towards their care, medical, and food. After you arrive from the ferry, it's a very short drive and you'll come up on the pen to the right. Do not interfere with or feed them, but if you're lucky and the staff are feeding them you might have the opportunity to assist. There is a platform for better viewing, as they are gorgeous, sentient creatures, and you can sit peacefully and admire them from a safe distance.

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]

Well it's another lighthouse. There is free parking a block down, or park at the church just past…read morethe lighthouse for a donation. There is a boardwalk to the lighthouse that keeps your feet dry. Can't climb the stairs. Basically this is a 5 min visit, take some pics, read the history sign, then leave. I guess once the light keepers house is done with restoration there may be a museum to see?

What great place to tour and staff was so nice.. once we paid and started tour the gentleman put a…read moreball up a tube that went into this cool artistic display of how a rain drop forms and the lifecycle.. it went into a cloud around room which simulated atmosphere and into rivers and big bodies of water it was cool. Then we sat in on 12 min film on estuaries.. then self guided tour .. for $5 it's worth price of admission . Lots of rooms to go thru.. live animals like snake , crab, alligator to see.. and you can walk outside on the deck see beauty of the waterfront area. Enjoyed my visit and highly recommend to anyone in area.

The North Carolina Estuarium is located in Downtown Washington, NC. It is the first estuarium in…read morethe world and focuses on the environment. The NC Estuarium offers ferry rides on the Tar and Pamlico Rivers at various times during the year. I really enjoy the rides as you might see some wildlife besides the plant life. The captain provide fun facts along the way too. The museum is 12,500 square foot and serves as an education center. It provides a great overview of the estuaries and coastal rivers which are an important part of the ecosystem where fresh water and salt water mix. 90% of NC seafood comes from estuaries. We need to keep these waterways clean. In the lobby the display is large and shows the different parts of North Carolina. The NC Esturium is part museum and part aquarium. The aquarium focuses just on estuary species. It has over 200 exhibits and a lot are hands on. The part about the hurricanes was informative and showed the damage done from the rising sea levels. I highly recommend visiting this unique museum.

Bless our National Park staff. They have to deal with some terrible humans, as we witnessed the day…read morewe were there. But it was handled well and we enjoyed our time here. There is a ton to see in the visitor center and even more on the other side of Kill Devil Hill (the big hill with monument) They have a Veterans discount in the gift shop!

The Park Ranger who gave the informative talk of the history of the Wright brothers was an amazing…read morestoryteller. I love when they make history come alive through the stories they tell. The 45 minute talk just flew bye and you wished there was more.

Maritime was a great little place with lots of history. The exhibits were well done and easy to…read morefollow. It was easy to read off to a 7 year old for homeschooling history class!

The North Carolina Maritime Museum has free admission. You need to find parking somewhere in town…read moreas 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.

The Roanoke Island Maritime Museum. It was built in 1998 and is located in the George Washington…read moreCreef Boathouse who was a local boat builder. He made Shad boats. Those volunteering didn't seem interested in telling me anything about the museum unfortunately so I learned what I did from reading the exhibits and walking around. The museum has some small water crafts to see like the Ella that was build in 1883 and exhibits. Boats are restored at the museum too. If you are in the area, check out the museum to see these hand crafted boats.

The lighthouse was nice. We were able to check it out early in the morning. There were beautiful…read moreviews. The other part was ok. They had a neat knot area but it was not clear were To go to check out the boats.