When you travel, do yourself a favor and see if the town you are visiting has an actual visitor's…read morecenter. I do this when I can and usually you can find out some unique and interesting points about the location you have chosen. This time when we visited Beaufort we encountered some of the local people who gave a run down of the town. These ladies were also dressed in period outfits of the early 1800s which added to the narrative. In addition to the displays we saw a flag that was in great condition and very old. I truly appreciate the information that was given and hope you take the suggestion.

When I returned to Beaufort, NC, I knew that the Beaufort Visitor's Center would be my first stop…read more I bought a ticket for the Double Decker bus tour as that seemed like the best way to get better oriented. Seating on the bus is either on the lower level or the top level and it is possible to switch if it gets too hot up top with the sun. It is a 1967 bus. A tour guide narrates as we went along discussing Beaufort's culture and history. The tour covers a lot of areas and the bus driver did an awesome job of getting us into tight spaces. I was fascinated about the spy Emilene Pigott who was a spy for the Confederates during the Civil War. She hid items in her hoop skirts. She even ate documents so they wouldn't be found. The Josiah Bell house was a Victorian styled house built in 1825. The Leffers cottage was built in 1778 and is an example of a story and a jump. It had a demonstration of weaving. I also got to visit the Courthouse which is where people came to be entertained. It was built in 1796 and is wood framed. I saw the Old Jail where one person was hung. It has 28 inch walls and was a home as well as a jail. The building was built in 1829. It has a pillory outside. The Apothecary Shop and Doctor's Office, was built in 1859 and has various items sold in the shop and the doctor artifacts. The bus tour and the historic sights are must sees while in Beaufort.

The Beaufort Historical Society is a non-profit organization that runs the Beaufort Historic Site…read moreand the Visitors Center. The organization's goal is to preserve the area's history and culture. The Beaufort Historic Site is on two acres and has restored buildings to look as they would have in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Mattie King Art Gallery is in the Rustell House, built in 1732 and shows the talent of artists in the area. It is the oldest house on the Beaufort Historic Site. The house showcases American and Colonial architectural styles. The Leffers Cottage, built in 1778, showcases cooking on an open hearth, as well as sewing, spinning, weaving, and candle-making. It is a "story and a jump" house, aka a one-and-a-half-story house. The original Carteret County Courthouse was built in 1796 and is the oldest wood-framed courthouse in North Carolina and the only English-Circuit courthouse remaining in the state. The Josiah Bell House, built in 1825, is a Victorian-style house with elaborate furnishings inside. The attic may have been used as part of the Underground Railroad. The John C. Manson House was also built in 1825. This house shows the Bahamian architecture, which was common in the area. The wood frame, double porches, and symmetry are features of this style. The Carteret County Jail was built in 1829 and has 28-inch-thick walls. The bricks were made by the masons who built Fort Macon. It was designed to prevent inmates from escaping. The jail was used until 1954 and housed the jailer, his family, and the inmates. The first floor was the family's living quarters and included a kitchen. The second floor was the family's bedroom and prison cells. A doctor's office and apothecary were built in 1859, and show what the doctor's office and pharmacy would have looked like. There are many artifacts of equipment, drugs, and herbs used for care. The organization runs tours and events throughout the year.

This past Wednesday I did the Historic buildings tour. I was at first concerned when I was the only…read moreperson who had purchased a ticket. I know some places will cancel tours if the group isn't large enough. Happily, that was not the case, so I basically had a private tour. It was about 1.5 hours and was very interesting!! there were a couple houses from different time periods, and the court house, jail and apothecary. every house was fascinating, beautifully furnished with period matching furniture. the brief stories of the people who lived there and some of the pieces were fascinating. My schedule did not allow for the bus tour in the afternoon, but I will definitely make time for it in the future. overall, spending some time to tour a little bit of Beaufort makes for a nice break from the salt and sun. the staff was very nice too. if you have some time and love seeing how people used to live, give the tours a try!!

Fort Macon is a great spot for a free and historic activity to take a break from the beach. The…read moreplace is very informative and touches on the for various purposes throughout the years as well as local wildlife. There's an inside museum and when you walk the floor, you can go into different rooms to view different exhibits. There's some things that could use renovations as far as the exhibits go, but overall it's very informative. They have an on-site tour guide that will give you a free tour or answer any kind of questions you may have, she was very informative. The ocean view at the top of the fort is breathtaking. Bonus: there's a souvenir penny roller machine with various designs to choose from

Worth a visit. Beach, views, walking trails. We had a good…read moreafternoon wandering and shelling

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 .

One of our mornings while at the beach, my wife and I got up early and drove down to Fort Macon…read moreState Park. We were told this would be a good spot to find trails to go for a short run, and it was true. There was plenty of trails, to safely walk and run on, rather than along the busy road with beach bums driving by at crazy speeds. There is plenty of parking and nicely maintained trails we found. After our run, we decided to poke into the fort it self, which was free to enter, and we explored some of the space, and some of the educations exhibits. They had a little bit of something for everyone, and tried to make the visitors center exciting and fun for kids. I'd 100% visit this spot again, maybe when it's not so hot, but either way, we enjoyed our visit. The park and fort are well maintained, and preserved, with clean restrooms, and staff to answer any questions you might have.

Okay, this place is quite the gem of beaches in the area. Tons of free parking. Lots of shelters…read morewith grills. Convenient and clean bathrooms. Even a massive covered shelter with a snack bar and lockers to keep your stuff in. Oh yeah, did I mention all of this is FREE?? Even at 3:00pm, the beach wasn't over crowded and there was plenty of parking. On rainy days, you can forgo the beach and check out the Fort Macon museum. There are even trails you can walk! Not hard to spend an entire day here! There were park rangers patrolling to keep everyone safe and maintain the beauty of the park. Not much more you can ask for.

Located along State Road 101 north of Beaufort, this marker points out a religious group that was…read morehere but since moved on. The marker has the same text on both sides. It reads, "Core Sound Meeting. Quaker center for more than 100 years after 1733. Migration west was one cause of decline. Meeting house was 50 years west." It is marker number C-35 and it was erected in 1959 by the Archives and Highway Departments. Online, there is more information. The first Quaker meeting in Carteret County was established in 1733 at William Borden's home, with monthly gatherings and a representative meeting held at Henry Stanton's home. By 1736, the Core Sound Meeting House was built north of Beaufort with land donated by Nicolas Briant and financial support from Rhode Island Friends, and it was soon designated a Monthly Meeting. At its height, Core Sound oversaw seven meetings, both nearby and across Eastern North Carolina, but membership declined as many Quakers migrated west to escape slavery and seek better conditions. The meeting was discontinued in 1841, and in 1898, its property was transferred to the Ann Street Methodist Church in Beaufort. [Review 768 of 2025 - 4200 in North Carolina - 24328 overall]

The present-day courthouse is a two-story red brick and concrete structure designed by architect…read moreHerbert Woodley Simpson. It stands on landscaped grounds in Courthouse Square, right in the heart of Beaufort. It replaces the original wood-framed courthouse that was built circa 1796 that stands at the Beaufort Historic Site. It is in a Greek Revival style by architect Herbert Woodley Simpson. It features red brick and concrete construction, with grand white-columned porticos and an octagonal cupola atop a hipped roof. It houses the County Superior and District Courts and is connected to the County Administration Building, constructed in the early 1980s. A beautiful and powerful building, it was the backdrop for the Olde Beaufort Farmers Market. I sat on the porch in one of the rocking chairs for a bit to appreciate southeast North Carolina. Because it was Saturday, the building was secured, I was not able to see the interior which still retains much of its original layout. [Review 770 of 2025 - 4202 in North Carolina - 24330 overall]

Was nice to visit however not much else on island to do other than beach . Little discouraging by…read more3hr wait after 15 minutes to see lighthouse and then 3hrs to wait to go back got sun poisoning

Cape Lookout Lighthouse is a must see if you are visiting the lighthouses. It is in need of repairs…read moreso was not open during my visit but the house was open and some valuable information was provided to us. The first floor of the house serves as a museum. We arrived to Cape Lookout via the 15 minute ferry from Harkers Island and we were dropped off at the docks and could walk up to the main area with restrooms and a gift shop that did serve cold drinks besides souvenirs. From there, the boardwalk leads you to either the ocean or the lighthouse depending if you go left or right. The island is pretty much undeveloped and as nature made it.