A MUST!!!!!! Small and free. Took us about an hour and man was it worth it! We learned so…read moremuch about the sea around us was truly amazing and truly had no idea. The two ladies at the entrance was soooo nice!! Do yourself a favor take out an hour of your time and go you will be amazed

Small but well curated collection with video explanations and exhibits, sound effects, and a…read morecollection if items. The remodeled museum was done well done - it is only open on the weekdays which is a bummer for those who only visit during a weekend but otherwise is a worthwhile stop. Free admission too and kind curators!

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.

This Museum is small but it has island history. What I heard the upstairs is an archive library for…read morethe island history which not open to public. The museum is free with any donation. It is climate control building. The house of the museum is belong to an US Coast Guard David Williams. This house originally build in different location and move to current location for preservation. The house was built around mid 18 century. There some item in the house interesting such as furnace, World War II records, old refrigerator, US Coast Guard model ship, navy uniform, quilts. The out side has some has some boat and ship wracked items. The visit to museum can be done in less than one hours.

Aurora Fossil Museum is located in Aurora, NC. The museum is in two buildings and there are three…read morefossil pits (two official and one left over from a festival) that you can dig. Admission is free for all of this. There is even a parking lot. Some of the fossils in the first building are local fossils that came from a nearby phosphate mine. But others are from all over the world. The other building across the street has mostly gems. The museum has a nice gift shop and restrooms if needed.

This is a very remote field trip, so plan accordingly. Bring food, bring water, and bring your…read moreenthusiasm....and if your knees are bad, a lawn chair. This place will appeal to the dinosaur enthusiast in all of us. YOU WILL find stuff....teeth, shells, occassional vertebrae. They get dirt drops 2 or 3 times a year from the local phosphorus mine. The mom and pop that set up this venture support their two museums with donations, so buy something at the shop or make a donation because this place needs to continue. Otherwise, the only cost is your time and patience. They are warm, friendly, and very knowledgeable, so bring your finds to them for id. Guaranteed, you will learn something. Parking is abundant and free, and bathrooms are available. You and your kids need to experience this place so come on to one of the neatest experiences in NC.

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.

My husband and I only could spend a short time here as it was closing. However, we felt what we…read morewere able to read and see was very interesting as there was much to learn about the history of local life and the inhabitants of Ocracoke as well as the US life saving service. Ideally you do need some time to explore the house to get a full appreciation as to what it has to offer. We recommend it and would return the next time we are in Ocracoke.

We honestly weren't really sure what this museum was about, but we had a good time nonetheless AND…read moreit was free! We happened upon it during Christmas time and thus, we were greeted with cookies, crackers, and cheese. It was a pretty house with reminiscent items from islanders-past; a nice way to pass a half hour.

The Museum of the Albemarle, a hidden gem in Elizabeth City that goes above and beyond what one…read moremight anticipate for a town of its size, is tucked away along the shoreline. The size and caliber of the displays immediately establish that this is not a little local collection but rather a well designed area that reflects the richness and complexity of the history of northeastern North Carolina. Despite my short time today, I was amazed by the depth of the exhibits, which cover centuries of local history, from colonial colonization and Indigenous cultures to maritime heritage and contemporary municipal development. The museum's layout is expansive, with high ceilings and spacious galleries that invite deeper exploration. It's the kind of place where you could easily spend several hours and still feel like there's more to uncover. [Review 887 of 2025 - 4309 in North Carolina - 24444 overall]

The Museum of the Albermarle is located in Downtown Elizabeth City. Admission is free and the…read moremuseum has its own parking lot or you can park in other lots in town and walk to the museum. The museum has a ramp or stairs in the front to get to the entrance. The museum is large and is on two levels and covers all 13 of the Albemarle counties. (Northampton; Hertford; Dare; Bertie; Gates; Perquimans; Chowan; Pasquotank; Camden; Currituck; Washington; Tyrell; and Hyde), pretty much all of the northeast corner of the state. You can take the stairs up to the second level for a better look at the shad boat and quilts or use the elevator. Restrooms are located on both levels. The first floor had some traveling exhibits and the gift shop. The second floor had the permanent exhibits with the history of the area. I liked that the museum covered so many topics from the beginning to different periods of time from when Native Americans were in the region to the slavery and the Underground Railroad, Railroads; Automobiles; Firefighting; Farming; the World Wars and the Civil War; Civil Rights; the Vietnam War; the Coast Guard; different industries and tourism. The museum has many artifacts and information boards to read. The waterfowl exhibit with the bird decoys was great and showed the details of the carvings. The floating theatre inspired Show Boat. Hannah Crafts was inspiring. This museum showcases the importance of the Albemarle Sound and the region and they did a great job of preserving history and stories for future generations. I highly recommend visiting this wonderful museum.

I absolutely loved my experience at the Island Farm. Everyone was super nice and I especially…read moreenjoyed talking to Charles about the history of the original home and the farm and general. Definitely stop by and support this cute farm.

This was a place i went by myself to learn and adventure. All the staff were amazing, nice and…read morewelcoming. You learn about history as you are immersed! It was a 10/10! If you are from around here and have even an hour to spare you should stop by! I could spend an entire day here. I got to try a drink they made, ride in a wagon, learn how children played by making a doll, pet cows, feed chickens and so much more!!! This is kid friendly and a great way to spend some time!!!!

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.

A must visit when in Beaufort, super friendly staff and a wonderful place to learn about the area…read morefrom marine life to pirates. A scavenger hunt makes it interesting for the whole family, from kids to adults. Mr. Myers (front desk) was awesome and really made the visit fun & informative. The exhibits are well done, informative, and interesting for the whole family. Take some time to cool off, learn something, and enjoy some super clean restrooms. If all that is not enough to entice you, it is FREE !!!

Really unique, awesome little museum with an array of different items. As a fan of the macabre I…read moreespecially enjoyed their jars of snakes and animals, skeleton and the hodgepodge collection of military memorabilia. The women I met running the museum were very friendly and provided an interesting conversation. So glad I stopped!