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.

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.

The Aurora Fossil Museum is well worth the visit! Upon arrival go to the museum entrance and check…read morein. They have some cool items to purchase and then lots of interesting artifacts, fossils, etc to view. You can purchase small shovels and screens for fossil digging but you can also bring your own. After checking out the museum go outside and find a spot in one of the fossil pits. I found a shark's tooth on my first shovel full of dirt!! We spent about an hour or so just having fun digging in the dirt and finding shark's teeth. I also got to pet a lovely tuxedo cat named Phobea. What's not to love!!! Best yet, this was all FREE because Aurora is a nonprofit. Any items you purchase in the gift shop the proceeds will go to support the museum. I would highly recommend this trip if you are in the area. Kids and adults will love this!

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.

I happened upon this place while walking around and it was one of those hidden gems you only find…read moreonce in a while when you are a tourist. This museum is actually a working boat shop with exhibits, watercraft on display and there was a restoration project going on while I was there. I also learned from speaking to the people there that they offer educational programs on building traditional watercrafts for adults and children. You can also tour a reconstruction of a lighthouse that once stood on the barrier islands complete with educational exhibits. They also had a tower that is still working to let people know via different flags flying for weather conditions that will be approaching. They have the original signal lights working on it from when it went into use. I always enjoy an interactive museum that still has a purpose as well as friendly people who have a passion for what they are doing and want to share it with you. Plus, I just really like boats and sailing!

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.

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.

Entertainment - 4.5/5 Novelty - 4/5…read more I've been to a lot of historical houses (living in Virginia, I have easy access to Monticello, Mount Vernon, and Montpelier amongst others). But this one really sticks out in that 1) it is still a functional farm using agricultural methods from the early 1800s; and 2) literally EVERY part of the farm can be entered, touched and experienced. My youngest kid LOVED getting up close with the free range chickens and helping to collect the eggs (as well as playing games from the time period and using a see-saw on the property). My older son was really engaged by the employees, who taught him how to convert sheep's wool into yarn (letting him use a drop spindle and the spinning wheel). I loved seeing their smokehouse and strolling through the fun presentation of history. Getting to touch the beds, walk in all rooms, and experience a historic cookhouse, was really novel. The family who owned the farm were slave owners and the farm does not hide its history. The slave quarters are open and has a tribute to those who were enslaved. They also had an exhibit in the visitor center discussing the history of African Americans in Roanoke (where I learned there was briefly a thriving freedmen colony formed there post-Civil War). Although a bit more could be done (I'd love to see a marker for them in the cemetery on site), I appreciate that they address this dark aspect of the farm's history in a respectful way. The staff is engaging, the presentation is fantastic, and it's a fun way to (cliche alert!) let history come alive for the whole family.

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!!!!

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.

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!