North Carolina Maritime Museum facts for kids
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| Location | Beaufort, North Carolina United States |
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The North Carolina Maritime Museum is a cool place where you can learn all about the sea and boats! It's actually a group of museums in North Carolina, all part of the state's history museums. You can find these museums in three different towns: Beaufort, Southport, and Hatteras. Each museum has its own special stories to tell about North Carolina's amazing coast.
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North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort
The museum in Beaufort teaches you about North Carolina's history with the sea. It also shows you about the coastal environment and local nature.
What You Can See at Beaufort
- Amazing Shells: See shells from over 100 different countries!
- Fish and Sea Life: Check out models of fish and small aquariums with local sea creatures.
- Shipwrecks and Boats: Learn about sunken ships and the different kinds of boats used long ago in North Carolina.
- Coastal Traditions: Discover how people used to hunt for whales, catch oysters, and hunt waterfowl. You'll even see cool duck decoys.
- North Carolina's Wildlife: Find out about the venomous snakes that live in North Carolina.
- Sea Heroes: Learn about the brave people who worked for the United States Lighthouse Service, United States Life-Saving Service, and the United States Coast Guard. These groups helped keep sailors safe.
The Boat Shed
Next to the main museum, there's a special building called the Boat Shed. Here, you can see a collection of traditional boats that were used for work on the water.
The Watercraft Center
Across from the museum is the Watercraft Center. This is where old boats are fixed and cared for. You can even take classes to learn how to build boats yourself! Inside the center is the John S. MacCormack Model Shop. Here, visitors can learn the amazing art of making tiny, detailed ship models.
North Carolina Maritime Museum in Southport
The North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport focuses on the sea history of the Lower Cape Fear area. This is a part of southeastern North Carolina.
What You Can Discover at Southport
- Ship Models: See cool models of ships.
- Nautical Tools: Learn about the instruments sailors used to navigate.
- Shipwrecks and Pirates: Explore stories of sunken ships and famous pirates.
- American Civil War: Find out about the area's role in the American Civil War and Fort Johnston (North Carolina).
- Fishing Life: Learn about both commercial (for business) and sport fishing.
- Shells and Storms: See collections of shells and understand the power of hurricanes along the coast.
Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras
This museum is named after a famous nickname for North Carolina's dangerous coast. The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras tells the stories of more than 2,000 shipwrecks. These ships lie off the Outer Banks.
Exploring Shipwrecks and Heroes
- Famous Wrecks: Learn about major shipwrecks like the USS Monitor, U-85, USS Huron, and Blackbeard's Queen Anne’s Revenge.
- Underwater Adventures: Discover the local culture of SCUBA diving and fishing.
- Saving Lives: The museum highlights the tradition of life-saving in the area. It also shows how local people helped during the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War I, and World War II.
