NC Maritime Museum : BEAUFORT

Half Hull Model Class
2026-11-14 09:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center, 322 Front Street, Beaufort, NC, 28516, United States
Half hull models serve as traditional methods to visualize, plan, and understand a vessel’s three-dimensional design and proportions. This half hull model class teaches participants to create a scale, half-side replica of a North Carolina Shad boat’s hull. Classes provide hands-on woodworking experience by teaching techniques like transferring boat plans, cutting laminated “lifts” of wood, and carving the hull into its final shape, resulting in a finished model ready for the participant to apply the finish of their choosing at home.
Class fee is $150 ($135 for Friends of the Museum, which sponsors the program). Minimum age is 16. Course size is limited, and advance registration is required. Register below or by calling 252-504-7758.

North Carolina’s War at Sea: Privateers & Letter of Marque Vessels
2026-11-19 12:00 - 13:00 | North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, 28516, United States
North Carolina’s privateers and letters of marque vessels took the war to sea against British shipping in North American, Caribbean, and European waters. Join Maritime History Curator David Bennett to learn the difference between privateer and letter of marque vessels, who owned them, what life and combat aboard these vessels was like and their impact on the war effort.
This program is part of the museum’s Maritime Heritage Lecture Series, informal lectures focused on North Carolina’s rich maritime history, coastal environment, and culture. Programs are offered select Thursdays at noon. The lectures are held in the museum auditorium and streamed via Zoom. Admission is free, and registration is not required for the in-person program. Visit ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com/virtual to sign up to receive the Zoom links. Programs are also posted to the museum’s YouTube channel.

Introduction to Wooden Boatbuilding
2026-11-21 - 2026-11-22, 2026-12-12 - 2026-12-13 | Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center, 322 Front Street, Beaufort, NC, 28516, United States
The introductory wooden boatbuilding class provides hands-on experience with fundamental boatbuilding concepts. The course teaches students to select wood, design a boat, and use various techniques like steam bending, planking (carvel or lapstrake), and fastening to construct a small boat. The curriculum covers basic design, essential tools, safe workshop practices, and the properties of wood, culminating in a small project that builds confidence for independent boatbuilding.
Class runs from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day. Class fee is $200 ($180 for Friends of the Museum). Minimum age is 16. Course size is limited, and advance registration is required. Register below or by calling 252-504-7758.

History of Santa Claus, Patron Saint of Sailors
2026-12-03 12:00 - 13:00 | North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, 28516, United States
Did Santa prefer a green suit before he started wearing his now iconic red? What is Mrs. Claus’s first name? We may not know everything about the mysterious and jolly figure; but during this family-friendly presentation, Associate Education Curator Christine Brin will try to answer some questions without taking away any of the magic.
This program is part of the museum’s Maritime Heritage Lecture Series, informal lectures focused on North Carolina’s rich maritime history, coastal environment, and culture. Programs are offered select Thursdays at noon. The lectures are held in the museum auditorium and streamed via Zoom. Admission is free, and registration is not required for the in-person program. Visit ncmaritimemuseumbeaufort.com/virtual to sign up to receive the Zoom links. Programs are also posted to the museum’s YouTube channel.

Kids' Cove: Trains
2026-12-09 09:00 - 11:00 | North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, 28516, United States
Kids’ Cove is a free-play program designed for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers with a different maritime themed craft and wiggle activity each month. While the museum’s gallery remains temporarily closed, the Kids’ Cove programs will return to the museum auditorium. This is a screen-free program meant to help caregivers connect with their little ones, each other, and their local maritime heritage. The program is designed so that participants can stay for as short or as long as they want, arriving and leaving at any time during the scheduled program. Programs do not build on each other, so you can participate in one, all, or some without feeling left out. Programs are held on the second Wednesday of each month from 9 to 11 a.m. Pre-registration preferred.
Sign up below or by calling 252-504-7758.
