Paid programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Maritime Museum in Beaufort.
Join Associate Education Curator Benjamin Wunderly to discover the various plants and animals of the salt marsh and tidal flats at the Rachel Carson Reserve. The guided hike will take you through the different habitats found on Town Marsh and Bird Shoal. The terrain will...
At the turn of the 20th century, North Carolina historian and journalist Fredrick A. Olds established Sunshine Clubs to entertain and educate children. During the summers, Olds took underprivileged youth from the Raleigh Sunshine Club to Carteret County to experience and learn about the seacoast....
The Carolina Maritime Model Society exists to promote the production of high-quality ship models and encourage members and the public to participate in a craft that is as old as shipbuilding itself. The group will meet in the museum auditorium. Meetings are open to the...
Join Associate Curator Benjamin Wunderly for basic kayak instruction and safety lessons on shore followed by a relaxing paddle through a salt marsh. Under 18 must be accompanied by an adult. Participants must know how to swim; some kayak experience is recommended. Cost is $35...
Explore the art of boat building from start to finish during a two-day, hands-on course at the North Carolina Maritime Museum’s Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center. The course begins with the design and lofting of boats and moves on to the setup, steam bending and...
Participate in a 40-60 minute walking tour of Bonehenge Whale Center, led by Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster and Associate Museum Curator Christine Brin. Keith has spent over 35 years studying marine mammals off the coast of North Carolina, focusing on bottlenose dolphins. His work...
Join the Friends of the Museum for an old-fashioned, family-oriented picnic at the N.C. Maritime Museum’s expansion site at Gallants Channel in Beaufort. Come and sail in the museum’s fleet of traditional wooden boats; or cast a line with a cane pole, join in games...
Registration is open for the summer sailing sessions for youth ages 8 to 16. Using the fun of sailing, students will learn boat handling and seamanship, from basic to more advanced, as well as competitive racing during Regatta Week. The program promotes self-reliance, awareness of...
Preschoolers (ages 2-5) and their caregivers participate in a maritime themed hands-on experience, craft, and activity during this program, which is offered every second Wednesday. Topics rotate between pirates, sharks, whales, and fish with a focus on both experience and exposure. Each program is 45-60...
Join Tim Hatcher, author of Time and Tide: The Vanishing Culture of the North Carolina Coast, for a presentation and Q&A about the beautiful, ever-changing coast of North Carolina and its rich past and present culture. Tim lives on a North Carolina beach that he loves...
Join the Friends of the Maritime Museum for an exciting, one-of-a-kind themed gala, Boat Shoes & Bow Ties! Members and guests will enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres and libations, live music and dancing overlooking Taylors Creek. Come bid-ready for the live auction filled with treasures, both...
Students entering grade 4 will build a model of a sportfishing boat at the museum’s Watercraft Center. Museum exhibits and field trips will demonstrate the boats used for offshore charter fishing and some of the fish targeted by fishermen aboard these uniquely designed vessels. Cost...
Today we might imagine saltwater sport fishing in North Carolina as one where sport fishers pursue large sailfish and marlin offshore aboard fiberglass sport fishing boats. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, recreational fishermen could only dream of catching such fish. Instead, recreational fishermen...
Join Associate Education Curator Christine Brin for a selection of maritime stories she'd never tell before 5 p.m. This program is rated R due to language, alcohol, and explicit content. Participants must be 21 years of age or older to attend. Laugh, drink, and learn...
Each participating team assembles a prepared kit for a small flat-bottomed plywood boat suitable for paddling in this course, held in the N.C. Maritime Museum in Beaufort’s Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center. The boat is 12’ long, 32” wide, and weighs about 40 lbs. Each...
Registration is open for the summer sailing sessions for youth ages 8 to 16. Using the fun of sailing, students will learn boat handling and seamanship, from basic to more advanced, as well as competitive racing during Regatta Week. The program promotes self-reliance, awareness of...
Students entering grades 5 and 6 will investigate estuarine habitats, plants, and animals through field and lab studies. This three-day course includes a field trip to the Rachel Carson National Estuarine Research Reserve, water quality testing, plankton identification, and many more activities. Course runs from...
Children entering third grade will be introduced to coastal fish and fishing methods. Cane poles, bait, and tackle are provided for dock fishing for this one-day class, which meets from 9 a.m. to noon. Students also use nets to catch and identify marine life in...
Registration and Refund Policy:
Registration costs, less a 10% fee, are refunded when the museum receives cancellation notice at least 48 hours before the start of a program. There is no refund within 48 hours of the start of a program, and tickets cannot be transferred to a later program date within that 48 hour timeframe. Due to material costs and supply, Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center Courses require a 2-week notification for cancellations; only the course fee is refunded if cancellation occurs prior to 2 weeks. The Museum reserves the right to cancel any program that does not meet the minimum participant requirement up to one week before the program is scheduled. In the event of cancellation due to low enrollment, participants who have submitted a fee will receive a full refund. If a program is canceled due to inclement weather and unable to be rescheduled for another date, the participants will receive a full refund.