Paid programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Maritime Museum in Beaufort.

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.

Battle of Beaufort, American Revolution

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, United States

Some historians argue that the final battle of the American Revolutionary War occurred in Beaufort, North Carolina, in April of 1782. Join Associate Curator Christine Brin for a discussion of this dramatic event, complete with daring raids, burning ships, shoot outs, and kidnapping. This program...

Free

By Hook or by Crook

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, United States

Ranked amongst the fiercest pirates from the “Golden age of Piracy,” Anne Bonny and Mary Read have stories that daytime TV could only aspire to. Join Associate Education Curator Christine Brin to learn about these women pirates. She will trace what is known about their...

Free

It’s Getting Hot in Here: The Importance of Maintaining a Stable Environment for Collections

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, United States

Ever wonder what those little gadgets with the temperature and humidity read-outs in museum cases are all about? How about those pink-blue strips, the ones that look like a flat thermometer? Or those little baggies of orange-green beads? Conservators and collections staff spend a great...

Free

Lost Ships, Living Reefs: The Dual Legacy of North Carolina Shipwrecks

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, United States

Join Education Curator Courtney Felton to explore how North Carolina’s shipwrecks transform into thriving marine habitats and vital parts of our ocean ecosystem. This program is part of the museum’s Maritime Heritage Lecture Series, informal lectures focused on North Carolina’s rich maritime history, coastal environment,...

Free

Life Aboard Ship Means Going at Sea

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, United States

When nature calls, you must go! But where do you go while at sea? You may be surprised by the historical practices of something so basic as using the bathroom while on board a ship. Join Associate Curator of Education Christine Brin for an informative...

Free

North Carolina’s State Navy

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, United States

From 1776 to 1779, North Carolina established and maintained a small state navy. It also partnered with Virginia to finance and man two galleys to protect Ocracoke Inlet from British privateers. Join Maritime History Curator David Bennett to learn about how these projects started, what...

Free

This Collection Will Kill You: Identifying and Addressing Hazardous Materials in Your Collection

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, United States

From arsenic to uranium, humans have long had the pesky tendency of using poisons, caustics, carcinogens, and even explosives in our art, our clothing, our entertainment, and as part of our everyday lives. Sometimes these items even make their way into museums, often in odd...

Free

The Story Behind Echo the Whale and his Skeleton

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, United States

Join Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster for an informal discussion about “Echo” (the museum’s 33.5-foot sperm whale skeleton) and his heart.  When the adolescent male whale came ashore at Cape Lookout in 2004, his bones and heart were preserved for study and display. Keith will...

Free

Sea Monsters

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, United States

Legends and stories of sea monsters are almost culturally universal, with even landlocked groups of people telling tales of fantastic sea or water creatures. Join Associate Education Curator Christine Brin for a look at some of the most popular sea monsters and some of the...

Free

Whales in North Carolina

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, United States

North Carolina has many species of whales that travel near our shores and sometimes strand on our beaches. This makes it ideal for biologists to study and promote the conservation and understanding of these endangered marine mammals. Join Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster to learn...

Free

Sailor’s Supper

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, United States

Clues from the remains of ships help us learn more about the lives of sailors in the 17th and 18th centuries.  Join Associate Education Curator Christine Brin for a look at what seafarers were eating, how they were preparing and storing their food, and what...

Free

North Carolina’s War at Sea: Privateers & Letter of Marque Vessels

North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort 315 Front St., Beaufort, NC, 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...

Free

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.