Paid programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Maritime Museum in Beaufort.
How did pirates go from being the terrorists of the 1700s to characters in a children’s television show that teaches good manners? This presentation will examine how movies and television have influenced the way we view 18th century pirates today. Join Associate Education Curator Christine...
Duels, deathbed confessions and love triangles help make up some Crystal Coast love stories that will be recounted in honor of Valentine’s Day. Associate Education Curator Christine Brin will share eight of her favorite love at sea stories during this special holiday presentation. Free, no...
Ever wonder why archaeological conservators keep things in tanks, or why a crusty cannon can take more than 10 years to travel from ocean floor to museum showcase? Join Museum Conservator Michelle Crepeau as she breaks down the fundamentals of desalination and the underlying science...
For generations, North Carolina’s oyster industry was underdeveloped. This changed in the late 19th century when North Carolina oyster beds attracted attention following overharvesting in the Chesapeake Bay and the nation’s insatiable appetite for oysters. By the late 1880s, North Carolina oystermen and fish dealers...
Ranked amongst the fiercest pirates from the “Golden age of Piracy,” Anne Bonny and Mary Read’s stories are ones that daytime TV series wish they could write. Join Associate Museum Curator Christine Brin for a free, informal lecture that shares their scandalous stories. Due to...
Museum Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster will discuss the biology and behavior of the bottlenose dolphins that frequent the waters around Beaufort. He will also cover the conservation issues that affect these marine mammals. Bottlenose dolphins occur in Beaufort year-round, but they are not the...
Join Education Curator Benjamin Wunderly in the museum auditorium as he reveals the final resting place for the skeletal remains of several whales that were hunted from the shores of North Carolina. The informal lecture also covers some of the historic shore based whaling practices...
The menhaden industry of North Carolina, which began in 1865 and ended in 2005, is one of the State’s most thoroughly documented fisheries. Unfortunately, the industry’s origins have never been thoroughly explored. Due to a reliance on two primary sources, scholars have assumed that there...
Shortly after the construction of several coastal lighthouses in North Carolina it was apparent that some locations would require additional warning lights. The dangerous shoals of Diamond, Lookout and Frying Pan proved difficult to navigate for many seafaring captains. Join Education Curator Benjamin Wunderly to...
North Carolina’s shrimp industry slowly emerged in the Lower Cape Fear region during the 19th century. However, it did not take-off until the years leading up to World War I when Scandinavian immigrants introduced the otter trawl to Brunswick County. Following the introduction of the...
One of North Carolina’s most tragic maritime accidents, the steamer Pulaski sank about 30 miles off the coast in June of 1838 when a steam boiler exploded. Two thirds of passengers onboard were lost. Education Curator Benjamin Wunderly will discuss the days leading up to...
Join Vicky Thayer, coordinator of the North Carolina Inland and Central Coast Marine Mammal Stranding Network, in the museum auditorium to learn what the stranding network does when responding to whales, dolphins, porpoises, and seals that come ashore along North Carolina’s ocean and estuarine shorelines....
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.