The museum closed to the public in late 2024 to update its HVAC system. This important project will ensure the temperature and humidity within the facility are maintained at consistent levels to keep the collections safe and secure for future generations.
The Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m. during our closure. A reopening date has not yet been finalized.
To prepare for the work, museum staff members relocated museum artifacts to secure and environmentally sound locations to ensure their preservation during renovation. Due to limited space available for safe storage, the museum is unable to accept new artifacts into the collections during the closure. Collections staff will be available to meet with potential donors during this time and will resume accepting physical artifacts once a reopening schedule is finalized.
During the facility’s closure, museum educators will continue working to share the coast’s history, culture and environment both online and in person. Virtual programs, events at the Watercraft Center and curator-led outreach and field programs will remain available to the general public, schools and groups.
The public programs scheduled this year will still be offered; however, a few will move to new locations. Specifically, the Maritime Heritage Series lectures will be hosted in the auditorium at Fort Macon State Park in nearby Atlantic Beach; other programs will be moved to the museum’s Watercraft Center. Additional programs and their respective locations are posted on our programs page.