Dream of being a daring pirate or a beautiful princess? Young dreamers are invited to the N.C. Maritime Museum during Beaufort’s annual Pirate Invasion on Friday, August 7 and Saturday, August 8. The museum will offer a child (and parent) friendly zone where children can participate in programs and activities for visitors to enjoy. Free activities will include pirate hats, museum sea hunts, pirate tattoos, and more.
Starting on Friday, August 7 and running through Saturday, August 8, visitors will be able to participate in a scavenger hunt that will take them around Beaufort looking for pirates. The North Carolina Maritime Museum will be offering a reward to everyone who can locate all fourteen pirates featured on this year’s “Beaufort’s Most Wanted” cards. These cards can be purchased for $1.25 in the museum’s gift shop while supplies last.
On Saturday, August 8 at 11:30 the North Carolina Maritime Museum will host their annual “Lunch with Pirates”. The lunch catered by East Carolina’s very own “Seaside Sensations Catering”. While enjoying their lunch, families will be treated to a fashion show featuring the latest trends in the pirate world, put together by the East Coast Pirate Crew. The infamous pirate Blackbeard will also be present and may even be willing to tell his tale of piracy! Reservations are required for the “Lunch with Pirates” and tickets are $20 per person.
“The Lunch with Pirates is always a very popular event,” said Christine Brin, Museum Educator. “The kids enjoy meeting Blackbeard and the parents enjoy the air-conditioned and calm atmosphere,” she stated.
Starting at 10 a.m. on Saturday, families will have their chance to enjoy some free (and air conditioned) activities and crafts in the Museum’s library. Children will get their very own pirate hat, official pirate tattoo, pirate sash and even make a “super-secret” pirate treasure map. The activities will close during the Lunch with Pirates at 11:30 a.m. but will reopen at 12:30 and run until 4 p.m.
There’s even more going on inside at the North Carolina Maritime Museum. Visitors can see the artifacts from Blackbeard’s ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge in a newly expanded exhibit.
One of the highlights of the new exhibit is a Conservation Laboratory where visitors can view and interact with conservators as they prepare QAR artifacts for eventual exhibition. The lab will provide visitors with a better understanding of the work that goes into preparing these- artifacts as they come from the “ocean floor to the museum door.”
The lab has been designed to support a wide range of conservation activities from opening concretions and cleaning to photography and documentation. It has both wet and dry cleaning stations, an air scribe booth, and examination areas.
Broad windows on two sides of the lab will allow visitors to easily observe the work in progress and interact with the conservators. The lab will be manned by a combination of students, professional conservators, and museum staff.
These activities are being offered as part of the 2nd Saturday’s programs offered this summer in conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. 2nd Saturdays combines the unique power of arts and heritage with lots of hands-on fun each second Saturday during the peak summertime faction months. The 2nd Saturday’s events are free and offer hands-on educational opportunities for all ages. To learn more, visit www.ncmaritimemuseums.com
North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort is located at 315 Front Street, Beaufort 28516. The Museum is open Monday thru Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission. Donations appreciated. For more information, call (252) 728-7317.
Schedule of Events
Friday, August 7
- 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.: Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge exhibit opening
- 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.: “Beaufort Most Wanted Cards” on sale
- 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Crafts*
- 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.: Queen Anne’s Revenge demo lab open*
Saturday, August 8
- 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.: Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge exhibit opening
- 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.: “Most wanted cards” on sale
- 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.: Crafts & games*
- 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.: Queen Anne’s Revenge demo lab open*
- 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.: Lunch with Pirates featuring Blackbeard
*Programs close for one hour for lunch