A Visit To Beaufort's Maritime Museum

This post was written February 27, 2009. We try to make it over and visit the museum at least once a year. It remains one of my favorite museums though I do miss the shell collection which was not out on my last trip. The original post follows…

It must be obvious that we are getting stir crazy waiting for spring to arrive. We are hitting all the great indoor spots before the spring weather pulls us outside.

Of all the indoor spots that I like to visit, the Maritime Museum in Beaufort is my favorite. I have found it rarely crowded and always enjoyable. It is also just the right size to spend an hour or so looking at exhibits.

My museum attention span has worn down over the years so the Maritime Museum is a perfect fit for me. That is especially the case since it has a number of things inherently interesting to guys like motors and boats. As someone who studied history in college, I also enjoy reading how all the pieces of our area’s historical narrative fit together.

Our visit earlier this week was a lot of fun. No matter how many times I look at the models, I find something new each time. There is always a tidbit of history that I carry away with me. This time I managed to learn that some of the earliest outboard motors were from Milwaukee.

I am always fascinated by the history of the small sailing craft that plied the waters of Bogue Sound.

This trip I also learned that we were invaded in the late eighteen hundreds by oystermen from the Baltimore area. For many years they were able to extract millions of bushels of oysters from our waters. However, not even a place as bountiful as Bogue Sound can sustain catches that high forever.

The museum also has a great exhibit on life saving techniques used along the Outer Banks in years past.

I posted a slide show of our visit, but I can assure you that the pictures do not do the place justice.

Just plan to spend the too-cool-for-beach-walk day at the Maritime Museum, your time will be well spent and you will get familiar with a spot that can be both a refugee from heat in the summer and from chilly breezes in the winter and early spring. For those in Beaufort during our short spell of really hot weather, the museum is also a great break from the heat.

I guarantee that you will have a good time and learn something important about our history.

If you would like to read more about the Crystal Coast and why we are living here, you will find some helpful posts at this link.

More information about life here can be found at my Crystal Coast Life blog.

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