3 Nautically-Themed Things to do in Crystal Coast, North Carolina

The Crystal Coast is a 30-mile stretch of North Carolina coastline that begins at the Cape Lookout Lighthouse and includes the barrier island communities of Atlantic Beach, Pine Knoll Shores, Salter Path, Indian Beach, and Emerald Isle.

Check out our favorite maritime activities below!

1. NC Maritime Museum

The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, NC reflects coastal life and interprets lighthouses and lifesaving stations, the seafood industry, motorboats, and more. Studies in marine life, science, and ecology are available for all ages. The Beaufort museum is the repository for artifacts from Blackbeard’s wrecked flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge, among them cannons, grenades, belt buckles and beads.

2. Harvey W. Smith Museum’s Watercraft Center

There’s a long tradition of craftsmanship in custom boat building in North Carolina. The Harvey W. Smith Museum’s Watercraft Center carries on the rich boatbuilding heritage of the North Carolina coast through wooden boat building classes for all ages! The Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center is part of the North Carolina Maritime Museum at 315 Front Street, Beaufort.

Photo courtesy of the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center: https://thewatercraftcenter.com/

3. NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores

From the mountains to the sea… Feel the spray of a mountain waterfall. Watch river otters play. Touch a stingray. Look a shark in the eye. See a rare white sea turtle. Thousands of aquatic animals take you on a journey from the state’s grand peaks to the open Atlantic, much as a raindrop makes its way to the ocean. The Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is open every day from 9 am to 5 pm.