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Currituck Beach Lighthouse in Corolla, North Carolina, boasts a Queen Anne style keeper's dwelling and is located on the northern tip of the Outer Banks. Built in 1875, this 158 foot tower has never been painted and is still the original brick red. The original first-order lens still shines today. The lighthouse and keeper's dwellings were in an advanced state of decay until the 1980's, when the Outer Banks Conservationalists leased the site, and began a massive preservation effort. The Currituck Lighthouse looks out over the Currituck Sound and surrounding Corolla.
The Okracoke Lighthouse on Okracoke Island, south of Hatteras, watches over Silver Lake, and the town of Okracoke itself. The island is accessible only by ferry boat and guards an old graveyard out back. Blackbeard the Pirate sifted the Okracoke sands through his toes in the 1700's and the island is almost as wild today as it was when Blackbeard sailed into the waters off its shores. The first lighthouse was built on the island in 1803. Lightening destroyed the lighthouse 15 years later, and a new one was built. The original fourth-order lens was destroyed during the Civil War but a new lens installed in 1864 is still in use today. Painted solid white, the tower watches over Silver Lake and the Village of Okracoke.
Cape Lookout Lighthouse stands abandoned on an isolated section of the National Seashore, almost inaccessible. This stretch of beach is completely deserted and inaccessible by car. The only route to Cape Lookout Lighthouse is via ferry from the ranger's office on Harker's Island, or via one of several private boats which will drop you off on Cape Lookout and pick you up later. The tower is closed, but you can explore the grounds, and enjoy a very isolated corner of the Outer Banks. Cape Lookout Lighthouse was built in 1859, survived the Civil War, and was automated in 1950. A list of ferry services to the lighthouse can be found by calling the National Parks Service at (252) 728-2250. Harker's Island has no facilities, so bring whatever you need for your visit.
The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort, North Carolina, exhibits artifacts recovered from the shipwreck believed to be Blackbeard's flagship, the QAR, discovered in 1996.
The museum has a branch on Roanoke Island, just north of Rodanthe, dedicated to maritime exhibits.
Graveyard of the Atlantic maritime museum, located in Hatteras, North Carolina, is dedicated to the myriad of shipwrecks on the coasts of the Outer Banks.
Teach's Hole Blackbeard exhibit and pirate shop on Okracoke Island offers over 1000 items relating to pirates, including pirate books, pirate toys, pirate flags, pirate t-shirts, pirate maps, and other pirate wares. The exhibit features a life-sized recreation of Blackbeard the Pirate in full battle dress.
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