Museum in Beaufort Opens New Exhibit

As Hollywood pirates reign on the big screen, Blackbeard rules in a big, new exhibit at the North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort.

In 1718, the notorious pirate ran his flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge (QAR), aground in Beaufort Inlet, roughly two miles from where the Museum stands today.

On Saturday, June 11, the Museum opened “Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge” – the largest exhibit to date of artifacts from the shipwreck. Some 3,500 visitors toured the new exhibit on opening day.

 “The exhibit includes around 300 artifacts, most of them never before seen on display,” said North Carolina Maritime Museums Nautical Archaeologist David Moore. “We’ve endeavored to tell the story of Blackbeard, along with his associates, adversaries and ships, and the archaeological efforts at the shipwreck site.”

Newly released artifacts, as well as old favorites such as weaponry, are mixed with interactive computer features, quizzes, props and a look into what the future holds for the shipwreck site.

To learn more about the QAR Shipwreck Project visit, http://www.qaronline.org/ and http://news.ncdcr.gov/2011/05/18/queen-annes-revenge.