Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum and Hatteras Village Civic Association to host ‘Holidays on Hatteras’

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum has partnered with the Hatteras Village Civic Association, local churches and crafts people to create “Holidays on Hatteras” – a perfect time to enjoy the Hatteras community.  

In 2011, the Museum hosted their first ‘Holiday at the Museum’ which as grown steadily over the last few years.

 “Originally, this event was intended to boost spirits in the community after the devastation caused by Hurricane Irene,” stated Melanie Schwarzer, Administrative Director of the Friends of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. “Since then it has really become a tradition on the island,” she said.  

This year, the 7th Annual ‘Holiday at the Museum’ will be part of the ‘Holidays on Hatteras’ on December 9 from 12 – 5 p.m. Visitors and locals will discover that they don’t need to leave the island to see elaborate decorations.

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum will be decked out with multi-themed trees and holiday embellishments.

Visitors to the Museum can enjoy Charlie Klein’s “Winter Wonderland” Train Display which always carries seasonal treats. Karen Serfling’s miniature house, “J. Daughter’s Delight” is a new feature this year. The ten-room, electric lighted house is a family project established in 1988 by Janet and her four daughters: Karen, Belinda, Julia and Cynthia. Each of the daughters designed a room in their personal style. Even husbands, cousins and friends contributed over the years.  

This will be a great opportunity to see what “miniature enthusiasts” can do and how they enjoy the holiday season.  

Local choral groups and performances by individual musicians will provide continuous holiday music.  Visitors will nejoy participating in the spontaneous public sing-a-long at the end of the afternoon.

Cookie decorating, ornament making, holiday cartoons, and letters to Santa (almost certainly to receive a reply) will entertain us inside. Hot soups, chili, cookies and punch are enjoyed by all (while they last).  

Everyone who brings a donation for the local food bank will receive a 5% discount in the Meekins Chandlery Gift Shop.  

View the parade from the Museum’s porch at 2 p.m. and enjoy hot chocolate, cotton candy and listen to announcements of the parade and door prize winners at 3 p.m.  

Visitors are welcome to view exhibits in the Burrus Couch Midgette Gallery during the event.  All activities, food and exhibits are free and are appropriate for all ages. For additional information call 252-986-0720.

About the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras is named in honor of thousands of shipwrecks that sank off North Carolina’s coast. The Museum is dedicated to the preservation and presentation of the state’s coastal culture and maritime history, which includes these shipwrecks, this repository of history. The vessels are the centerpiece of rich relationships to piracy, war, (Revolutionary, Civil and World Wars I and II), lifesaving, commerce, and coastal living. The Museum is filled with related artifacts, which include remnants of the earliest known shipwreck found in North Carolina waters, dating to 1650, objects from the USS Monitor, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, and the USS Huron.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum system is comprised of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Beaufort and the North Carolina Maritime Museum at Southport. All three museums are part of the Division of State History Museums in the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.

About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources

The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state’s natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational, and economic future of North Carolina. The NCDNCR’s mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state’s history, conserving the state’s natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.

NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette’s Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C.  Zoo, the nation’s first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State