Blackbeard’s Pirate Life Uncovered at Special Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum Exhibit

July 2 marks the opening day of a special exhibit at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum that ties in nicely with the upcoming 300th anniversary of Blackbeard’s demise in the fall of 2018.

“Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge: 1718” is a traveling exhibit that was created by the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, and which has been making the rounds across the state.

From July 2 until July 29, the exhibit will be making an appropriate stop at the museum in Hatteras village, where visitors can view a wealth of personal items recovered from the notorious pirate’s flagship.

The traveling exhibition features weaponry, nautical tools, and personal items that belonged to those pirates under Blackbeard’s command. Touch screens will tell the pirate’s story and provide information on the recovery of these artifacts, while hands-on activities and replica items will explore 18th century pirate life, and a gallows and gibbet will show how these sailors paid for their piratical crimes.

Artifacts that will be on display within the exhibit include pieces from the wreckage of Blackbeard’s infamous flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge , which was a somewhat common sight off of Ocracoke Island for a relatively short period of time.

“The Blackbeard Travelling Exhibit is a special exhibit that was [showcased] at the State Fair earlier this year, and which has been going all over North Carolina,” said Joseph K. Schwarzer II, Director of the North Carolina Maritime Museums, in an earlier interview. “It tells the story of Blackbeard and the role he played in North Carolina history – although very brief – but it also raises a lot of questions: Who was Blackbeard, and what was his role in North Carolina history?”

In addition to the temporary Blackbeard exhibit, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum has also recently received a few artifacts that were loaned to other museums, and which include items related to the sinking of the Diamond Shoals lightship and the British tanker Mirlo during WWI . These artifacts will be part of a special exhibit that is slated for August 6, and which coincides with the Mirlo Rescue anniversary.

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are appreciated.