NORTH CAROLINA LIGHTHOUSES 



Standing as sentinels on the sand, the 

 North CaroHna hghthouses have warned 

 many oceangoing vessels of the treacherous 

 shoals offshore. Although they no longer use 

 reflective lenses to broadcast their light, 

 many of the lighthouses are still in operation 

 using automated beams. Only two have 

 darkened their hghts and been abandoned. 

 All are worth a visit, if only as a reminder of 

 another day in ocean navigation. 



The red brick Currituck Beach Light- 

 house stands 158 feet tall near the village of 

 Corolla. The Bodie Island Lighthouse, 

 marked by broad alternate black and white 

 bands, stands north of Oregon Inlet. The old 

 lightkeeper's house has been converted into 

 a visitor center and natural history museum 

 by the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. 

 Living history presentations recount the his- 

 tory of the lighthouse, shipwrecks and life- 

 saving along the Outer Banks. 



The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, noted for 

 its black and white candy-striped pattern 

 and height (rising 225 feet above sea level — 

 the tallest in America), stands threatened by 

 the very sea against which it warns. Located 

 in Buxton, the lightkeeper's house has also 

 been converted into a visitor attraction, the 

 Museum of the Sea. 



The white, 76-foot Ocracoke Lighthouse, 

 the second oldest operating lighthouse in the 

 United States, overlooks the fishing village 

 of the same name. To its south, the Cape 

 Lookout Lighthouse, remembered for its 

 diamond pattern, is also threatened by an 

 encroaching sea. Located on Core Banks, 

 the lighthouse is accessible only by boat. 



Price's Creek Lighthouse, located about 

 two miles above Southport, guided vessels 

 up the Cape Fear River to Wilmington. 

 Abandoned, the lighthouse today stands in 



the museum sponsors lectures, concerts, spe- 

 cial programs and classes. 



The museum is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tues- 

 day through Saturday. Admission is free. For 

 more information, call 919/763-0281. 



Museum of the Albemarle, Elizabeth City. 

 Take a focused look at the history, geography 

 and sociology of northeastern North Carolina 

 by visiting the Museum of the Albemarle. 



disrepair on private property, and permis- 

 sion is needed to visit it. Also inoperative is 

 the 90-foot Bald Head Lighthouse located 

 on Smith Island, a private resort island. 

 Flashing the brightest beam in the United 

 States, the Oak Island Lighthouse rises 169 

 feet above sea level and sports a three-toned 

 exterior of black, gray and white. 



If you're planning to visit the lighthouses, 

 keep in mind that, with the exception of the 

 Bald Head Lighthouse, these coastal senti- 

 nels can only be viewed from outside. Vis- 

 itors can enter the Bald Head Lighthouse 

 and climb its wooden stairs to the top. 



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Inside you'll find exhibits that show and tell 

 about Indian artifacts, the area's geography, 

 the history of the U.S. Coast Guard, old fire 

 engines, old shipyard equipment, nautical 

 items and more. 



The museum is located on U.S. 17 South. Its 

 hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through 

 Saturday and 2 to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is 

 free. 



