The Graveyard of
the Atlantic Museum is a public, non-profit, educational institution. The Museum
is dedicated to the preservation, advancement and presentation of the maritime
history and shipwrecks of the North Carolina Outer Banks from the earliest
periods of exploration and/or colonization to the present day, with particular
emphasis in the periods from 1524 to 1945. The Museum preserves, researches,
exhibits and interprets its collections for the benefit of the general public
and specialized audiences.
The Museum serves its diverse audiences in order to
inspire appreciation, encourage discovery, and promote and an active,
responsible understanding of the maritime heritage of the Outer Banks itself and
in relation to that of the United States and the broader history of
seafaring.
The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is located in
Hatteras Village, the southern most community on Hatteras Island. Access to the
Museum is from Highway 12 near the NC DOT ferry terminal on Coast Guard
Road.
The design of the Museum building is unique. The
Entrance Court is reminiscent of the timbers of the many shipwrecks that once
were so common along the treacherous Hatteras coast.