No trip to Ocracoke Island can be complete without a visit to the Preservation Society’s Museum and Gift Shop. The building that houses the Museum, along with the Society and its collections are a testimony to the island’s rich historical heritage.
The foursquare with a deep hip roof and deep-hipped porch is believed to have been built in the late 1800s by David Williams who served in the Coast Guard. It was moved to its present location near the current Coast Guard station and restored by Ocracoke Preservation Society in 1989.
The Museum Gift Shop is a popular place to find that special keepsake of your visit to the island, with an assortment of momentoes - including locally crafted Christmas ornaments - along with music, postcards, photographs, cookbooks and other books of local and regional interest.
Housed upstairs in the Museum is OPS’s unique research library - a growing number of historical, genealogical and photographic collections and other resources relevant to Ocracoke history. Here you can find just about anything you want to know about the island’s lighthouse, it’s British Cemetery, wild ponies, hurricanes and WWII Naval Base - and even how to square dance Ocracoke style. For locals and other descendants of the island’s original settlers there’s lots of resources for tracking down your ancestry.
Throughout the summer, the Museum hosts weekly porch talks on local history on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. and Backyard Kids Talks, usually on Wednesdays. It also hosts exhibits by local artists. Research materials can be viewed by prior appointment. And you can shop online for many Gift Store items.
Is this your business? Update your listing by messaging us
Visitors to Hatteras and Ocracoke Islands will simultaneously be visiting the gorgeous Cape Hatteras National Seashore. One of the largest preserved parcels of the Outer Banks, the National Seashore stretches across 70 miles of shoreline...
More than 2,000 shipwrecks sunk off the Coast of North Carolina in what’s called the Graveyard of the Atlantic. With all that history floating around, it was only natural to build a museum to honor and preserve the maritime culture of the...
It's easy to see why vacationers fall in love with Carova. Located almost literally off the Outer Banks map, while other towns along the barrier islands of North Carolina grew and developed over the decades and became popular East Coast tourism...
This beautiful home in Old Nags Head Place is perfect for your next family getaway. Just step outside the door to relax in the large private 14x30 pool and hot tub! Enjoy the salt air and ocean views from the extensive sun and covered decks. The...
- Nags Head
- 4 Bedrooms
- 3.5 Bathrooms
