Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum sits in Hatteras village, steps from the harbor where the ferry to Ocracoke departs, and it exists because of the waters just offshore. Diamond Shoals, the Gulf Stream colliding with the Labrador Current, and centuries of shifting sandbars have wrecked thousands of ships off this stretch of Cape Hatteras National Seashore — enough that sailors nicknamed it the Graveyard of the Atlantic long before the museum took the name. Run by the state of North Carolina, it's free to enter and open Tuesday through Saturday.

What's inside

• Exhibits on shipwrecks recovered from the waters around Hatteras and Diamond Shoals
• Displays on the U.S. Life-Saving Service and Coast Guard crews who worked these beaches before modern rescue equipment existed
• Coverage of "Torpedo Junction," the World War II stretch of coast where German U-boats sank Allied merchant ships within sight of the beach

Planning a visit

The museum keeps shorter hours than a lot of Hatteras Island's outdoor attractions — 10am to 5pm, closed Sunday and Monday — so it pairs well with a rainy-day itinerary or a stop before or after the Ocracoke ferry. Give it an hour or so; it's compact but dense with real maritime history, a natural complement to a stop at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse a few miles up the road.