Museum of the Sea
Facility · North Carolina ·
Managed by the National Park Service
Cape Hatteras National Seashore (National Seashore) · Open Access
- 9 ft
- Elevation
About 50 miles south of the seashore's north entrance is the Hatteras Island Visitor Center and Museum of the Sea in Buxton, NC. The Museum of the Sea is within the historic Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Double Keepers' Quarters. The two-floor museum contains exhibits on Outer Banks history and natural history. A small audiovisual room provides video presentations, available upon request.
Between the Park Store and the Museum of the Sea stands the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse.
Getting there
The Hatteras Island Museum of the Sea is located in the historic Double Keepers' Quarters of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. This is located off on NC-12 in Buxton on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Historic District.
35.25111, -75.52972 · 35°15'4.0"N 75°31'47.0"W
Typical weather
Typically 87°F in Jul, down to 54°F in Jan.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High °F | 54 | 57 | 62 | 69 | 77 | 84 | 87 | 87 | 82 | 74 | 65 | 58 |
| Low °F | 40 | 41 | 46 | 55 | 63 | 71 | 75 | 74 | 71 | 61 | 52 | 45 |
| Precip in | 4.7 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.5 | 4.8 | 5.6 | 7.0 | 8.1 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 4.6 |
1991–2020 averages from the nearest NOAA station, 4.2 mi away — not measured at the facility itself, and elevation can make a real difference over that distance.
Map
Member photos
Common questions about Museum of the Sea
- Can you reserve a site at Museum of the Sea?
- No. Museum of the Sea is not reservable through Recreation.gov, so sites are first-come, first-served or booked elsewhere.
Camping near Museum of the Sea
- Bodie Island Lighthouse 0.1 mi · Tickets · we watch it
- Frisco Campground 4.6 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Cape Point Campground 22.2 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Ocracoke Campground 24.1 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Oregon Inlet Campground 38 mi · Campground · we watch it
- Hatteras Island Weather Bureau Station 9.3 mi · Visitor Center
- Portsmouth Visitor Center 32.7 mi · Facility
- Swanquarter Wilderness 38.9 mi · Facility
- Bodie Island Visitor Center 39.2 mi · Facility
- Mattamuskeet National Wildlife Refuge Deer Hunts 40.7 mi · Activity pass
- Mattamuskeet NWR September Canada Goose Hunt 40.7 mi · Activity pass
- Whalebone Junction Information Center 45.3 mi · Visitor Center
Contact
- Phone (252) 473-2111
- Email caha_public_affairs@nps.gov
- Info Recreation.gov
Recreation.gov last updated this record on 2026-02-25.
Facility information and photographs from Recreation.gov (RIDB). SpotOpened is not affiliated with Recreation.gov or any federal agency.
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