Award winning writer Ray McAllister, Richmond Times-Dispatch columnist, will reflect on his family’s annual visits to the island more than 25 years ago and relate entries from his new book, “Hatteras Island: Keeper of the Outer Banks” on July 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Although fast food restaurants, strip malls and beach-dominating duplexes have sprung up, much about the island has remained the same. Storm buffeted Hatteras has kept its soul. McAllister will tell stories of charter fishing, Billy Mitchell, U-Boats, the paving of Route 12 and the building of Oregon Inlet Bridge. He will relate how weather and the rugged people of the island have influenced the community.

Cast your vote at the Hatteras Island Methodist Cookbook Challenge on July 16, 12 noon-2 p.m. Two new cookbooks, “Kinnakeet Kitchens,” by St. John’s United Church Women in Avon, and “Keeping the Faith Recipes & Stories of the Windows,” by the Hatteras United Methodist Church family and friends, will offer favorite recipes and tasty samples. It’s a rare opportunity to meet local authors and try real Hatteras cuisine.

North Carolina watercolorist Jim Wordsworth will teach a Beginner’s Watercolor Painting Class on July 23, 10 a.m.-2:30 p.m. The $25 registration fee includes a painting kit and lunch. There will be an overview of watercolor painting with a focus on good composition and tips to get a painting underway. Wordsworth will present a one-man show from 2:30-4 p.m. Participates must bring a small landscape picture, be aged 12 or older, and register with the museum at (252) 986-2995.

The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum, located next to Ferry’s Dock in Hatteras, presents the maritime heritage and history of shipwrecks of North Carolina’s Outer Banks. It is part of the Division of State History Museums within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Now podcasting 24/7 with information about the Department of Cultural Resources, all available at www.ncculture.com.

BEAUFORT – There is a lot to see and do at the North Carolina Maritime Museum this summer. Programs and activities range from to investigations of microscopic marine monsters to classes in boat handling. The exhibit “Traditional Watercraft” is a hands-on exploration of how traditional North Carolina boats were designed, built, and used, and is on view through Sept. 28.

The Museum documents, collects, preserves, and researches the maritime and natural history of coastal North Carolina, and interprets history through educational services and exhibits. The N.C. Maritime Museum, 315 Front St., Beaufort, N.C., is open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sundays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

For more information, call (252) 728-7317 or e-mail maritime@ncmail.net.

July

1 Wednesday  - Seafood Workshop: Wild About Shrimp

Museum educator Allison Gleason Besch presents this hands-on workshop that features the popular crustacean in science and culture, with samples to taste. Reservations are $10. 2-4 p.m.

2 Thursday - Rachel Carson Reserve

An interpretive walk, led by retired Museum educator Jeannie Kraus, features the wildlife and history of the local estuarine environment. Reservations $15, $10 ages 8-11. 9:15 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

2 Thursday - Museum Marvels

View artifacts from the museum collection not currently on display. The program will be presented by Museum staff. 3 p.m.

7 Tuesday  - “Ichthyology and Otoliths: My Life as a Foreign Fisheries Observer”

Join local author Dail Bridges for images, a lively discussion, and a book signing. 3 p.m.

8 Wednesday - Marine Life Collecting Cruise

Trawl and dredge aboard a Duke University research vessel. The cruise will be led by Museum education instructor Donna Snead. Reservations are $25. 9 a.m. - Noon.

8 Wednesday - Coastal Marine Life

Glimpse microscopic marine monsters and other strange sea life. The program will be presented by Museum intern Sara Bell. 3 p.m.

9 Thursday - Museum Secrets Revealed

Take a behind the scenes tour of the Museum’s collection, research, and exhibit areas with the staff. Reservations are $5. 3 p.m.

10 Friday - Traditional Boat Handling

Learn handling traits of traditional small craft. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

11 Saturday - Adult Sailing

Take sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

14 Tuesday - Dolphins

The Museum’s Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster will share photos and speak about local dolphins by. 3 p.m.

15 Wednesday - Watson Shells Revisited

Featured shells from the Museum’s international collection will be available for viewing. The program will be led by Museum volunteer Doug Wolfe and Museum educator Allison Gleason Besch. 11 a.m.

15 Wednesday - Coastal Marine Life
Glimpse microscopic marine monsters and other strange sea life. The program will be presented by Museum intern Sara Bell. 3 p.m.

21 Tuesday - Bonehenge

See a display of sperm whale biology and get a Museum project update from volunteer Carolyn Brooks. 3 p.m.

22 Wednesday - Marine Life Collecting Cruise

Trawl and dredge aboard a Duke University research vessel. The cruise will be led by Museum education instructor Donna Snead. Reservations are $25. 9 a.m. - Noon.

22 Wednesday - Coastal Marine Life

Glimpse microscopic marine monsters and other strange sea life. The program will be presented by Museum intern Sara Bell. 3 p.m.

23 Thursday - Maritime Origami

Have fun with a maritime themed paper folding craft demonstration by volunteer Naomi Fontenoy. 3 p.m.

24 Friday - Traditional Boat Handling

Learn handling traits of traditional small craft. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

25 Saturday - Adult Sailing

Take sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

28 Tuesday - Learn to Kayak

Beginners receive paddling instruction and a guided marsh tour from Museum education instructor Dave Stroud. Reservations are $40, $35 FOM, $10 for those who own their own kayak. 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

28 Tuesday - Beach Finds

Identify specimens from North Carolina beaches. 3 p.m.

30 Thursday - Nautical Skills

A demonstration of skills for life at sea will be presented by Museum intern Meghan Kaylor. 3 p.m.

31 Friday - Wild Horses of Shackleford Banks

Cape Lookout National Seashore biologist Dr. Sue Stuska will give a presentation on the wild horses of Shackleford Banks. 3 p.m.

AUGUST

4 Tuesday - Sea Turtles

Natural Science Curator Keith Rittmaster discusses sea turtle ecology & conservation. 3 p.m.

5 Wednesday - Marine Life Collecting Cruise

Trawl and dredge aboard a Duke University research vessel. The cruise will be led by Museum education instructor Donna Snead. Reservations are $25. 9 a.m. - Noon.

6 Thursday - Blackbeard and Queen Anne’s Revenge

Maritime Archaeologist David Moore will give an update on Blackbeard and the Queen Anne’s Revenge project. 3 p.m.

12 Wednesday - Learn to Kayak

Beginners receive paddling instruction and a guided marsh tour from Museum education instructor Dave Stroud. Reservations are $40, $35 FOM, $10 for those who own their own kayak. 9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

12 Wednesday - Bonehenge
See a display of sperm whale biology and get a Museum project update from Museum volunteer Carolyn Brooks. 3 p.m.

21 Friday - Traditional Boat Handling

Learn handling traits of traditional small craft. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

22 Saturday - Adult Sailing

Take sail training aboard stable 17’-19’ sailboats. Reservations are $85, $60 FOM. 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

For more information, call Lori Duppstadt at (252) 728-7317 or go to www.ncmaritimemuseum.org. The North Carolina Maritime Museum hours are Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m., and Sunday 1-5 p.m. There is no admission fee.

The N.C. Maritime Museum, within the Division of State History Museums, is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Podcasts are available 24/7 with information about the department at www.ncculture.com.

RALEIGH — Pack a picnic lunch, don’t forget your lawn chairs and blankets, and come out to enjoy the July 4th holiday at the State Capitol’s annual celebration of America’s independence. This fun-filled, patriotic family event has become a downtown Raleigh tradition. The Saturday festivities are free and open to the public.

From 11 a.m.-3 p.m., musical performances, historical and military displays, a craft demonstration and several hands-on and play activities for children will be going on at the Capitol. Visitors will be able to listen to music inside the Capitol and outside on the square from groups such as the St. Mark’s Jazz Band, The Huckleberry Brothers and the Raleigh Concert Band. Families may also depart from Capitol Square on a narrated trolley ride throughout the historic downtown, featuring Raleigh landmarks.

Period-costumed re-enactors will evoke American military might from the Revolutionary period to the Vietnam era. Once again, the Capitol will sponsor the popular “Old Fashioned 4th” historical demonstration area where visitors can discover how Americans celebrated Independence Day in days gone by. Here folks will have a chance to try their hand at quill pen writing, sack races and much more.

At 11:45 a.m., those who fell in the Vietnam War and all remaining POW/MIA military personnel will be honored and remembered in a brief memorial service held at the N.C. Vietnam Memorial on the Capitol lawn. At noon, the annual “Salute to Independence” will begin at the 1840 State Capitol’s east front with a reading of Thomas Jefferson’s most noble achievement, “The Declaration of Independence.”

This moving presentation will be followed by a solemn placement of floral tributes to mark the 1775-1781 War for Independence and the successive wars that have helped preserve America’s freedoms and spread democracy and freedom globally. Concerts will follow the noontime ceremonies.

Food vendors, including Cooper’s BBQ and Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, will be located on the Capitol grounds.

The N.C. Museum of History gift shop will be open from 9 a.m.- 4 p.m., and its restrooms will be available to all attendees throughout the Capitol’s July 4th celebration.

A National Historic Landmark, the N.C. State Capitol is one of the finest and best-preserved examples of the Greek Revival style of architecture in the United States. It features a domed rotunda and state senate and house chambers, meticulously restored to their 1840 appearance. Until 1888 its granite walls housed all of state government, and the Legislature met here until 1961. Today the governor and her staff still occupy offices in the Capitol.

The State Capitol’s mission is to preserve and interpret the architecture, history and functions of the 1840 Capitol building and Union Square, where it is located. In downtown Raleigh, the State Capitol is bounded by Edenton, Salisbury, Morgan and Wilmington streets. Free parking is available in state lots near the Capitol.

For more information on the State Capitol call (919) 733-4994 or go to http://www.nchistoricsites.org/capitol.

Administered by the Division of State Historic Sites, the State Capitol is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Join the Cultural Resources 2009 theme observance of “Treasure N.C. Culture.” For more information, visit www.ncculture.com.

Now through Aug.15, visitors to the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum in Sedalia can see the award-winning photographer’s work, including one photo taken at Palmer of Nat King Cole, Dr. Brown and other family members. “Bearing Witness: Civil Rights Photographs of Alexander Rivera” is free and open to the public.

This exhibit brings together 31 images and articles from Rivera’s career with some of the nation’s leading black newspapers including the Pittsburgh Courier (Pittsburgh, Pa.), the Journal and Guide (Norfolk, Va.), and the Washington Tribune (Washington, D.C.). From pivotal moments in civil rights history to events in everyday life, the exhibit illustrates how his work brought national attention to African Americans, including North Carolinians. Rivera received the North Carolina Award for Fine Arts in 2008.

Visitors may see these photos during the museum’s normal operating hours and during the African American Heritage Day program scheduled for Saturday, July 18, from 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Rivera had a particular interest in the former Palmer Memorial Institute, which the late Dr. Charlotte Hawkins Brown turned into one of the nation’s most elite prep schools for African American youth. His sister, Raven Rivera Elliot, attended Palmer, and their father, Dr. A.M. Rivera, a prominent Greensboro dentist and community leader, served on the school’s board of trustees.

The photojournalist’s press coverage ranged from the aftermaths of lynchings to “firsts” for black students, entertainers, athletes and others. Coincidentally, while reporting on others breaking racial barriers, Rivera was also breaking new ground. He not only made history but helped change it. His arresting images and impassioned articles revealed facts about the civil rights movement that mainstream media often ignored. Throughout the turbulent struggle for racial equality from the 1940s to 1960s, this award-winning photojournalist kept his lens and pen focused on the South’s African American communities.

“I had no idea that I was involved in the making of history,” Rivera once said. “To me, it was just another day on the job.”

Rivera also kept North Carolinians in the headlines. As southeastern correspondent at the Pittsburgh Courier, he followed the efforts of five African American students to integrate the law school at UNC-Chapel Hill. His articles attracted support for their efforts, and in 1951 the first blacks, Harvey Beech and Kenneth Lee, were admitted.

Nationally, the U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas in 1954 changed history. After this landmark decision ended legal school segregation, Rivera and Pittsburgh Courier News Editor Robert M. Ratcliffe initiated the series “The South Speaks,” which chronicled the political climate and public reactions across the South. In 1955 they received a Global News Syndicate Award for their coverage of the Brown decision and its impact on desegregation in public schools throughout the South.

Born in Greensboro in 1913, Rivera graduated from N.C. College for Negroes (now N.C. Central University) in 1941. Throughout his career, he regularly featured stories of his alma mater and Durham’s African American commercial district then known as “Black Wall Street.”

Visitors to “Bearing Witness” will see images of state and national events, well-known individuals and everyday citizens. These include:

• Nine-year-old Arthur Ashe attending a Durham tennis camp in 1952 (Ashe went on to become the first black man to win the Wimbledon championship in 1975)

• A mother and child on a segregated bus in Alabama in 1955

• New York congressman and prominent civil rights leader Adam Clayton Powell Jr. with N.C. College for Negroes founder Dr. James E. Shepard

• Vice President Richard Nixon in Ghana in 1957, attending ceremonies marking the country’s independence

• The Fultz quadruplets, born in 1946 in Reidsville, who gained international fame as the “world’s only identical quadruplets”

• Students on the campus of N.C. Central University during a 1965 Malcolm X rally

• African Americans voting in a Democratic primary in Columbia, S.C., in 1948 (for the first time since 1876)

After his newspaper career, Rivera returned to N.C. Central University, where he served as public relations director from 1974 until his 1993 retirement. Rivera died Oct. 23, 2008, at age 95 in Durham.

Opened in 1987, the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum State Historic Site honors the late Dr. Brown, who first began teaching children here in Sedalia in 1902. For 50 years after founding PMI, Dr. Brown labored unceasingly to educate young people, building what started out as a tiny academy into a renowned African American prep school.

PMI closed in 1971 but after it was turned into a state historic site, five former school buildings have been designated as official projects of Save America’s Treasures, a public-private partnership between the White House Millennium Council and the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The museum’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history and legacy of Dr. Brown, PMI and African American education in North Carolina.

It is located in Sedalia on Hwy. 70 between Greensboro and Burlington. Groups of 10 or more are encouraged to make reservations in advance. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., and admission is free. The site is located at 6136 Burlington Road, 10 miles east of Greensboro off I-85, exit 135.

For information about the site, visit http://www.chbrownmuseum.nchistoricsites.org, e-mail chb@ncdcr.gov or call (336) 449-4846.

Administered by the Division of State Historic Sites, Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history, and culture through such programs as “Treasure N.C. Culture.” For more information, visit www.ncculture.com.

Families are encouraged to first stop at the site’s visitor center to pick up tour information and a site map. Entrance to this public July 4th celebration is free.

Beginning at 9 a.m. and continuing until 6 p.m., the site will offer guided and self-guided tours of 18th-century taverns, homes, a clerk’s office and a jail. Young people will even have a chance to see how colonial toys worked and to play old-fashioned games. Visitors may also buy lunch provided by local non-profit organizations beginning at noon.

At 6 p.m.., the celebration’s focus will shift to the grounds of the Halifax County Courthouse, where the Town of Halifax and various civic organizations will sponsor the evening’s activities. At 6:30 p.m., a parachutist will jump from a vintage biplane. Local rock and roll band Exit 173 will perform beginning at 7 p.m. Meanwhile, visitors may ease their hunger pangs and quench their thirst with tasty treats from local vendors.

At 8 p.m., actors from “First for Freedom” will perform a 15-minute excerpt from this outdoor drama about the adoption of the “Halifax Resolves” by North Carolina’s Fourth Provincial Congress. The resolves were the first state action for independence by any American colony.

No July 4th celebration would be complete without rockets, firecrackers or Roman candles, so at 9 p.m. the Town of Halifax will present a colorful and dramatic fireworks program. After this program is over, the festivities will continue with a lawn dance beginning at about 9:30 p.m.

Halifax’s first 85 years as a town are recalled in the state historic site’s preservation. The Owens House, which features a gambrel roof and is furnished as the home of a prosperous Halifax merchant, is the oldest building on site and dates from about 1760. Nearby Eagle Tavern and the Tap Room are also 18th-century.

The Roanoke River Valley’s prosperity during the 18th and 19th centuries is reflected in the many Federal-style plantation homes built here from the 1790s to the 1820s. A particularly elegant example is the 1808 Sally-Billy House. The two public buildings within the historic district — the Clerk’s Office and the Jail — were built by the same contractor.

Other site features reflect bygone days in Halifax. These include Magazine Spring, long a town water source; the cemetery; Market Square, formerly the town park, pasture and marketplace; and the river outlook, near the site of an early ferry landing.

Historic Halifax’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history of Halifax, where North Carolina first declared independence from Great Britain through a document now called the “Halifax Resolves.”

The state historic site is located in Halifax County, a little over five miles east of Interstate 95. Take exit 168 onto State Route 903 and follow brown historic site signs to the Historic Halifax Visitor Center. For more information call (252) 583-7191 or check the Web site at http://www.halifax.nchistoricsites.org.

Historic Halifax is an agency of the N.C. Division of State Historic Sites within the Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Join the Cultural Resources 2009 theme observance of “Treasure N.C. Culture.” For more information, visit www.ncculture.com or call (919) 807-7385.

Participants learn about archaeology and its importance to Fort Dobbs, which is located outside Statesville. They are introduced to the site’s history and past archaeological excavations by viewing exposed archaeological remnants, which will be explained in terms of their original use when the fort sheltered local settlers in the late 1700s.

Following this orientation, participants are able to participate in a miniature archaeological “dig.” Each team clears an area in the prepared “dig,” setting aside any pre-planted “artifacts” they may encounter. Fort Dobbs staff encourages participants to make written notes on each object, describing where it was found, what it appears to be made of, and what they believe the item is. At the end of the dig, the amateur archaeologists compare these notes with the found items to check the accuracy of their assessments. For more information on this program and Fort Dobbs itself, visit www.fortdobbs.org, call (704) 873-5882 or e-mail info@fortdobbs.org.

Archaeological investigation at Fort Dobbs has proven to be an invaluable way to learn about the three-story blockhouse fort and the provincial soldiers who guarded the western frontier of North Carolina during the French and Indian War. Following England’s victory at war’s end, the frontier expanded rapidly to the west and the fort was abandoned. The structure quickly rotted away, with much of the materials salvaged by local residents. By the early 19th century little remained of the military post, as farmers’ plows turned under the last visible traces.

The first recorded excavations at the site took place in 1847, when Statesville citizens dug to the bottom of a collapsed 40-ft. well shaft. In 1909, the recently formed Fort Dobbs Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) bought the fort site, intending to preserve it and perhaps one day reconstruct the fort. In 1967, the DAR collaborated with the State of North Carolina to do the first true archaeological tests there. Since then, seven other investigational digs have taken place, resulting in the recovery of more than 5,800 artifacts and several original features of the fort being discovered, including the well, cellar and perimeter ditch.

The role of Fort Dobbs and North Carolina in the French and Indian War (1754-1763), the first true world war, makes up an important chapter in North Carolina’s colonial history. Built in 1756, the fort was named for Royal Governor Arthur Dobbs and manned by provincial soldiers. It was garrisoned from 1756-1761, sheltering frontier settlers during the war and serving as the colony’s western frontier company headquarters. The fort was attacked Feb. 27, 1760, when soldiers fought off more than 60 Cherokee.

Fort Dobbs’ mission is to preserve and interpret the history of North Carolina’s only French and Indian War fort. It is open Tuesday-Saturday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m., offering living history programs daily. Special events and living history weekends are offered throughout the year.

It is part of the Division of N.C. Historic Sites and Properties within the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture. Join the Cultural Resources 2009 theme observance of “Treasure N.C. Culture.” For more information, visit www.ncculture.com.

“We are pleased to welcome Western Carolina University’s musical theatre program to take part in this annual 4th of July celebration,” said Kim Sawyer, Acting Director for Roanoke Island Festival Park. “ The July 4th performance brings locals and visitors to the park and to downtown Manteo as we join the nation in this patriotic commemoration. I know that WCU will help us continue the tradition of fine performances and make history as they perform for the first time in Manteo.”

The Western Carolina University Catamount Starz will perform a selection of rock ‘n’ roll, pop, Broadway, patriotic, and light classical songs and dances. A 10-member orchestra comprised of WCU music instructors, students, alumni, and other professional musicians will accompany eight dancers on stage.

Amy Jones, resident vocal director and choreographer at Flat Rock Playhouse will direct and choreograph the Independence Day show, title “What a Country: A Celebration of America.”

Become a fan of Roanoke Island Festival Park on Facebook, and follow us on Twitter @RIFestivalPark.

The mission of Roanoke Island Festival Park is to involve residents and visitors, of all ages, in a creative and stimulating exploration of Roanoke Island’s historical, cultural and natural resources. For more information about this event call (252) 475-1506 or visit us on-line at www.roanokeisland.com.

The “Telling Our Stories” exhibit will have visited 33 public libraries across the state by December, on an eastern and a western route. Each route includes 11 images from the top winners of the 2008 Our State magazine Readers Choice Photography contest, 21 images from professional photographers, and 18 pictures from the State Archives. Among images are a young Andy Griffith in The Lost Colony, a desert crossing, and a pleasant pig. Learn more at http://www.ncculture.com/TOS_2008/TOS_home.asp.

Photographs from the region include the Our State magazine grand prize winner, Blue heron in my backyard, by Bonnie Short of Hendersonville. Professional photographers from Asheville are Pamela Pecchio, with Still Life with Bill Clinton, and Alice Sebrell with Where do you hide your innocence?

Written comments from visitors at other venues include “Beautiful, all pictures tell a story of time. Your Mind goes to the past and present. Great Work!” and “Excellent work! Great variety of subjects,” from McDowell County. From Madison County, “Great exhibit – a pleasant surprise at our library,” and “Great, wonderful, especially the black and whites – fond memories of days gone by.”

The State Library of North Carolina arranged the tour. For additional information on the exhibit, call (828) 894-8721. For information on the tour, call (919) 807-7389. The State Library is a division of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources, the state agency dedicated to the promotion and protection of North Carolina’s arts, history and culture, with information 24/7 at www.ncculture.com.

Find out during the program A Pirate’s Life for Me? on Saturday, June 27, at 2 p.m. at the N.C. Museum of History. Dr. Charles Ewen, director of Archaeology Laboratories at East Carolina University, will separate myths about pirates from historical evidence. Admission is free. To register, call 919-807-7922 by June 24. A reception follows the program.

How do romanticized stories of piracy in movies compare with the harsh realities of a buccaneer’s violent, blood-thirsty lifestyle? The answers may surprise you. Ewen’s examination of historical documents and the archaeological record suggests that maybe Hollywood hasn’t gotten it all wrong. He will also highlight books, such as Treasure Island and Peter Pan, and their place in popular culture.

This program is presented in conjunction with the exhibit Knights of the Black Flag at the N.C. Museum of History. The exhibit explores the legacy of pirates, from ancient times to the present. Intriguing artifacts, legends and history bring their ruthless adventures to life. Showcasing many pirate-related objects, Knights of the Black Flag includes the largest collection of artifacts ever exhibited from the shipwreck believed to be Blackbeard’s flagship, Queen Anne’s Revenge.

For more information about the museum, call 919-807-7900 or access ncmuseumofhistory.org. The museum is located at 5 E. Edenton St., across from the State Capitol. Parking is available in the lot across Wilmington Street.

The N.C. Museum of History’s hours are Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The museum is part of the Division of State History Museums, Office of Archives and History, an agency of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources. The department’s Web site is www.ncculture.com.

The workshop will focus on the Fayetteville Arsenal site. Constructed over the decades of the 1830s to the 1860s, the Fayetteville Arsenal was designed as a component in a national military defense system. It was taken over by the Confederate government in the Civil War and used to manufacture armaments and supplies. Union forces under General William Sherman destroyed the arsenal shortly before the war ended. Remaining on the site are the foundations and ruins of the original arsenal buildings and industrial shops constructed during the Confederate occupation.

There is no charge to participate. Funding for this workshop is provided by a grant from a private trust. Teachers wishing to participate should contact David Reid, museum administrator, at 486-1330. Applicants should be aware that this workshop involves outdoor work in the summertime. Accommodations for special needs may be possible.

The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex is located on the corner of Bradford and Arsenal Avenues in Fayetteville. Hours of operation are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 1 to 5 p.m. Admission is free. The Museum of the Cape Fear Historical Complex is a section of the Division of State History Museums, Office of Archives and History, an agency of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.