See the world’s largest collection of Blackbeard memorabilia

The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort is the official repository for artifacts from Blackbeard — the world’s most famous pirate. The museum is also the centerpiece of Blackbeard’s Pirate Trail. The museum’s exhibit, Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge, features more than 300 artifacts from the pirate’s flagship, which ran aground near Beaufort in 1718. Artifacts include everything from cannons to cuff links to the head (toilet) that was located near the captain’s quarters. Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge exhibit also features interactive quizzes, props and a look into what the future holds for the shipwreck site. In 1996, Intersal, Inc., a private company, discovered the shipwreck, and it has been administered by the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources since 1997. The wreck was verified as the Queen Anne’s Revenge in 2011. The Maritime Museum became the official repository for all artifacts and has been exhibiting them since 1997.