Take a ghost tour led by a relative of Blackbeard’s quartermaster

Since 1970, the Village Craftsmen has offered an extensive selection of handcrafted goods for Ocracoke Island visitors to take back as souvenirs and gifts for family and friends. In addition to the pottery, glass and baskets, Craftsmen patrons can take home a whale of a tale picked up during one of the nightly island ghost tours. Led by Philip Howard — who can trace his ancestry back eight generations to the quartermaster of legendary pirate Blackbeard — walking tours explore either the Creekside or Point area of Ocracoke Village. Both tours are peppered with tales of the infamous scourge of the seas who met his bitter (headless) end at Teach’s Hole, along with other island lore including the “phantom freighter” and the ghost who haunts the Ocracoke Harbor Inn. Each tour includes an introductory island history and is a mile and a half long, taking about 90 minutes.