Planning a weekend in Beaufort, North Carolina?
This small coastal town packs pirates, wild horses, centuries-old stories, fresh seafood, and gorgeous waterfront views into an area that’s surprisingly easy to explore.
And because so many of Beaufort’s best stops are within walking distance, you won’t waste half your weekend sitting in the car.
This Beaufort weekend itinerary puts everything in an easy order, with historic sights, sweet treats, waterfront breaks, and one seriously memorable adventure saved for the end.
Here’s how to make the most of two days in one of North Carolina’s most fascinating coastal towns.
1. Old Burying Ground
The Old Burying Ground sits on Ann Street in downtown Beaufort, just a short walk from the waterfront, and has served as a cemetery since 1731.
Follow the shaded paths past weathered headstones, brick-covered graves, and live oak trees, while reading stories about sailors, soldiers, local families, and people buried here more than 200 years ago.
One famous grave belongs to a young girl who reportedly died at sea and was buried inside a rum keg so that her father could bring her body home, earning her the nickname “Girl in the Barrel.”
The Beaufort Historical Association offers guided Old Burying Ground tours, or you can explore quietly on your own and spot graves connected to the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and Civil War.
2. Beaufort Historic Site
After exploring Beaufort’s oldest cemetery, head a few blocks toward the waterfront to the Beaufort Historic Site at 130 Turner Street, where historic buildings show you what daily life looked like centuries ago.
The two-acre site includes the 1778 Samuel Leffers Cottage, the 1796 Carteret County Courthouse, the 1829 Old Jail, the 1825 Josiah Bell House, and the 1859 Apothecary & Doctor’s Office.
You can peek inside period rooms filled with antique furniture, learn how early residents lived and worked, and join guided tours run by the Beaufort Historical Association for extra stories about the buildings and the town.
Best of all, the site sits right in downtown Beaufort, so you can easily continue your weekend with shops, restaurants, and boats along the waterfront.
3. North Carolina Maritime Museum
From the Beaufort Historic Site, walk about two minutes to the North Carolina Maritime Museum at 315 Front Street, where Beaufort’s seafaring stories get seriously cool.
The biggest draw is the museum’s Blackbeard exhibit, featuring cannons, grenades, navigational tools, and other artifacts recovered from the wreck of Queen Anne’s Revenge, the pirate’s flagship that ran aground near Beaufort Inlet in 1718.
You can also check out exhibits on commercial fishing, lifesaving stations, and boatbuilding, plus see traditional wooden boats up close.
Admission is free, although donations are welcome, making this an easy stop before heading back outside to explore Beaufort’s waterfront and watch boats cruise along Taylor’s Creek.
4. Rhumbar
After filling your brain with pirate stories at the Maritime Museum, walk along Front Street to Rhumbar, a waterfront restaurant and bar at 300 Front Street overlooking Taylor’s Creek.
Grab a seat outside and order one of its rum-focused cocktails, then watch sailboats, fishing boats, and yachts pass between downtown Beaufort and the Rachel Carson Reserve across the water.
Keep an eye on the reserve’s shoreline because you may even spot Beaufort’s famous wild horses, which live on the barrier islands just across Taylor’s Creek.
Rhumbar makes a fun late-afternoon stop when you want to give your feet a break, sip a cold drink, and enjoy one of Beaufort’s best waterfront views before moving on to dinner.
5. Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center
Once you’ve finished your waterfront drink, stroll over to the Harvey W. Smith Watercraft Center at 326 Front Street, part of the North Carolina Maritime Museum and right along Taylor’s Creek.
Inside this working boatbuilding shop, you can watch craftspeople construct and restore traditional wooden boats using skills that have shaped coastal North Carolina communities for generations.
Look for wooden hulls taking shape, classic hand tools, boat plans, and ongoing restoration projects, with the exact boats on display changing as new projects move through the workshop.
The center is free to visit and offers a cool behind-the-scenes look at Beaufort’s maritime traditions, especially if seeing Queen Anne’s Revenge artifacts at the museum left you curious about how boats are actually built.
6. Beaufort Creamery
After watching wooden boats take shape, switch gears with something sweet at Beaufort Creamery, an ice cream shop at 400 Front Street in downtown Beaufort.
The menu includes hand-scooped ice cream with plenty of classic and creative flavors, which you can order in a cup, cone, or milkshake.
Take your treat outside and wander along the nearby scenic waterfront, where benches face Taylor’s Creek and boats regularly cruise past the docks just steps away.
It’s an easy dessert break during a busy afternoon, and the waterfront location means you can keep exploring Front Street without adding another drive or long walk to your Beaufort itinerary.
7. Grayden Paul Park
With ice cream in hand, keep walking along Front Street to Grayden Paul Park, a small waterfront park at 718 Front Street with wide-open views across Taylor’s Creek.
The park has docks used by boaters, including the town’s primary dinghy access for vessels anchored in Taylor’s Creek, making it a scenic spot to watch ferries, fishing boats, sailboats, and other watercraft come and go from the docks.
Look across the creek toward the Rachel Carson Reserve to spot the wild horses and keep your eyes open for dolphins swimming through the channel.
Benches and grassy areas make this a handy spot to sit by the water for a bit before continuing the rest of your itinerary.
8. Rachel Carson Reserve
For the grand finale, hop on a ferry from Beaufort’s waterfront and cross Taylor’s Creek to the Rachel Carson Reserve, a protected collection of islands covering more than 2,300 acres directly across from Beaufort.
The reserve includes Carrot Island, Town Marsh, Bird Shoal, Horse Island, and Middle Marsh, with salt marshes, tidal flats, beaches, and shallow waters packed with coastal wildlife.
Its biggest stars are the free-roaming wild horses, but you can also look for dolphins, sea turtles, herons, egrets, and more than 200 species of birds recorded around the reserve.
Walk the Town Marsh Nature Trails, explore the shoreline at low tide, or simply watch the horses from a safe distance for an unforgettable finish to your Beaufort weekend.
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