I stood frozen with fear, unable to move. The terrifying image drew closer, his curved sword swinging wildly. Just as he seemed about to separate my head from my body, I snapped back to reality, left my all-too-real daydream about the pirate Blackbeard behind, and moved on to the next exhibit in the museum.
This dramatic—if somewhat grisly—story of Blackbeard is but one display that transforms the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum in Hatteras, North Carolina, into a memorable, lifelike experience. The eclectic collection is among the attractions that make the Outer Banks—the chain of narrow barrier islands that parallels the state’s Atlantic coastline—into much more than just another sun-and-sand vacation destination.
