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Lighthouse Opens for Season
April 2004
Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce
The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse opened to the public on Friday April 9, 2004. Entrance to the lighthouse will be on a scheduled tour basis. The lighthouse will be open through the fall.
Old Glory © Bruce Roberts
The "Old Glory" flag, with 15 stars and stripes, was the first American flag raised at Cape Hatteras in 1803. It flew over the lighthouse again October 18, 2003 in honor of 200 Years of Light at Cape Hatteras. The Outer Banks Lighthouse Society co-sponsored the event with the National Park Service.
Lighthouse tours will begin at 9 a.m. daily and will run every 10 minutes until 5 p.m. with a limit of 30 visitors per tour. The last tour of the day will begin at 4:50 p.m. Tour fees are $6.00 for adults and $3.00 for senior citizens (62 or older), children (12 and under), and those holding Golden Access passes. From Memorial Day, May 31 through Labor Day, September 6, the Lighthouse will be open until 6 p.m. with the last tour beginning at 5:50 p.m.
Upon purchase, each visitor will receive a ticket indicating the date and time of their tour. Visitors should line up at the lighthouse gate five minutes before their tour time and present their tickets for entry.
The ticket booth at the lighthouse will open at 8:15 a.m. daily. Tickets will be available on a first come, first served basis, are sold only at the ticket booth on site, and are available for the day of purchase only. Advance ticket sales are not available to the public or commercial tours. Tours will likely sell out by noon each day, so visitors should plan to arrive early to purchase their tickets. Annual passes will not be sold this year.
Some tours may be booked in advance for school groups. These tours will be limited to 10:00, 10:20, and 10:40 a.m. and 2:00, 2:20 and 2:40 p.m. School group tours can be scheduled by calling the Hatteras Island Visitor Center between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. daily at (252) 995-4474. Educational fee waiver requests must be submitted in advance to: Fee Manager, National Park Service, Outer Banks Group, 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954.
"To show the park's appreciation to the community, no tour fees will be charged on the opening day, Friday, April 9," stated Lawrence A. Belli, Superintendent, Outer Banks Group. Tour tickets must still be picked up at the lighthouse fee booth for Friday April 9 tours. As with most days, available tours on Friday April 9 will likely fill up by noon that day.
Cape Lookout Light Station © Bruce Roberts
The 1859 Cape Lookout Light Station is located on remote Core Sound Banks Island. The lighthouse was designed by Lt. W.H.C. Whiting, Army Corps Engineer based in Wilmington, NC, who became a captain during the Civil War and died following the battle of Ft. Fisher. Its height reached skyward over 150 feet, making it one of the courntry's first tall, coastal lights built of double-wall brick construction. It survived the Civil War though its companion 1812 tower was destroyed. The repaired first order Fresnel lens was reinstalled in 1867 and it was fitted with iron spiral stairs. It was painted in black and white diamonds, then called "checkers," in 1873. The Cape Lookout Lighthouse survived Hurricane Isable in September 2003 but the coal shed, the small building in front of the keeper's quarters, was blown over and subsequently removed. The ruins of the 1812 lighthouse are still evident adjacent to the current lighthouse.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse © Bruce Roberts
The Currituck Beach Lighthouse was conveyed to permanent stewards, Outer Banks Conservationists, Inc. on October 17, 2003, following an application and review process under the auspices of the Department of the Interior. The lighthouse, keepers' quarters and grounds are beautifully restored and ranked as one of the best restoration projects in America.
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July 4th Events
July 2004
Outer Banks
JULY 4th MANTEO Roanoke Island Festival Park - The Outdoor Pavilion, 8:00 pm. The NC School of the Arts joins the town of Manteo in this annual 4th of July celebration with fireworks and an orchestra/brass ensemble. Bring your picnic for a great time! Suggested donation of $5. For more info, 475-1500
JULY 4th NAGS HEAD The Town of Nags Head will have their 4th of July Fireworks at the Nags Head Fishing Pier at 9:25 pm. Come out and enjoy a great evening of family entertainment!
JULY 4th OCRACOKE ISLAND Bring your family for a spectacular celebration from the Old Coast Guard Station at 9:00 pm.
JULY 4th KILL DEVIL HILLS The Town of Kill Devil Hills will have their 4th of July Fireworks at the Clark Street Access at sunset. Bring the family out for a spectacular evening of fireworks!
JULY 4th AVON The National Independence Day Celebration Committee of Avon will sponsor fireworks which will be set off from the Avon Pier at dusk.
JULY 4th HATTERAS Fireworks sponsored by the Hatteras Viilage Civic Association will be set off in the vicintiy of Ramp 55 at dusk.
JULY 4th WHALEHEAD Corolla, From 4-11pm. Come out for fireworks and a festival with fun activities to celebrate the 4th of July! For more information, call (252)453-9040
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OUTER BANKS, NC
Here's where to find the Outer Banks basics:
Current Weather and Forecasts
Outer Banks Calendar of Events
Outer Banks Sportfishing Reports
Outer Banks Ferry Schedules
Directions to the Outer Banks
Map of the Outer Banks
Tour the Outer Banks Lighthouses
The Outer Banks Lighthouse Collection
Outer Banks Shopping Directory
Requests .. Vacation Guides, Travel Guides, Accommodations, etc.
Currituck Beach Lighthouse Stairs © Bruce Roberts
The iron spiral stairs at the Currituck Beach Lighthouse hug the contour of the inner brick wall. Akin to the inside of a nautilus shell, the symmetry of the ascending stairs is striking. This lighthouse and the one at Bodie Island are built from identical plans. Army Corps Engineer and later fifth district U.S. Lighthouse engineer Peter C. Hains was present during the completion of Cape Hatteras Lighthouse in 1870 and supervised the construction of Bodie Island Lighthouse 1870-72 and Currituck Beach, completed in 1875. Hains was later famous for dredging the Potomac River and creating the park lands upon which the Lincoln Memorial is located. Hains Point is named for him.
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