Traveling Exhibit Visits Tryon Palace with Artifacts from Blackbeard's Ship, 'Queen Anne's Revenge'

NEW BERN, N.C. - Dec. 23, 2013 - PRLog -- NEW BERN, N.C.--Treasures and 300-year-old artifacts from Blackbeard’s ship will sail into Tryon Palace (http://www.tryonpalace.org/) during a special exhibition titled “Blackbeard’s Queen Anne’s Revenge-1718.” Displayed inside the Duffy Gallery from Jan. 3-Feb. 15, this traveling exhibition includes artifacts recovered at the site of Blackbeard's wrecked flagship near Beaufort.

Cannonballs, a wine bottle, spikes and other nautical tools are included in the exhibit along with personal items. So are plans for family fun, as the exhibit includes a traveling trunk with games and a model life-sized pirate. The exhibit also includes multimedia displays explaining what life was like aboard the ship and will feature Tryon Palace's own royal portrait of Queen Anne, for whom Blackbeard named the ship.

Admission to the exhibit is included with the regular cost of admission to Tryon Palace, or a separate Galleries Pass may be purchased at a cost of $12 for adults and $6 for students.

Intersal, Inc., a private research firm, discovered the site believed to be Queen Anne's Revenge on Nov. 21, 1996. The Queen Anne's Revenge ran aground near Beaufort in June 1718 and was located near Beaufort Inlet by Intersal's director of operations, Mike Daniel. Daniel now heads up Maritime Research Institute, the nonprofit corporation formed to work on the project in cooperation with state archaeologists and historians of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources.

The artifacts are on loan from the North Carolina Maritime Museum (http://www.ncmaritimemuseums.com/) in Beaufort, the official repository for artifacts from the Queen Anne's Revenge shipwreck (http://www.qaronline.org/).

Drawing inspiration from this rare exhibition, Tryon Palace will also host a pirate-themed day on Saturday, Jan. 11, that includes “Pirates and Pancakes” and “Pirates in the Palace.”

Held from 8-10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 11, “Pirates and Pancakes” invites children ages 10 and under to a free breakfast with the infamous pirate, Blackbeard, for his favorite meal -- pancakes. While devouring their pancake breakfast, children will enjoy hearing sea chanteys, chatting with pirates and building their very own treasure chests. Children ages 10 and under will eat for free, thanks to a donation from Bob and Carol Mattocks. Tickets for all others are $10 each. Seating is limited for this event, and preregistration is required by noon on Friday, Jan. 10. To register your child or to purchase tickets for adults, visit http://www.tryonpalace.org/calendar.php.

The fun with pirates continues from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. with “Pirates in the Palace.” Designed to entertain visitors of all ages, “Pirates in the Palace” includes crafts, costumed pirates and a treasure map that leads you all across the Palace grounds in search of Blackbeard’s booty. All activities for “Pirates in the Palace” are included in the Gardens Pass, which costs $6 for adults and $3 for youth.

For more information call 252-639-3500 or visit www.tryonpalace.org/.

Tryon Palace is part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources.

About Tryon Palace:

Tryon Palace, located in New Bern, is part of the Office of Archives and History, an agency of the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Tryon Palace is one of North Carolina's most significant historic sites. It is the home of the Governor's Palace, North Carolina's first colonial and first state capitol, and includes historic buildings, gardens and the North Carolina History Center, which revolutionizes the visitor experience through use of the latest interactive  technology. The History Center includes galleries, a performance hall, the museum store and a waterfront café. Tryon Palace's mission is to engage present and future generations in the history of North Carolina from early settlement in 1710, the development of statehood and into the mid-twentieth century. It is dedicated to collecting, interpreting and preserving objects, buildings, landscapes and events that enrich understanding of the making of our state and nation.

Tickets and visitor information are available at Tryon Palace, 529 S. Front St., New Bern. For directions and further information about special events, programs or group tours, employment and more, visit our web site: www.tryonpalace.org or phone (800) 767-1560 or (252) 639-3500.

About the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources:

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources (NCDCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's cultural resources to build the social, cultural and economic future of North Carolina. Led by Secretary Susan Kluttz, NCDCR's mission is to enrich lives and communities by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history and libraries in North Carolina that will spark creativity, stimulate learning, preserve the state's history and promote the creative economy. NCDCR was the first state organization in the nation to include all agencies for arts and culture under one umbrella.

Through arts efforts led by the N.C. Arts Council, the N.C. Symphony and the N.C. Museum of Art, NCDCR offers the opportunity for enriching arts education for young and old alike and spurring the economic stimulus engine for our state's communities. NCDCR's Divisions of State Archives, Historical Resources, State Historic Sites and State History Museums preserve, document and interpret North Carolina's rich cultural heritage to offer experiences of learning and reflection. NCDCR's State Library of North Carolina is the principal library of state government and builds the capacity of all libraries in our state to develop and to offer access to educational resources through traditional and online collections including genealogy and resources for the blind and physically handicapped.

NCDCR annually serves more than 19 million people through its 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the N.C. Arts Council and the State Archives. NCDCR champions our state's creative industry that accounts for more than 300,000 jobs and generates nearly $18.5 billion in revenues. For more information, please call (919) 807-7300 or visit www.ncdcr.gov.