The Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Historic Site and Museum will open for visitors on March 18, 2024, which marks an early start for the site’s season, which usually extends from late spring until late fall.
1874 Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station. Photo by Joy Crist.
“Our Marketing Committee suggested that an early opening – particularly during the 150th Anniversary Year – may better capture folks who are here for spring school breaks,” said John Griffin, Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station Executive Director. “We [also] have four March tours, starting on opening day [and] scheduled before Easter, so it sort of became a no-brainer.”
Starting on March 18, Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station will be open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Although the majority of the site will be open for exploration, including the main 1911 station, there may be sporadic construction-related closures of the 1874 station as it undergoes an extensive renovation.
The renovation of the 1874 original station, as well as repairs to the 1907 Midgett House, tie in with an upcoming 150th anniversary celebration that is being planned for October 2024.
The popular Shipwreck Rescue Reenactment is also returning for 2024, starting on May 28. The reenactment, which demonstrates a traditional beach apparatus drill, is a highlight of the historic Rodanthe site, and it has been held every Thursday during the summer months for decades.
The Chicamacomico Team at the Wood Island Life-Saving Station in Maine in 2023. Photo from John Griffin.
In fact, in 2023, a team of local volunteers who perform the weekly reenactment gave a special performance 700 miles away from home at the annual U.S. Life-Saving Service Heritage Association (USLSSHA) Conference in Maine, as Chicamacomico is one of the only places in the United States that routinely performs such a demonstration.
“We’re probably going to have a lot more programs in terms of talks on the porch, or tours of specific buildings, this summer too, and as the year progresses,” said Griffin.
More information about the 150th anniversary will trickle in as the season continues, but for now, early spring visitors can enjoy a rare chance to fully explore one of the first seven Life-Saving Stations constructed in North Carolina.
