The Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum is a public, non-profit, educational institution. The Museum is dedicated to the preservation, advancement and presentation of the maritime history and shipwrecks of the North Carolina Outer Banks from the earliest periods of exploration and/or colonization to the present day, with particular emphasis in the periods from 1524 to 1945. The Museum preserves, researches, exhibits and interprets its collections for the benefit of the general public and specialized audiences. The Museum serves its diverse audiences in order to inspire appreciation, encourage discovery, and promote and an active, responsible understanding of the maritime heritage of the Outer Banks itself and in relation to that of the United States and the broader history of seafaring.