Frisco Native American Museum had its beginning over seventy years ago in the heart of museum founder, Carl Bornfriend, when he was just a young boy. When Carl moved to Hatteras Island on the Outer Banks of North Carolina and met Joyce, they discovered a mutual love for historical preservation. The museum opened in 1987 as a non-profit educational foundation with 501 (c) (3) status. The building, which is almost a hundred years old, has a rich history as a general store and gathering place, post office and shell shop.
The exhibits house thousands of artifacts from Native cultures across the country with a gallery dedicated to the local tribes. We also have a local exhibit dedicated to the Croatoan people that once thrived on Hatteras Island.
The museum’s nature trails wind through several acres of beautiful maritime forest. A bridge crosses a tributary of the sound and the trails overlook a large pond and a sprinkled with exhibits about local peoples. As of 2024, the trail contains a Natural History Center used for classes and demonstrations.
We ship all over the world! Our gift shop is filled with unique hand-made crafts – unusual and special items that you may not find elsewhere.
Our Endowment Fund was formed with a Partnership with the Outer Banks Community foundation to help the museum make plans for the future and assist in recovery after unexpected disasters.