Village Craftsmen

170 Howard Street 

Ghost & Historic
Walking Tour

Ocracoke Island is saturated with history. From colonial times, through civil & international wars, and finally through the establishment of the Cape Hatteras National Seashore & the boom in tourism Ocracoke has maintained a distinctive and fascinating island character.

This walking tour explores some of Ocracoke's most interesting local stories, many never published, but handed down from generation to generation by island natives. 

You will learn some of our unique island history, hear about harrowing hurricanes & shipwrecks, listen to tales of the supernatural & creepy local legends, and visit the graves of some of Ocracoke's founding families.

Your tour guide will be:

Philip Howard (long-time collector of island stories who traces his ancestry back eight generations to William Howard, Blackbeard’s quartermaster & colonial owner of Ocracoke Island),

Amy Howard (native islander and keeper of Ocracoke oral traditions), or

Lou Ann Homan (storyteller and enthusiastic collector of island & pirate lore).

We offer one of two distinct tours.  (Check local notices or call for information (252-928-6300) about which tour is offered for the current week.)  

Tours begin at Village Craftsmen on Howard Street, are about 1 1/2 miles long, and take approximately 90 minutes.  Each tour includes an introductory history of Ocracoke Island.

Tour Schedule (subject to change due to weather or other circumstances)

Please call 252-928-6300 for information & reservations.  Our tours are very popular, and spaces are limited.  Please call early to check availability.

On-Season (Week of Palm Sunday - early Fall) -- Tuesdays & Fridays at 7:30 p.m.  

'Round Creek Tour: Explore the "Creekside" area of Ocracoke Village, including:

• The remarkable story of the altar cross in the Methodist Church,

• The woman who kept her own coffin on her porch,

• Jim Divine & "The Black Squall,"

• Spooks on Howard Street,

• Old Diver’s Ghost,

• Mad Mag Howard

Down Point Tour: Explore the "Point" side of Ocracoke Village, including:

• The ghost that haunts the Island Inn,

• The wreck of the steamboat  "Home,"

• History of the Ocracoke Lighthouse,

• Ocracoke’s first murder,

• The beheading of Blackbeard,

• The Supernatural "Dream of Death"

Each tour includes many more fascinating stories. Questions are always welcome.

Adults: $12.00

Children (6 - 12): $6.00

Please wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring a flashlight, insect repellent & drinking water.

For more information call 252-928-6300 or sign up at Village Craftsmen on Howard Street.

Tours are limited (6 person minimum, 24 people maximum).  Please check availability.

Special & Group Tours may also be available. See details below, and call (252-928-6300) or email us for more information:

Special Tours (by prior arrangement):

-- Regular rates
-- Time to be arranged
-- Minimum charge, $144.00
-- 20 people maximum

Group Tours (by prior arrangement, for organized groups):

-- Special consideration for two or more tours in any two-week period
-- Regular rates subject to conditions below
-- Minimum charge -- $144.00
-- Maximum charge -- $180.00
-- 20 people maximum

"Rob Hanks Tours"  --  In memory of Robert Dozier Tolson ("Rob Hanks," 1895 - 1961), Ocracoke resident who, in the 1950's, would "tell you the story of Ocracoke" for a dime*.

Rob Hanks:

Click on the above photo (courtesy of James Barrie Gaskill) to view a larger image.

* In the 1950's a modest island home might sell for about $500.00. Today, that same property could sell for $750,000.00.  At the same rate of inflation your present-day tour is a phenomenal bargain!