The Frisco Native American Museum: Preserving the Past; Celebrating the Present
The Frisco Native American Museum and Natural History Center is perhaps one of the most unique sightseeing opportunities on the Outer Banks.
The Frisco Native American Museum, located in the town of Frisco on Hatteras Island,
is the brain child of Carl Bornfriend and his wife Joyce. The museum first opened in 1987 on a part time basis, while the Bornfriends continued their teaching careers. The museum opened on a fulltime basis in 1990, a year after the Bornfriends acquired three acres on what is now the Nature Trail.
The museum is a result of a lifelong passion of Carl Bornfriend, who began collecting items in his youth. The mission was to establish a place of education, leveraging their passion for teaching with Carl’s passion for the Native American community. The museum includes artifacts and information on Native American society from across the United States, as well as Hatteras Island, dating back over 1,000 years. The museum is nationally recognized as a repository for Native American artifacts.
The Nature Trails expands on the educational opportunity of the museum. Two bridges connect trails that wind through three acres of maritime forest. The trails overlook a large pond that empties into the sound. Numerous labeled specimens will be found on your journey. The Bornfriend have developed special programs for the visually impaired offering a unique educational program of both roped off areas and guided tours. Among the exhibits is an authentic North Carolina round-bottom shad boat which was built in Dare County.
Perhaps the highlight of the year at the museum occurs late in April. Begun in 1999, the Inter-tribal Powwow Journey Home has become an annual event. The inter-tribal celebration is an opportunity to gather on ancient ancestral land and experience the unique culture of the Native Americans.
This unique dream realized combined with the power of education makes the Frisco Native American Museum a must see when you visit the Outer Banks. The hours of operations are as follows:
I would like to thank Joyce Bornfriend for allowing me to use some of the pictures on the museum website and providing advice on the write-up of this page.
Perhaps the highlight of the year at the museum occurs late in April. Begun in 1999, the Inter-tribal Powwow Journey Home has become an annual event. The inter-tribal celebration is an opportunity to gather on ancient ancestral land and experience the unique culture of the Native Americans.
