Old Baldy Lighthouse and Smith Island Museum of History

09/06/2026

Unfortunately, we had to cancel our movie night due to lightning, but that doesn’t mean the weekend is over! We will see everyone back at the lighthouse tomorrow for the second half of our Battle of Fort George weekend! ⚔️⛈️

🎬🔎 NATIONAL TREASURE UNDER OLD BALDY

“I’m gonna steal the Declaration of Independence.” 🇺🇸

Okay… maybe don’t actually steal anything. But if you’re going to watch a movie about Revolutionary-era secrets, hidden treasure, and the founding of America to celebrate A250, there’s no better setting than under a 200-year-old lighthouse during our Battle of Fort George weekend!

Join us FREE Saturday, September 5 at 8 PM for an outdoor screening of National Treasure at Old Baldy.

Bring your chairs, blankets, and movie-night snacks and settle in beneath Old Baldy for a night of history, adventure, and a little Nicolas Cage.

📅 Saturday, September 5
⏰ 8 PM
📍 Old Baldy Lighthouse
🎟️ FREE

09/05/2026

🚨Movie night delayed and possibly canceled due to weather. Please watche our socials for updates!

🎬 TONIGHT UNDER OLD BALDY!

The history doesn't stop when the sun goes down.

Join us tonight at 8 PM for an outdoor screening of National Treasure beneath Old Baldy Lighthouse.

Bring your chairs, bring your blankets, and settle in for a movie night with one of North Carolina's oldest lighthouses as your backdrop.

📍 Old Baldy Lighthouse
⏰ 8 PM
🎬 National Treasure

We'll see you under the lighthouse! 🏮🎬

09/05/2026

Duck Race Part 2!

09/05/2026

Old Baldy’s Annual Duck Race

09/05/2026

📸 TODAY AT OLD BALDY: LIVING HISTORY + TINTYPE PHOTOGRAPHY

We're stepping back in time today as Battle of Fort George weekend gets underway!

🏕️ From 2–6 PM, explore our Living History Encampment at Old Baldy, where you can experience camp life, musket drills, sail and tar making demonstrations, and more. Come see history in action and learn what life was like during the American Revolution.

📸 And while you're here, photographer Harry Taylor will be offering tintype photography at Old Baldy!

Want to dress for the occasion? Go for it. Want to simply have a unique portrait made at a historic lighthouse? That works too.

And if you've never seen a tintype made, take some time to watch the process—it is a fascinating historic photographic technique from the 19th century.

📍 Old Baldy Lighthouse
📅 Today, September 5
🏕️ Living History: 2–6 PM

Come experience history, see the demonstrations, and maybe leave with a one-of-a-kind portrait! 🏮📸

09/05/2026

🦆 THE DUCK RACE IS TODAY! 🦆

It’s race day! Join us for one of Bald Head Island’s favorite traditions—the Old Baldy Foundation Annual Duck Race! 🌊🏁

📅 TODAY — Saturday, September 5
⏰ 1:30 PM
📍 Marina Park

Come watch the excitement in person at Marina Park, or tune in LIVE on Facebook if you can’t make it out!

And remember,you do NOT have to be present to win! The winning duck will take home a $500 cash prize, with the winner announced by 3 PM. 🎉💰

Every duck adopted helped support the preservation of Old Baldy Lighthouse and history education for our community. ❤️

Come cheer on the ducks, watch them race, and help us keep this beloved tradition, and our history, going!

See you at the finish line! 🦆🏁

09/05/2026

🎬 TONIGHT UNDER OLD BALDY!

The history doesn't stop when the sun goes down.

Join us tonight at 8 PM for an outdoor screening of National Treasure beneath Old Baldy Lighthouse.

Bring your chairs, bring your blankets, and settle in for a movie night with one of North Carolina's oldest lighthouses as your backdrop.

📍 Old Baldy Lighthouse
⏰ 8 PM
🎬 National Treasure

We'll see you under the lighthouse! 🏮🎬

09/04/2026

⚔️ BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE WEEKEND IS ALMOST HERE!

Not sure what’s happening when? We’ve put together a full weekend schedule to help you plan your visit to Old Baldy for the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Fort George!

From living history and historic demonstrations to reenactments, the History Hub, movie night, and more, there’s plenty to experience throughout the weekend.

📍 Most events take place at Old Baldy Lighthouse, but there are two important exceptions:

📜 History Hub — Sunday, 12–5 PM
Head over to the Bald Head Association Building to learn more about the American Revolution while enjoying a little air conditioning!

🦆 Annual Duck Race — Saturday around 1:30 PM
The ducks will be racing at Marina Park, with the race also available to watch via livestream on our page.

SAVE THIS POST to start planning your weekend!

September 5–6 | Bald Head Island
⚔️ 250 Years of History. One Big Weekend.

09/03/2026

⚔️ THE STORY BEHIND THE BATTLE OF FORT GEORGE

This weekend, history comes to life at Old Baldy as we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Fort George. But what actually happened here in 1776?

In the spring of 1776, British forces gathered in the Lower Cape Fear with hopes of rallying North Carolina Loyalists and suppressing the growing Patriot movement. After a Patriot victory at the Battle of Moore's Creek Bridge ended the Loyalist march toward the coast, British ships remained in the Cape Fear region, including more than 70 vessels by May.

The British established Fort George on the western side of Bald Head Island, just steps from where Old Baldy stands today. The small earthen fort was manned by sailors from the British fleet while the ships repaired and resupplied along the island's beaches.

But Fort George would not remain unchallenged.

On the night of September 6, 1776, approximately 150 Continental soldiers led by Col. John Polk crossed the Cape Fear River in small boats and approached the fort. Moving through the woods, the Patriots captured five British sailors, but the capture alerted the defenders.

The British held their position while the HMS Falcon fired cannons into the woods. One Continental soldier was killed and another wounded, forcing Polk to abandon the assault and retreat toward Fort Johnston. British forces pursued them, but Patriot musket fire held them off.

About a month later, the British abandoned Fort George.

And evidence of this history is still here.

During an archaeological excavation on the Old Baldy grounds in 1986, UNC Wilmington students and supervisor Jim Legg uncovered a gold British officer's coat button from the 57th Regiment of Foot, a small artifact that connects us directly to the people who were here 250 years ago.

This weekend, you can learn more about these stories and experience the history of Fort George where it happened.

⚔️ Battle of Fort George Reenactments
📅 Sunday, September 6
⏰ 12 PM & 3:30 PM
📍 Old Baldy Lighthouse

Come see the battle—but stay to explore the much bigger story behind it. 🏮

Painting Credit: James Horton

09/02/2026

📸 MAKE A PORTRAIT WITH HARRY TAYLOR!

Step into the Living Encampment at Old Baldy this Saturday and take home a truly unique piece of history.

Photographer Harry Taylor will be on site creating beautiful antique photographs using the wet plate collodion process, one of the most prolific photographic processes of the 19th century. Wet plate photography helped capture the people, places, and stories of a rapidly growing America.

For $80, Harry will create a 4 x 5 photograph right on site using this historic process. You’ll be able to watch your portrait being made, and your finished image will be mailed to you a few days after the event.

And while the camera may be a little more 1850s than 1770s, we think it makes for a pretty perfect souvenir from an American Revolution weekend. 😉🇺🇸

📍 Old Baldy Lighthouse
📅 Saturday, September 5
🎞️ $80 | 4 x 5 wet plate portrait

Come visit the encampment, experience the history of the Battle of Fort George, and have your portrait captured in a photographic tradition that helped tell America’s story.