U.S. Weather Bureau Station — Attraction in Hatteras Island

Hatteras, North Carolina is a beautifully preserved relic of early 20th-century meteorology and coastal resilience. Originally built in 1901 and opened in 1902, the station was part of a national network designed to monitor and report weather conditions in regions vulnerable to severe storms and maritime hazards. Strategically located where the Gulf Stream and Labrador Current collide, Cape Hatteras was a critical site for forecasting and maritime safety.

What makes this station especially compelling is its little-known connection to one of history’s most infamous maritime disasters—the sinking of the RMS Titanic. At 11:25 p.m. Hatteras time on the evening of April 14, 1912, station operators Richard Dailey and Horace Gaskins got the Titanic's distress message, which read, "CQD: Have Struck Iceberg." A young David Sarnoff, who would go on to become president of RCA, received this communication, which was transmitted just minutes before the ship's final plunge, after it was forwarded to the New York Station. Sarnoff thought the Titanic was unsinkable at the time, so he brushed the warning aside as a prank. The telegram's transmission from the Hatteras station adds a melancholy element to the building's past, and it continues to stand as a disturbing reminder of squandered opportunities and...

The weather station house is a must stop, and will only take about 30 minutes. It used to be an extremely important weather station -- back before we had today's technology. Stop and see the visitor center, but there are also displays about the history of the town, and the national maritime sanctuary. close your eyes and imagine a time when this house and a few others were the only structures -- tourism did not yet exist! Also -- be sure an respectfully visit the old town cemetery in...

This is a small tourist information center that I've easily driven right by on previous trips to Hatteras, but it's definitely worth the stop if you like local history. There are 2 side rooms full of posters and pictures on the history of the weather station on Hatteras, as well as pamphlets and info on the OBX and very...