BEAUFORT, N.C.- Pirate fans can expect to see Blackbeard making his return to the Crystal Coast in the near future.

The North Carolina Maritime Museum in Beaufort is preparing a new, expanded Blackbeard exhibit. Along with the addition of new artifacts, the exhibit will include an updated narrative regarding Blackbeard and his ship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge.

Research was done by both the museum’s staff and outside historians since the partial update in 2015.

In addition to the exhibit, a North Carolina Highway History Marker will be dedicated at 1 p.m. Thursday to commemorate the end of a piratical career. It will take place near the entrance on the drive into Fort Macon at Atlantic Beach.

The Maritime Museum is located at 315 Front Street in Beaufort.