All About Art
Hidden GemBald Head Island, NC
A Bald Head Island gallery and studio showing coastal and local artwork. The work on display is rooted in the island and its surroundings.
Best for Local coastal art
Maritime Market & Bald Head Island Shopping
Shop by craft
Best of Bald Head Island; search or filter for all 7
Visit official site ↗Coastal Urge
Hidden GemBald Head Island, NC
Coastal Urge is the apparel and beach gear shop of Bald Head Island, North Carolina, trading at 12B Maritime Way. It stocks Barbour, Patagonia, Lilly Pulitzer and Yeti alongside coastal labels such as Sea Bags of Maine and Rainbow Sandals. Bicycles and paddleboards as well as surfboards and beach tents are rented to visitors for the length of a stay.
Best for Coastal apparel from Barbour to Patagonia, plus bike and board rentals
Coastal Urge trades from 12B Maritime Way on Bald Head Island, North Carolina, as the island's apparel and beach gear shop. The racks carry clothing for men and women, with a separate range for boys and girls. Barbour, Patagonia, Lilly Pulitzer and Tommy Bahama hang alongside Sea Bags of Maine, Rainbow Sandals, Maui Jim and Yeti. Belts and bags share the accessory tables with sunglasses and tumblers, and hats are stocked for both men and women. The shop also carries swimwear and active pieces for women, along with a small selection for dogs. The rental side of the business serves visitors for the length of a stay on the island. Bicycles can be hired for a whole group so that the island is explored at an unhurried pace. Paddleboards go out for all skill levels on the quiet side of the island, and surfboards are offered for the ocean beaches. Beach tents can be booked for shade through a long day on the sand. The shop describes its stock as apparel and beach gear that captures the spirit of the island, and the rental counter makes that stock usable on the day of arrival.
Visit official site ↗Maritime Market
Hidden Gem8 Maritime Way, Bald Head Island, NC
Maritime Market is a supermarket on Bald Head Island, supplying groceries as well as fresh produce and seafood. Its food offering extends to a butcher and deli as well as bread and prepared meals for island visitors. A café and separate kitchen broaden the options for visitors who want something to eat rather than ingredients to cook.
Best for Island groceries, seafood and prepared food
Maritime Market combines everyday grocery shopping with prepared food on Bald Head Island, serving visitors as well as residents. Its shelves and counters cover fresh produce and seafood alongside butcher and deli offerings. The café and kitchen provide alternatives when cooking is not part of the day's plan.
The Bald Head Island Conservancy dates the market's establishment to 2001 in its account of the business. A WECT report confirms that Bald Head Island Limited sold the market to Claude and Melissa Pope in January 2011. The sale and the market's establishment are therefore separate events, rather than competing dates for the business.
The Conservancy's August 2023 spotlight also describes the market's support for local conservation projects. Oyster shells from market-hosted roasts were donated to its recycling programme for creek-bed restoration, alongside other fundraising support. That is a documented example of the business's island involvement, not a promise of an event during any particular visit. For shopping, the practical distinction remains between buying ingredients to prepare elsewhere and choosing food through the café or kitchen.
Visit official site ↗Maritime Passage
Hidden GemBald Head Island, NC
An independent island boutique stocking coastal home goods and apparel. Gifts round out the selection.
Best for Coastal home goods, apparel, and gifts at an independent island boutique.
Official site not recordedAmazon ↗
Bald Head Island, NC
The gift shop of the Old Baldy Lighthouse and the Smith Island Museum of History is run by the Old Baldy Foundation. The non-profit preserves the lighthouse at 101 Lighthouse Wynd on Bald Head Island, North Carolina. Visitors reach the island by ferry from Southport, climb 108 stairs to the top of the tower and tour the museum in the keeper's cottage. Purchases in the shop go toward the foundation's preservation work on the site.
Best for Lighthouse heritage gifts and books
The gift shop at Old Baldy belongs to the Old Baldy Foundation. The non-profit preserves the Old Baldy Lighthouse on Bald Head Island, North Carolina, and interprets the island's history. The lighthouse stands at 101 Lighthouse Wynd, a five-minute walk from the ferry landing. The island is reached only by boat, on the passenger ferry from Southport. Visitors climb 108 stairs and five landings to the top for a view over Bald Head Island and the Cape Fear River estuary. Climbs are self-guided and unscheduled. The keeper's cottage beside the tower houses the Smith Island Museum of History. Artifacts from the foundation's collection rotate on exhibit there and orient guests to the island's past. More artifacts sit inside the lighthouse foundation. The grounds hold picnic tables and the old Oil House, with interpretive signs and a very old live oak. The foundation also runs a two-hour guided history tour by golf cart that covers four centuries of island history. The tour includes lighthouse admission and a ten percent discount in the gift shop. Its education work extends to a Junior Keepers programme and an archival collection. A monthly newsletter is called The Keeper's Times. Supporters fund the site through a Brick Walkway Program and Passholders for Preservation. The shop is the foundation's retail arm, and buying there supports the upkeep of the tower and the museum. The site closes in January and February and keeps seasonal schedules for the rest of the year.
Visit official site ↗The Sail Shop
Hidden GemBald Head Island, NC
The current business is East Beach Surf Shop, which rents surfboards, paddleboards and kayaks as well as selling island-ready gear. Surf and paddleboard rentals are first-come, while kayak outings can be reserved.
Best for Resort apparel and island gifts
Visit official site ↗Bald Head Island, NC
Operated by the Bald Head Island Conservancy, this nature and gift store carries turtle- and nature-themed apparel, books and gifts. Purchases support local sea turtle conservation.
Best for Nature gifts supporting turtle conservation
Visit official site ↗Neighbourhood walks
Walk by recorded area.
Area names come from each shop’s published address record; ORBIS does not invent neighbourhoods.