Welcome to the Topsail Historical Society: Home of the Missiles & More Museum and the Historic Assembly Building

The Historical Society of Topsail Island is a non-profit organization founded in 1984 and dedicated to preserving the history of Topsail Island. It currently operates the Assembly Building and the Missiles & More Museum, both located in the town of Topsail Beach, NC. The Assembly Building, which is on the Register of Historic Places, was the research and testing site for Operation Bumblebee, the top secret missile program operated by the Navy on Topsail Island from 1946 - 1948.

The Missiles & More Museum, which preserves artifacts and data for the Topsail area, was first opened in 1997. Today, exhibits include Operation Bumblebee, Camp Davis, pirate and Native American exhibits, a natural history exhibit, and most recently, an Osprey Aircraft exhibit. The Museum operates regular hours from April to mid October (see below). In addition, special torurs are conducted for students and other groups. Arrangements for visits may be made by calling the Museum at (910) 328-8663 the Museum Director at (910) 328-2488.

Museum Hours:
April 7 – May 23, 2008 Mon-Fri, 2-4 PM
May 24 – Sept. 1, 2008, Mon-Sat, 2-4 PM
Sept 2 – Oct. 19, 2008, Mon-Fri, 2-4 PM

The Historical Society meets the second Thursday of the month at 11:30 AM at the Assembly Building from September through May. The meeting features a lunch and a speaker on a topic of historical interest. Reservations are required, and visitors are welcomed. Please call the Museum Director for additional information in this regard.