Topsail Marine Memorial Park underwent a total renovation in 2020 to transform into a rain garden with viewing vistas, park benches, bike racks, a floating dock. The park is at 230 Front Street.
The retrofit improved the anesthetics of the park and incorporates stormwater management techniques to capture runoff from adjacent impervious surfaces. The improvements to the park include a pervious walkway with bench seating, new bike rack with parking pad, and several rain gardens to capture and infiltrate stormwater.
This project was made possible via town funding, a $14, 289 grant from the Division of Water Resources North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality and donations by the Beaufort Garden Club to include 4 new benches and $3,000 funding for irrigation. The Garden Club also donated the Menhaden Melody sculpture.
The park renovation project cost a total of $56,309.
History abounds in Topsail Marine Memorial Park. In 2021Topsail Marine Memorial Park was identified and designated as site of Remembrance for the Middle Passage Ceremonies and Port Markers Project. It is a documented Middle Passage arrival site.
The park is also home to the Menhaden Melody public art donated by the Beaufort Garden Club in 2022.
Topsail Marine Park is on Taylor's Creek situated next to Front Street Grill at the end of Orange Street.
Fishing is permitted. Overnight docking is not permitted but the dock is available for day visits for boaters.
