MANNS HARBOR — North Carolina residents and visitors interested in getting a rare glimpse inside the N.C. Ferry System’s shipyard in Manns Harbor will get their first of four opportunities on Thursday. Officials are giving public tours of the facility for the first time ever as part of the 70th anniversary celebration of the ferry system. However, reservations are required, and the tour is filling up fast.

The tour will begin promptly at 10 a.m. and last about an hour. It will include a close-up view of the working shipyard where the state’s 21 ferries are repaired, maintained and painted. Participants will be required to wear hard hats (provided by the Ferry Division) and wear closed-toe footwear.

Additional tours will be held on July 27, Aug. 25 and Sept. 22.

Anyone interested in reserving a spot on any of the tours should email Tim Hass at tdhass@ncdot.gov.