The Outer Banks offers numerous attractions, all of them based on the fascinating natural and cultural history of the area. The information listed here is subject to change; call ahead to verify information or to inquire about admission prices. See our Lighthouses page for information about the four local lighthouses.
Corolla
Corolla Wild Horse Museum
The museum welcomes visitors year-round to provide free information about the wild Spanish Mustangs that roam the northern beaches of the Currituck Outer Banks. The museum includes touch exhibits for children, a wall-sized aerial map of the horse’s range, video displays, and friendly staff to answer questions about how to see the horses. Children’s activities such as live mustang visits, horse painting and mustang rides are offered during the summer months. Open Monday through Friday 10am to 4pm. 1129 Corolla Village Road • 252.453-8002
Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education
Exhibits and daily programs about the area’s natural history and heritage. Open Monday through Saturday, 9am to 5pm. Currituck Heritage Park, 1160 Village Lane • 252.453.0221
The Whalehead Club
Step back in time to an era of gracious mansions and hunting parties. A beautifully restored 1920s house museum. Open year round. Open Monday through Saturday 9am to 5pm; check the website for information about specialty tours and events. Currituck Heritage Park, 1100 Club Road • 252.453-9040
Duck
Duck Research Pier
Tour the Army Corps of Engineers’ internationally recognized coastal observatory. Tours in summer only, mid-June through mid-August, Monday through Friday at 10am. 1261 Duck Road • 252.261.6840 ext. 234
Kill Devil Hills
Wright Brothers National Memorial
They taught the world to fly! Wind, sand, and a dream of flight brought Wilbur and Orville Wright to Kitty Hawk, NC where, after four years of experimentation, they achieved the first successful airplane flights in 1903. Explore the history of flight in the museum and on the grounds and walk the hill to the memorial pylon for a spectacular view of the Outer Banks. Open daily year round 9am to 5pm (until 6pm between Memorial Day and Labor Day). MP 8, U.S. Highway 158 • 252.441.7430
Manteo
Dare County Radio Control Flyers
Interested in Radio Control Aircraft? Then Dare County Radio Control Flyers is for you! We are an Academy of Model Aeronautics chartered club that promotes radio control model aviation as a sport and recreational activity at the home of the first flight, the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Membership in Dare County Radio Control Flyers is open to any person interested in participating in radio control aviation. Whether you are an experienced radio control pilot, a beginner, or just interested in learning more about this rewarding hobby, we have the resources, expertise, and desire to make your experience into the world of radio control aviation enjoyable and gratifying!
Website: dcrcf.club
Phone: 252-656-2FLY.
Email: info@dcrcf.club
Nags Head
Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve
Remarkable range of unique habitats, including forested dunes, interdune ponds, marshes and wetlands. Hiking, jogging, birding and events for adults and children. Open from dawn to dusk every day. Ocean Acres Drive (MP 9.5; turn west off U.S. 158 across from McDonald’s) • 252.441.2525
Jockey’s Ridge State Park
Climb the tallest sand dunes east of the Mississippi River and explore the museum. Ask about programs. Park opens daily at 8am, visitor center at 9am. Closing times vary seasonally. Carolista Drive (MP 12, off U.S. 158) • 252.441.7132
Roanoke Island
The Elizabethan Gardens
Delightful gardens – created to honor the first settlers in the New World – encompass ten acres of botanical and sculptural delights. Seasonal changes bring an array of flowering plants, shrubs and trees that draw visitors to return again and again.Ask about special events and programs. The gardens are open daily year round; hours vary according to season and day. 1411 National Park Drive (adjacent to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site) • 252.473.3234
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
Exhibits on the Roanoke Island colonies, nature trails and a restored fort. Open daily year round 9am to 5pm (until 6pm from Memorial Day to Labor Day). 1401 National Park Drive • 252.473.5772
Island Farm
Living history site interpreting daily life on a Roanoke Island farm in the mid-1800s. Visitors can explore nearly a dozen buildings, such as the farmhouse, a reconstructed slave cabin, outhouse, cookhouse, smokehouse, dairy, barns, chicken coop, corn crib, woodshed, and blacksmith shop. Exhibits in the Visitor Center help put daily life on the farm into historical context, with information on island culture, fishing, farming, boatbuilding, windmills, slavery, and the Freedmen’s Colony. Open Tuesday through Saturday 10am to 4pm. 1140 U.S. Highway 64. • 252.4736500
The Lost Colony
America’s longest running outdoor drama tells the story of the first attempts at permanent settlement in the New World. Come see epic battles and Indian dances. Witness the pageantry of the Queen and her court and celebrate the birth of Virginia Dare. There is music, laughter, romance and dance. The Lost Colony is widely acknowledged as the precursor to the modern American Broadway Musical. May through August, Monday through Saturday. See website for dates and tickets. 1409 National Park Dr. (adjacent to the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site) • 252.473.3414
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island
Marvel at the largest collection of sharks in the state. Interact with scuba divers, touch an alligator and feed the stingrays as you explore the “Waters of the Outer Banks.” Don’t miss our interactive, hands-on exhibit Operation: Sea Turtle Rescue. Salt and freshwater tanks, touch tank, exhibits, gift shop. Open daily 9am to 5pm. 374 Airport Road • 252.473.3493
Roanoke Island Festival Park
Elizabeth II representative sailing ship, interpretive programs, a museum, an art gallery, special events and performances. Roanoke Island Festival Park is a 25-acre interactive historic site representing the first English settlement attempt in 1585. Open daily 9am to 5pm; closed in January and February. 1 Festival Park Drive (across from the Manteo Waterfront) • 252.475.1500
Hatteras
Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station
Tour the restored 1874 station and outbuildings and learn of the gallant men of the U.S. Lifesaving Service. Special programs in the summer months. Open mid-April to mid-November, Monday through Friday 10am to 5pm. MP 39.5, 23645 N.C. Highway 12, Rodanthe • 252.987.1552
Frisco Native American Museum
Learn about the island’s first inhabitants in the museum and tour the nature trails. Exhibits encompass native tribes from North America, with special sections on the natives from the Outer Banks. Open Tuesday through Sunday 10:30am to 5pm in season (call for off-season days of operation). N.C. Hwy. 12, Frisco • 252.995.4440
Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
The waters off North Carolina’s Outer Banks entomb thousands of vessels and countless mariners who lost a desperate struggle against the forces of war, piracy and nature. The Graveyard of the Atlantic, with one of the highest densities of shipwrecks in the world, holds some of America’s most important maritime history. This museum preserves, researches, exhibits and interprets Outer Banks shipwreck history from 1524 to 1945. End of N.C. Highway 12, Hatteras Village • 252.986.2995
