Best things to do in Manteo

See the tallest sand dune on the Atlantic coast at Jockey's Ridge State Park, and look below the dune for a hiking trail through a maritime forest. Try picnicking, bird watching, kite-flying and even hang gliding at North Carolina's most-visited park. At an estuary just below the dune, head for a swim or go kayaking. The visitor center has an exhibit hall where you can learn about the park and its history. Remember to be cautious of hot sand.

Bodie Island Lighthouse, which looks out over the Graveyard of the Atlantic, offers ranger-guided tours that talk about the history of the lighthouse and its environment. Originally built in 1847, the lighthouse was rebuilt twice in 25 years. The first rebuild addressed foundation issues. The second came after the Civil War when Confederate forces, fearing the structure would be used as an observation point, blew up the lighthouse in 1861. The structure currently at the location was built in 1872. It's a tough climb--with over 200 steps up 50 m (165 ft) in a narrow stairway. Schedule your tour in advance if possible; the attraction allows a limited number of advance bookings and a limited number of on-site bookings each day.

The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island is located on the Outer Banks and educates visitors on the state's many ecosystems and the animals inhabiting them. This journey begins with Seven Rivers and ends at the Graveyard of the Atlantic. This 285,000-gallon exhibit houses the largest group of sharks in the state and features a replica of the USS Monitor, a Civil War ironclad which sank off the coast of Cape Hatteras in late December 1862. Alligators, turtles, fish, and the ever-popular North American river otters are featured in Wild Wetlands.

The Sea Turtle Assistance and Rehabilitation (STAR) Center is a 3,000 square-foot facility allowing staff and volunteers to maintain an excellent level of care for sick and ailing sea turtles. Visitors have the opportunity to see the turtle patients through viewing windows on the holding tanks and hear their recovery stories from the people who help them every day. When they are fully rehabilitated, the sea turtles are released back into the wild, some with satellite transmitters to track their movements. After learning about sea turtles at the Center, diagnose and care for a replica of an injured sea turtle in the interactive and hands-on exhibit Sea Turtle Rescue.

Touch a stingray, a white-spotted bamboo shark, or a sea star in Sea Senses. Free programs are offered every day, and, for an additional fee, guests can see and learn even more about our animals during a behind-the-scenes tour or participate in a camp or other special activity. Stroll along the educational soundside pier, a popular location for wedding ceremonies. The Aquarium is equipped to host receptions and other special events, even underwater weddings. Open-water certified divers can participate in our Aquarium Shark Dive program and get up-close and personal with our sharks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic exhibit.

At Jennette's Pier, stroll along the boardwalk and cast your line into the Atlantic Ocean. Originally built in 1939, this pier offers a chance to catch king mackerel, cobia, flounder, and many more species. You can book a stand-up paddle-board tour or private fishing lesson. The new pier and pier house were constructed in 2011 after the original pier's destruction during Hurricane Isabel in 2003. Visit the pier house to see the aquarium and educational exhibits focused on ethical fishing, marine science, and conservation. The area also offers surfing, kite-boarding, outdoor music festivals, and food festivals.

Inside the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, look for Elizabethan Gardens, a memorial to the first colonists marked by renaissance statues and meticulously managed landscapes. The 4 hectare (10 acre) park features shaded paths that will lead you through forests and colorful plazas, and you'll see interpretive plaques with useful information about each important sight. Numerous art and craft workshops and festivities take place here throughout the year. Check out the garden shops, which offer a selection of plants, statuettes, candles, soaps, and sweets.

The Chicamacomico Historical Association is a private, 501(c)(3) non-profit organization who’s purpose is to restore, preserve and interpret the buildings and history of Chicamacomico Life- Saving Station, as well as the U.S. Life-Saving Service and its successor, the U.S. Coast Guard on the Outer Banks. The Association owns and operates the museum site and the museum shop and raises its own funds. 100% of all admission fees, gift shop purchases, memberships, and donations go directly to the preservation, restoration, and operation of this historic site.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site preserves the location of Roanoke Colony, the first English settlement in the present-day United States. The site was preserved for its national significance in relation to the founding of the first English settlement in North America in 1587. The colony, which was promoted and backed by entrepreneurs led by Englishman Sir Walter Raleigh (ca. 1554–1618), failed sometime between 1587 and 1590 when supply ships failed to arrive on time. When next visited, the settlement was abandoned with no survivors found. The fate of the "Lost Colony" was a celebrated mystery, although most modern academic sources agree that the settlers likely assimilated into local indigenous tribes.

The historic site is off U.S. Highway 64 on the north end of Roanoke Island, North Carolina, about 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the town of Manteo. The visitor center's museum contains exhibits about the history of the English expeditions and colonies, the Roanoke Colony, and the island's Civil War history and Freedmen's Colony (1863-1867).

If you are interested in Outer Banks history, nature, recreation, and family activities, Roanoke Island Festival Park is an ideal choice. This Roanoke Island attraction, across from the Manteo waterfront and just 5 miles from Nags Head and 30 minutes from Hatteras Island and Kitty Hawk, is a 25-acre interactive historic site representing the first English settlement attempt in 1585.

Imagine a land with Algonquin Indian culture. The land was vast, pristine, and natural. This was Roanoke Island when English explorers stepped off their ships.

Roanoke Island Festival Park offers a winding, wooded trail with stops at the American Indian Town, the Settlement Site, and the Elizabeth II, a 16th century representative ship. Costumed and speaking in a 16th century manner, living history interpreters interact with visitors of all ages at the Settlement Site and the ship, recounting their experiences on the voyage and upon arrival to the New World. The tour is ideal for children offering excitement and fun with educational components.

Explore over 400 years of Roanoke Island history in the interactive Roanoke Adventure Museum. Play and discover in the Fossil Pit. Experience breathtaking water views and see wildlife while strolling on the Boardwalk which surrounds the cultural site.



The park also hosts many performances throughout the year in the Indoor Theatre and concerts at the Outdoor Pavilion. Several venues at the park can be rented for weddings, receptions, meetings and corporate retreats. Group Tour rates are available.

Roanoke Island Festival Park is a vibrant place on the Outer Banks of North Carolina where history, the arts, family gatherings, multiple activities and environment combine to make a memorable Outer Banks stop.

Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge is a national wildlife refuge located on North Carolina's Pea Island, a coastal barrier island and part of a chain of islands known as the Outer Banks, adjacent to Cape Hatteras National Seashore. The sanctuary is located 10 miles (16 km) south of Nags Head, North Carolina on NC 12.

The refuge's objectives are to provide nesting, resting, and wintering habitat for migratory birds, including the greater snow geese and other migratory waterfowl, shorebirds, wading birds, raptors, and neotropical migrants, as well as habitat and protection for endangered and threatened species. Objectives also include providing opportunities for public enjoyment of wildlife and wildlands resources. Public use programs focus on interpretation, environmental education, wildlife observation, wildlife photography, and fishing.

Roanoke Marshes Light was a screw-pile lighthouse in North Carolina.
Little is recorded about this light, which was replaced in 1955 with an automated light on a shorter tower. It marks the south entrance to the channel through Croatan Sound, to the east of a marshy shoal extending from the western shore. Ironically this places it in the deepest bottom in the area.
There was a predecessor light on this site, beginning in 1857. The pictured light, of conventional screw-pile construction, was lit in 1877. When the light was decommissioned, an unsuccessful attempt was made by a private party to move it, but the house was lost in the sound.
In 2004, a replica of the light was dedicated at the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum in Manteo, North Carolina.