Roanoke Island Attractions

Including Manteo, NC, Attractions

World-class Roanoke Island attractions are what lure many people here. Many Manteo, NC, attractions – such as Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, The Elizabethan Gardens, The Lost Colony outdoor drama, the Elizabeth II sailing ship and the Roanoke Island Festival Park – celebrate Roanoke Island’s history as the site of the first attempted English colonization of America. There are other Roanoke Island attractions, too, that you won’t want to miss like the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, musical events such as the Shallowbag Shag Beach Music Festival or the Mountain Music by the Sea bluegrass festival at the beautiful outdoor amphitheater, the North Carolina Maritime Museum and the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse. You can also step back to the mid-1800s at Island Farm or to a more simple time in the island's history by just walking or biking the streets and looking at the restored homes. With all these Manteo, NC, attractions and the many sites that capture Roanoke Island’s history, you’ll find that a day trip is never enough. In part due to these Roanoke Island attractions, more and more visitors are choosing this island as their vacation destination.

Roanoke Island Attractions are Interactive

One of the coolest parts of Manteo, NC, attractions is their ability to immerse you into the experience, whether it’s a step back into yesteryear or feeling the energizing beat of live music vibrate through your entire being. Take an ox-drawn wagon ride around an old farm. Witness colonist-Native American first encounters in Roanoke Island play out before your eyes. Sniff the sophisticated scent of Queen Elizabeth I’s favorite rose. Explore Manteo’s waterfront on foot and see where culture and cuisine intersect. Learn the proper techniques for handling marine life. Listen to the hearty shouts of pirates echo through Manteo’s waterfront. It’s so much fun for people of all interests. Roanoke Island attractions are beloved by people of all ages, and you’ll see visitors like families with small children, teenage friend groups and older couples all gathering in one place.

Roanoke Island Attractions by Location or Category

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

Roanoke Island Attractions
Milltail Road, off U.S. Highway 64, Manteo
(252) 473-1131

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is a more than 164,000-acre refuge on the mainland portion of Dare and Hyde counties. It was established in 1984 to preserve and protect a unique wetland habitat type, the pocosin, and its associated wildlife species. Pocosin is a Native American word meaning ‘swamp-on-a-hill’ and is characterized by poorly drained soils high in organic material. The refuge's diversity of habitat...read more

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge is a more than 164,000-acre refuge on the mainland portion...read more

Elizabethan Gardens

Manteo Attractions
1411 National Park Drive (off U.S. Highway 64) next to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Manteo
(252) 473-3234

Designed by two of America’s foremost landscape architects to pay tribute to America’s first English colonists, The Elizabethan Gardens is a rare treasure and a beloved Outer Banks attraction. It’s a haven of verdant, flourishing growth and natural prosperity. The gardens are in bloom year-round with azaleas, hydrangeas, roses, camellias, flowering trees, a variety of annuals and herbs and much more. Adding exquisite touches are imported Italian Renaissance...read more

Designed by two of America’s foremost landscape architects to pay tribute to America’s first English...read more

Lost Colony

Manteo Attractions
1409 National Park Drive (off U.S. Highway 64), Waterside Theatre, inside Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Manteo
(252) 473-2127
Tickets
(252) 473-6000

In July of 1587, 117 English men, women and children came ashore on Roanoke Island with the commission from Queen Elizabeth I to establish a permanent English settlement in the New World. They vanished just three years later. The only clues were “CROATOAN" carved into the surface of an abandoned structure and the letters "CRO" carved into a nearby tree. After nearly 450 years, the...read more

In July of 1587, 117 English men, women and children came ashore on Roanoke Island...read more

North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island

Manteo Attractions
374 Airport Road, Manteo
(252) 475-2300
(800) 832-3474 x4

The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island is one of the most popular attractions on the Outer Banks. With more than 200 species of animals, including otters, sand tiger sharks and jellyfish to see, the aquarium is a wondrous place to explore. Yes, it's perfect for a rainy day, but you will also appreciate the cool, quiet environment when you've had enough of the sun....read more

The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island is one of the most popular attractions on...read more