Things to Do in Manteo, NC

Including Roanoke Island Things to Do

No matter what Roanoke Island things to do you choose during your time here, one thing is certain: You’ll never be bored. Whether you crave relaxation or high-energy adventure, it’s all here.

The things to do in Manteo, NC, include sailing along the sound or taking a dolphin-sighting cruise. Go crabbing from a dock or fight a marlin on an off-shore charter fishing trip. Parasail high above the water or take a bike ride along the island. Watch the sun set from the decks of a beautiful boat or zip through the sound on a Jet boat. Stroll along the Manteo boardwalk and enjoy the quaint beauty that characterizes Roanoke Island, or settle down to a modern movie in an old-fashioned theater. Join the local kids at the town-built skate park, or take the little ones to the waterfront playground. As you can see, the opportunities for things to do in Manteo, NC, knows no limits.

And when you look beyond the things to do in Manteo, NC, to other Roanoke Island things to do, you’ll find air tours, fishing, backwater kayak tours, head boat excursions, Pirate Boat trips, yoga and Pilates classes, scuba trips and more. Manteo's recreation is more varied than Wanchese's recreation, which centers around fishing.

Various Things to Do in Manteo, NC

A notable feature of Roanoke Island things to do is the abundant history steeped within this island. Many historic sites and influential locations are popular spots to check out. See our Roanoke Island Attractions section for more about things to do in Manteo, NC, and all the places to visit on the island, including Roanoke Island Festival Park, the Elizabethan Gardens, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, an operating 19th-century farm and even the North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island. It also always seems like some sort of special event, festival, program, performing art, summer camp, children’s program and much more is happening on Roanoke Island. You can keep a beat on everything currently occurring by checking out our Roanoke Island Daytime Events page and Roanoke Island Nightlife page. To stay ahead on what’s to come throughout the year, see what Outer Banks Annual Events are going on in Manteo, NC.

Roanoke Island Activities by Location or Category

Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge

Roanoke Island Thing To Do
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

Captain Johnny’s Dolphin Tours

Manteo Thing To Do
400 Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Manteo Waterfront, Manteo
(252) 473-1475

It’s very exciting to watch bottlenosed dolphins frolicking and rolling through the water. Dolphins live in the sounds and from June through October frequent the local waters. Capt. Stuart Wescott, a ninth-generation Roanoke Island native, has been conducting dolphin watch tours in the Roanoke Sound aboard the 53-foot pontoon-type boat Capt. Johnny for more than 25 years. If you miss the dolphins on your first...read more

It’s very exciting to watch bottlenosed dolphins frolicking and rolling through the water. Dolphins live...read more

Charter Boats on the Outer Banks

Charter fishing on the Outer Banks is one of the most popular activities. Thousands of visitors and locals take advantage of the excellent fishing these waters offer, so not surprisingly there are many businesses that can connect you with the sort of charter you're interested in. Without a doubt, the offshore charter boats that go after the Gulf Stream big game of tuna, wahoo, mahi...read more

Charter fishing on the Outer Banks is one of the most popular activities. Thousands of...read more

Country Girl Charters

Pirate's Cove Yacht Club & Marina
Roanoke Island Thing To Do
1 Sailfish Drive, Pirate's Cove Marina, Manteo
(252) 473-5577

As one of the few boats in the Oregon Inlet fishing fleet that is licensed to carry more than six anglers, the 57-foot Country Girl can be chartered for Gulf Stream trips for parties of six or more people. These full-day offshore charter fishing trips can yield tuna and mahi-mahi, wahoo, king mackerel, marlin or sailfish depending on the season and conditions. The Country Girl also...read more

As one of the few boats in the Oregon Inlet fishing fleet that is licensed...read more

Crystal Dawn Head Boat

Pirate's Cove Yacht Club & Marina
Manteo Thing To Do
2000 Sailfish Drive, Docks at Pirate's Cove Marina, Manteo
(252) 473-5577

Looking to get out on the water? Docked at Pirate's Cove Marina on the Nags Head/Manteo Causeway, this comfortable, 65-foot, double-decker party boat /head boat offers fishing in the sounds and around Oregon Inlet as well as a variety of fun cruises around Roanoke Island. On one of their head boat fishing trips you'll catch fish such as flounder, croaker, spot, trout, sea mullet, sea bass...read more

Looking to get out on the water? Docked at Pirate's Cove Marina on the Nags...read more

Elizabethan Gardens

Manteo Thing To Do
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

First Fridays in Manteo

Manteo Thing To Do
Downtown Manteo, Manteo
(252) 473-5558

First Friday is a family-oriented festival held in downtown Manteo on the first Friday of every month from April through December. From 6 to 8 p.m. downtown Manteo’s sidewalks come alive with a wide variety of musical performances and festive activities for all ages. Individual shops and restaurants frequently do their own celebratory activity such as live music, special sales, refreshments and hors d’oeuvres. Dare County...read more

First Friday is a family-oriented festival held in downtown Manteo on the first Friday of...read more

Kitty Hawk Kites

Manteo Thing To Do
307 Queen Elizabeth Avenue, Manteo
(252) 473-2357
794 Sunset Boulevard, TimBuck II Shopping Village, Corolla
(252) 453-8845
819 Ocean Trail, Monterey Plaza, Corolla
(252) 453-3685
1216 Duck Road, Wee Winks Square, Duck
(252) 261-4450
3933 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 12.5, Jockey's Ridge Crossing, Nags Head
(252) 449-2210
24502 N.C. Highway 12, Waves Village, Rodanthe
(252) 987-2297
39432 N.C. Highway 12, Island Shops, Avon
(252) 995-6060
58848 Hatteras Landing, Hatteras Landing, Hatteras
(252) 986-1446
Community Square, 270 Irvin Garrish Highway, Ocracoke
(252) 928-4563
7517 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Whalebone Watersports Center, Nags Head
(252) 441-4124
(877) 359-8447

Kitty Hawk Kites has been teaching the world to fly since 1974. With 10 retail locations from Corolla to Ocracoke, Kitty Hawk Kites boasts an impressive selection of kites, flags and spinners, toys, apparel, gifts and games on the Outer Banks. Kitty Hawk Kites specializes in kites, from the single-lines for kids to high-tech stunt varieties. The stores also sell fun outdoor goodies such as...read more

Kitty Hawk Kites has been teaching the world to fly since 1974. With 10 retail...read more

Kitty Hawk Surf Co.

819 Ocean Trail, Montery Plaza, Corolla
(252) 453-3685
790 Ocean Trail, TimBuck II Shopping Village, Corolla
(252) 453-4999
1216 Duck Road, Wee Winks Square, Duck
(252) 261-8787
3933 S. Croatan Highway, The Bypass, MP 12.5, Jockey's Ridge Crossing, Nags Head
(252) 441-6800
24502 N.C. Highway 12, Waves Village, Rodanthe
(252) 987-2297
58848 Hatteras Landing, Hatteras
(252) 986-1446

Ready for some action? Kitty Hawk Surf Co. has everything you need to enjoy all the Outer Banks has to offer, from the wind and waves to flat water adventures. At Kitty Hawk Surf Co., you can find a huge selection of new and used kayaks, kayaking gear and equipment, standup paddleboards, surfboards, Zap skim boards, wetsuits and more. You can also find top selections...read more

Ready for some action? Kitty Hawk Surf Co. has everything you need to enjoy all...read more

Lost Colony

Manteo Thing To Do
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

Manteo, NC

Manteo Thing To Do

Manteo, the only incorporated town on Roanoke Island and the Dare County seat, is a small island town complete with a picturesque waterfront, a safe harbor, welcoming docks and a charming downtown historic area. 

Manteo’s waterfront downtown is an attraction in itself, with shops, art galleries, eateries, a lighthouse, a maritime museum, a waterfront boardwalk, a park and children's playground and boats sitting in the...read more

Manteo, the only incorporated town on Roanoke Island and the Dare County seat, is a...read more

North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island

Manteo Thing To Do
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