Including Elizabethan Gardens & The Lost Colony
Roanoke Island things to do include some of the Outer Banks’ premier attractions. English-inspired botanic gardens and historic sites preserve colonial history. Aquariums celebrate marine life and aquatic environments. Evidence of escaped slaves and early colonies for freed men and women pop up across the island. The impressive operating marina and shipyards showcase the area’s renowned commercial and recreational fishing industry. Some of the top Roanoke Island attractions include The Elizabethan Gardens, The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama, Roanoke Island Festival Park and Island Farm, but that's not all so prepare for a full day of exploring the island.
Featured for Your Visit
Attractions in Manteo, NC
1411 National Park Drive (off U.S. Highway 64) next to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, Manteo
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 fountains, garden ornaments, a waterfront gazebo, benches, statues, an expansive lawn and some of the most amazing live oaks you’ll ever see. The large shade canopy overhead provides a cool oasis even on the sunniest summer day. The Garden Gift Shoppe sells books, gifts, herbs and plants. This is a trusted plant source for many locals, as the garden staff nurtures their plants with great care.
New at The Elizabethan Gardens is the John White Butterfly Center. Guests are welcome to walk through the indoor greenhouse, which houses butterflies from May through September. The Elizabethan Gardens also has many new family-friendly aspects, including The Discovery Cottage, an indoor/outdoor educational play area and a location for summer programs. The play area offers a large play ship reminiscent of the ship that carried the colonists to the New World, swings, slides, Elizabethan-style playhouses, educational signage, a koi pond, sandpits, a fossil pit, outdoor picnic tables and room to run.
The Elizabethan Gardens holds outstanding events such as horticulture education workshops and summer programs for kids. Seasonal events throughout the year include Easter Eggstravaganza (day before Easter); Butterfly Festival (month of April), Virginia Dare’s Birthday Celebration (August), Peace, Love and Dogs (September), Harvest Hayday (October) and WinterLights (December and January).
The gardens open at 9 a.m. seven days a week throughout most of the year and at 10 a.m. in December and January. They are closed to the public in February for maintenance. Closing time varies according to the season. Admission (pre-tax) is $10 for adults, $7 for youth ages 6 to 17, $3 for children ages 2 to 5 and free for children younger than 2. Dogs are admitted for $3, but service dogs get in free. Organized tour groups can apply for reduced admission rates in advance. Tickets are for timed entry admission and are purchased online at elizabethangardens.org.
The gardens make a beautiful setting for photographs, bridal luncheons, weddings, receptions, retreats or meetings. Choose from a variety of backdrops for an unforgettable day. An on-site Reception Hall, tent and Rose Garden accommodate parties large and small. Rental information is posted online.
From late June through mid-August, on weekdays from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. The Elizabethan Gardens offers these fun, kid-friendly events with paid admission. Events are weather-dependent and limited to 10 participants outdoors at the Discovery Cottage. Tickets must be purchased 24 hours in advance of the date.
Backyard Birds: Discover more about the birds in your own backyard with educational and hands-on activities for inquisitive minds. Participants will explore about birds with a guided art craft and create a bird snack to take to home.
Fun with Frogs: Discover the exciting life cycle of frogs with educational and hands-on activities for inquisitive minds
Butterflies: Discover the exciting life-cycle of butterflies with educational and hands-on activities for inquisitive minds.
Helpful Bugs: Learn about the beneficial insects in the gardens.
Self-Guided Audio Tours: Take a tour at your leisure using your mobile device, anytime during regular hours of operation year-round.
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
Attractions in Manteo, NC
In the roundabout at the intersection of Sir Walter Raleigh and Bideford streets, a part of the community's African-American heritage is being preserved and interpreted with a statue and a museum. A life-sized bronze statue of Richard Etheridge, the first African-American United States Life-Saving Service Keeper at Pea Island Station on the Outer Banks, is in the roundabout's median. Adjacent, the Pea Island Cookhouse Museum...read more
Attractions in Manteo, NC
Experience a new adventure in an old world at Roanoke Island Festival Park. This 25-acre historic site allows guests of all ages to experience first-hand what life was like for the first English settlers in 1585. Historic costumed interpreters are featured through Indian Town, the Settlement Site and the Elizabeth II ship to show and tell how the first settlers lived...read more
Attractions in Manteo, NC
Originally a boathouse used to build world-record–holding speedboats, this building has seen a variety of boat-building uses in its day. The building’s double-wide doors and barn-like roominess create the perfect setting for this working boathouse museum. The Roanoke Island Maritime Museum is a treasure-trove of local seafaring history. Come inside for a look at some locally built boats and possibly to see boat building in...read more
Attractions in Manteo, NC
Perched over the water along Manteo’s waterfront boardwalk, the picturesque Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is perfectly suited to the town’s maritime setting. This Victorian stick-style lighthouse is a reproduction of the third Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse, which never stood on the Manteo waterfront but in the Croatan Sound from 1877 to 1955. Out there in the sound, the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse keepers lived on the lonely lighthouse...read more
Attractions in Manteo, NC
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s LEED–certified visitor center is on the north end of Roanoke Island near the entrance to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. The center provides information on the 11 National Wildlife Refuges and one National Fish Hatchery in northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia and helps visitors plan adventures to some of these wild places. The mission of the center is...read more
Attractions in Wanchese
An unincorporated village on the southern end of Roanoke Island, Wanchese is small and well off the beaten path. Not many visitors make it down this way, but if you want to see the last vestiges of the old Outer Banks, this is a good place to look. If you're coming from the beaches, when you get to the big intersection at Highway 64, take...read more
