Outer Banks Historical Attractions

You won't want to miss this bus tour of Hatteras Island. Danny Couch, island native, leads tours in a 25-passenger mini-bus, telling island history and stories along the way. Couch grew up on the island and is passionate about its history. The first tour of the day starts at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum and traveling north to Buxton. The second tour goes from Avon to Buxton. There are also tours of Chicamacomico and Ocracoke Island.

The first US Weather Bureau Station managed by the Army Signal Service's on Hatteras Island was established at the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse Keeper's Quarter in 1874;was moved to the Hatteras Life Saving Station in 1880 and later transferred to a Hatteras Village private residence in 1883.  On July 1, 1891 the US Weather Bureau was established in the Department of Agriculture by the transfer from the Army Signal Corps, meteorological service.  In 1901 the first official building was constructed for the United States Weather Bureau on Hatteras Island. The station manned by an observer and a maintenance man was equipped with telegraph communication to the District Forecast Center in Washington, D.C.  Hourly checks were made of the temperature, humidity, wind velocity, solar radiation, barometric pressure and precipitation.  An important part of the national weather network, the station received information from lifesaving stations, issued coastal forecasts and storm warnings.

Site of the world's first controlled powered flight by the Wright Brothers on December 17, 1903. The Visitor Center features full-scale reproductions of the Wright 1903 Powered Flyer and interpretive presentations. A centennial pavilion boasts an exhibit hall with permanent and special exhibits, including a replica of the 1902 Glider and multipurpose auditorium.

This 513 acre park was built in remembrance of the 116 men, women, and children who disappeared here in the first English attempt at colonization of the New World. The settlement was the birthplace of Virginia Dare, first child of English parents born in America before the colony's strange disappearance.

The George Washington Creef, a working boathouse, offers a look at local and regional maritime heritage through displayed watercraft, exhibits, restoration projects, and traditional skills workshops. You'll also find an authentic shad fishing boat, the Ella View, made from native Outer Banks trees, which is an example of the historical boat developed over a century ago at Roanoke Island.

This 6700-square-foot facility includes a reading room, a Halon fire-suppression system, and stacks designed to withstand a Category 3 hurricane. Historian and businessman David Stick donated his personal library, and utilizing this core collection, the Outer Banks History Center was completed in 1988. Historical archives open Monday through Friday. Browse through pictures of the Outer Banks' past! Located at the Festival Park in Manteo.

In July 1986 Outer Banks historian and businessman David Stick donated his personal library, an extensive private collection of North Caroliniana, to the North Carolina Department of Cultural Resources. Utilizing this core collection, the department built a unique, regional research facility in Manteo--the Outer Banks History Center.

This interersting period in the history of Roanoke Island is commemorated with a special heritage trail on Roanoke Island

The Lost Colony. . .Symphonic Drama. Last seen 1587. A 400 year-old mystery haunts Roanoke Island. Here, 117 men, women and children lived for a short time-then vanished without a trace, leaving historians with a mystery that has never been solved. The Lost Colony is their story, told summer nights in a dazzling spectacle of song, dance and drama, beneath the stars. Waterside Theatre on Roanoke Island.

Jennette's Pier, the oldest fishing pier on North Carolina's Outer Banks, was built in 1939. This historic ocean landmark has weathered dozens of hurricanes and nor'easters over the past six decades.

The seven buildings of this site, listed on both the National and State Historic Registers, comprise the most complete lifesaving station in the United States. The oldest structure, built in 1874, is under active restoration to its original condition. Visitors can view its Gothic architecture with post and lintel construction, which is seldom seen today. The main station, constructed in 1911 and modified in 1928, has been restored and is used as a museum. A gift shop is also on the premises. The newly acquired 1907 Palmer Midgett House, an example of Hatteras Island architecture, is on-site. It will eventually be restored and opened to the public to help interpret daily life on the Island during that time.

For more information about Outer Banks historical attractions, click here.