Historical Sites
Wright Brothers Memorial
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.
The grounds include historical markers of each attempted powered flight, a replica campsite and a 60-foot granite monument in the Wright Brother's honor on top of Big Kill Devil Hill, a 90-foot dune.
Location: US 158 Bypass, Milepost 8, Kill Devil Hills.
Hours: 9:00am - 5:00pm (hours are extended during summer months). Open Year Round. Closed Christmas Day.
Entrance Fees
$3 per person - valid for 7 days
Free - 16 and under
$10 - Annual Park Pass
Free - Golden Age, Golden Access, or National Parks Pass
Commercial Vehicles
$25 - Commercial Sedans or Vans holding 1 - 6 people.
$40 - Vans / Small buses holding 7 - 25 people.
$100 - Commercial Tour Buses
National Park Service Passes
Golden Access - Free - Valid for a lifetime
Golden Age - $10 - Valid for a lifetime
National Parks Pass - $50 - Valid for one year
Golden Eagle holograms - $15 - valid for one year
Note: School sponsored programs may be eligible for a waiver of fees.
Services: Interpretive tours available.
Facilities: Visitor Center facilities include a bookstore, rest rooms, and telephones.
Contact Information:
Phone: (252) 441-7430
Web Site: www.nps.gov/wrbr
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
North end of Roanoke Island where Sir Walter Raleigh's explorers and colonists attempted to found settlements in 1585. Home to the Waterside Theatre, where you'll find The Lost Colony, a Symphonic Outdoor drama. You'll also find a visitor's center, interpretive programs, bookstore and nature trail.
Location:
Off Hwy. 64/264, on the north end of Roanoke Island.
Hours:
Daily 9am - 5pm - Sept. through May; Daily 9am - 8pm - June through August.
Admission: Free
Services:
Museum and film; interpretive tours may be available.
Facilities:
Gift shop, restrooms, picnic area, and free parking.
Contact:
National Park Service Rt. 1, Box 675
Manteo, NC 27954
(252) 473-5772
Web Site: www.nps.gov/fora
Roanoke Island Festival Park
History, Art and Fun All Rolled Into One!
Closed January and part of February
Roanoke Island Festival Park, a 27-acre North Carolina State Site and cultural center, is a celebration of history, education and the arts. The island was a starting point for English Colonization in The New World whose settlers arrived under Sir Walter Raleigh's sponsorship from 1584-1587.
Learn of America's first attempts at colonization by boarding Elizabeth II, a representative 16th century sailing vessel, and then visiting with soldiers in the newly expanded Settlement Site.
The Legend of Two- Path film recounts the Roanoke story from a different perspective - that of the Algonquians living here when the English first arrived in 1584.
In the Roanoke Island Adventure Museum, interactive exhibits travel beyond America's beginnings to explore the next 400 years of Outer Banks history - from boat building to shipwrecks, from pirates to lighthouse keepers, from The Lost Colony to the Freedmen's Colony, from the Civil War to an early 1900's General Store.
The on-site Art Gallery hosts monthly changing exhibits to a myriad of renowned artists. Admission is free.
During the summer months, the North Carolina School of the Arts presents the "Illuminations" Summer Performing Arts Series on the Pavilion lawn Tuesday - Saturday at 8:00pm. Also during the summer months, top quality children's performances are presented Tuesday - Friday at 10:30am, in the indoor Film Theatre.
Location: Across from the Manteo Waterfront and 5 miles from the beaches.
Hours: Vary by season
Admission: Fee includes Adventure Museum, Film and Elizabeth II.
Services: Arrival Center, The Museum Gift Store, restrooms, picnic areas.
Roanoke Island Festival Park is located just 5 miles from the beaches and offers fun and adventure for the entire family. Admission is $8 for adults and $5 for students. Children 5 and younger are admitted at no charge when accompanied by parents. Tickets are good for two consecutive days. The Park is open daily. For more information, call (252) 475-1506 or visit us online at www.roanokeisland.com
The Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse
The Outer Banks' newest lighthouse is also its smallest. Instead of a brick beacon towering over a barrier-island beach, this lighthouse is more akin to a lightkeeper's house perched over the water. The original 1857 screwpile lighthouse that aided mariners in Croatan Sound was a cottage built over the water, with the lighthouse serving as both beacon and residence.
The reconstructed lighthouse was opened in 2004 by the Town of Manteo, in cooperation with the NC Maritime Museum and Roanoke Island Festival Park. Located at the end of the pier on the Manteo Waterfront, the lighthouse contains exhibits highlighting Roanoke Island's maritime history and information on the lighthouse and its keepers.
Hours:
Tuesday - Saturday, 9am - 5pm
Contact:
For information on maritime museum exhibits, programming and events, call (252) 475-1500.
|