The Guide to Roanoke Island

Elizabethan Gardens

252-473-3234

Beautiful formal gardens and meandering paths are punctuated with antique statuary and blooming flowers. Highlights include the elegant Sunken Garden, the Queen's Rose Gardens, the ancient oak and the 16th-century-style thatched gazebo.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

252-473-5772

Commemorating the first English attempts at colonization in the New World, the Park features a museum, film,exhibits, Freedom Trail and interpretive talks by National Park Service rangers. Free admission.

The Lost Colony

252-473-3414

A 400 year-old mystery haunts Roanoke Island. Here, 117 men, women and children lived for a short time - then vanished without a trace. This is their story, told summer nights in a dazzling spectacle of song, dance and drama, beneath the stars.

North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island

252-473-3494

Open 9 am to 5 pm daily year round except Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s days. Wheelchair accessible throughout. Admission fees: $7 for adults, $6 for senior citizens and military, $5 for children ages 6 to 18. Free for children age 5 and younger.

North Carolina Maritime Museum on Roanoke Island

252-475-1500

A working boathouse and the replica Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse offer a look at local and regional maritime history through displayed watercraft, exhibits, restoration projects and traditional skills workshops. Admission is free. At Creef Park on Fernando St., Downtown Manteo.

Roanoke Island Festival Park

252-475-1500

Discover a new world! Climb aboard the Elizabeth II, meet America's first English settlers in the Settlement Site, discover 400 years of Outer Banks history in the Roanoke Adventure Museum, and enjoy an art show or outdoor concert. Open Mid February to December 31.