Manteo Attractions and Activities
Historic Sites
Roanoke Island Festival Park: The Roanoke Island Festival Park features daily programs aboard Elizabeth II, in the Settlement Site and the interactive Roanoke Adventure Museum. The Legend of Two Path film, an art gallery, boardwalks, waters edge performance Pavilion, Museum Store and more are also located at the park. Events scheduled year-round.
Outer Banks History Center: The Outer Banks History Center is a North Carolina research facility that is houses in a 6,700-square-foot building. The center includes a reading room, a Halon fire-suppression system and stacks designed to withstand a Category 3 hurricane.
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site: Fort Raleigh National Historic Site commerates Sir Walter Raleigh's efforts to colonize the New World for England. The efforts ended with the the disappearance of the colony. Park activities include swimming, hiking, fishing and bird watching.
The Lost Colony: In 1585 European colonizers established the first English colony in the new world. By 1590 they had vanished without a trace, leaving historians no evidence of when, how, or why they disappeared. The Lost Colony historical site is a modern recreation of the mysterious settlement.
The Elizabethan Gardens—Wild Wednesdays And Discovery Thursdays: The Elizabethan Gardens Family Fun Series offers Wild Wednesdays and Discovery Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m. in the air-conditioned theater June 11 through August 14. On Wednesdays enjoy a photography slide show with the outstanding nature photographs of Jeff Lewis. On Thursday enjoy family-friendly, interactive programs in the gardens. All activities are free with paid admission to The Elizabethan Gardens.
Zoos and Aquariums
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island: A variety of marine exhibits are showcased at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. Visitors enjoy exploring the saltwater habitats that feature sharks, crabs, alligators, river otters and fish.
Tours
Kitty Hawk Kites’ Kayak Tours: To see a totally different side of Roanoke Island, slip back into the marsh creeks and coves on a kayak. Kitty Hawk Kites offers kayak tours leaving from the Manteo waterfront and winding through the salt marshes into the sound. Guides point out features of the area ecology and wildlife and talk about the history of Roanoke Island. Tandem and single kayaks are available. Expect to pay around $25 to $45 per person for a guided tour. Tours leave from the Kitty Hawk Kites store on the Manteo Waterfront. Kitty Hawk Kites offers kayak tours of many areas of the Outer Banks. One that we highly recommend is the Alligator River Tour through the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge on the mainland; the meeting place is about a 20-minute drive inland from Manteo. You must make advance reservations for guided kayak tours.
Outer Banks Cruises and Dolphin Tours: It’s very exciting to watch bottlenose dolphins frolicking and rolling through the water. Dolphins live in the sounds, and from June through October frequent the local waters. Since 1995 Capt. Stuart Wescott, a ninth-generation Roanoke Island native, has offered dolphin watch tours in the Roanoke Sound aboard the 53-foot pontoon-type boat Capt. Johnny. Dolphin sightings are guaranteed, so if you miss them on your first trip, your second tour is free. Wescott shares his knowledge and history of the area on the tour as well. Dolphin tours last two hours, and there are usually three trips a day (morning, mid-day and afternoon). Expect to pay around $25 for adults and $15 for children 12 and younger. Sunset cruises, bird-watching tours and shrimping/crabbing cruises are also offered.
Pirate Adventures Of The Outer Banks: Pirate costumes, face-painting, a real pirate ship, messages in bottles, water cannons, stinky pirate enemies and buried treasure — need we say more to convince you that this is the ultimate kid-pleasing adventure? Starting Memorial Day weekend, the Sea Gypsy IV sails seven days a week, six times a day: 9:30 a.m., 11 a.m., 12:30 p.m., 2 p.m., 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. Face-painting and dress up begin 30 minutes prior to departure time, so get there early. Cost is $20 person, $12 for children younger than 3. Reservations are recommended.
Activities
You can enjoy kayak eco-tour, a dolphin cruise, learning to surf, renting bicycles for the family or visiting an aquarium while you are in Manteo.
Dare County Old Swimming Hole: For a soundside swimming session, head down Airport Road to the Old Swimming Hole. The entrance is just beyond the North Carolina Aquarium on the right-hand side, just before you get to the airport. This family-oriented access is the perfect place to go after a tour of the aquarium. The Old Swimming Hole has a great sandy beach, picnic tables, grills, a picnic shelter, a playground, a volleyball cout and restrooms.
Festivals and Events
Bloody Mary and the Virgin Queen – Roanoke Island Festival Park, (252) 475-1500. Wednesdays at 3 p.m. on June 3, 10 and 17 and August 5, 12 and 19.
Community Sailing Programs and Learn to Sail Camps – Roanoke Island Maritime Museum, (252) 475-1750.
The Diary of Adam and Eve – The Elizabethan Gardens Theatre, (252) 473-3234. Tuesdays at 2:30 p.m. in July and August.
Elizabeth R – Roanoke Island Festival Park Film Theatre, (252) 475-1500. Tuesdays at 3 p.m. on June 2, 9 and 16.
Family Fun Summer Series – The Elizabethan Gardens, (252) 473-3234. Wild Wednesdays (gardens photography show) and Discovery Thursdays (interactive activities). 2 to 4 p.m. from June 10 through August 5.
First Friday—Downtown Manteo, First Friday celebration and street festival, 6 to 8 p.m. from April through December.
The Lost Colony – Waterside Theatre, (252) 473-3414. May 29 to August 20, Monday-Saturday at 8 p.m. (Backstage Tours at 6 p.m.)
The Lost Colony Children’s Theatre presents Charlotte’s Web – Waterside Theatre, (252) 473-3414. June 18 to August 13, Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9:30 a.m.
Manteo Farmer’s Market – George Washington Creef Park, Manteo Waterfront, Saturday mornings from 8 a.m. to noon throughout the summer months.
North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island – Daily programs and special events, (252) 473-3494.
Summer Children’s Performance Series—Roanoke Island Festival Park, Manteo, (252) 475-1500. June 23 to July 31, Tuesday through Friday at 10:30 a.m.
Tea with the Queen – Waterside Theatre, (252) 473-3414. Thursdays June 25, July 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 and August 6 and 13, 3 to 5 p.m.
Waterside Art Wednesday – Waterside Theatre, (252) 473-3414. Wednesdays June 17 to August 12, 2 to 3:30 p.m. Ages 7 -12.
|
