Historic Sites

The rich history of the Outer Banks has been thoughtfully preserved so it can be shared for generations to come.  Visit the spot where the Wright Brothers took their first flight, climb a lighthouse or explore the mystery of the Lost Colony on your next visit to learn more about local legacies.

Currituck Heritage Park

The Whalehead Club is located in Currituck Heritage Park in northern Outer Banks which was historically known as a paradise for waterman and shooting enthusiasts. The entrance to Currituck Heritage Park is on your left just before the Currituck Beach Lighthouse. The Whalehead Club sits at the water’s edge. The abundance of wildlife led Edward C. Knight Jr. and his wife Marie Louise LeBel Knight to the area in the late 1800s when Mr. Knight was a member of the shooting club Lighthouse Club of Currituck Sound.  The legend goes that Mrs. Knight was also an avid hunter but because shooting clubs only permitted male members; her husband built her “The Whalehead Club” so that she could also enjoy the annual waterfowl hunt. The Whalehead Club was built on what was called Corolla Island between 1922 and 1925 for $385,000 and boasted 21,000 square feet of Art Nouveau inspired design.  Features included a gabled copper roof, cork floors, Tiffany fixtures, an elevator, 6,000 square foot basement, a moat and outstanding views of the Currituck Sound.  Over the years the Whalehead Club has changed hands numerous times and operated as a U.S. Coast Guard training facility, as summer school for boys and as rocket fuel test location for the Atlantic Research Company.

In 1992, after many years of neglect, Currituck County purchased the Whalehead Club and the surrounding 39 soundfront acres and completed a $5 million restoration to return this landmark to its former glory.   Today guests can enjoy walking in the steps of history by taking one of several tours offered 9am-5pm daily year-round. (Except holidays) For additional information contact (252) 453-9040.  The grounds are also a popular and picturesque setting available for weddings and receptions.

The Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education is the newest facility located on the Sound in Currituck Heritage Park. This 22,000 square foot facility which houses classrooms, an auditorium, exhibits and a gift shop opened in 2006. The Center’s focus is to educate the public on conservation, waterfowl and hunting heritage, natural history, local heritage, ecology and fishing.  The Center offers exhibits on waterfowl hunting, decoy-making and the wildlife present in this barrier island environment. The Wildlife center also offers many programs for children and adults such as Nature Nuts, a program series for young children ages 3-7 years old; Eco-Explorers, a program series for 8-13 year olds; educator workshops such as WILD, Aquatic WILD and CATCH; wildflower and tree identification workshops, stream investigations and fishing programs.Not only can you learn about the region’s diverse wildlife, but you can also discover how hunting, fishing, decoy-making and boating, all traditional coastal pastimes, reflect the strong connection between the community and its environment. Best of all admission is FREE! For more information contact (252) 453-0221.

Currituck Beach Lighthouse towers over Corolla at 162 feet, the famous red brick structure has provided light for safe passage to passing ships for decades.  Originally constructed from 1873-1875, the lighthouse is one of the few operational lighthouses in the country which allows guests to climb all 214 steps to the upper observation deck which boasts some of the best views of the Outer Banks.  The Lighthouse is located at 1101 Corolla Village Road , Corolla, NC 27927 and is open to climb for a nominal fee daily from Easter through Thanksgiving. Climbing hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., except in November, when it closes at 5 p.m. Climbers must go up 15 minutes before closing. During extreme weather situations, especially high winds, the lighthouse can be closed to climbing. While exploring the Lighthouse grounds you can see Double Light Keeper’s House which was pre-fabricated, shipped by barge and assembled on site in 1876.  This was built to house the original light keepers’ families until the light’s automation in 1939.   The Little Light Keeper’s House was built on the mainland and floated over by barge in 1920 to accommodate the growing needs of the lightkeepers.  This home and the Double Light Keeper’s House fell into grave disrepair and neglect until the 1980s when the Outer Banks Conservationists took over the began restoration.  Today the Little Light Keeper’s House is the location of the Lighthouse Museum Shop and the Double Light Keeper’s House opens to the public once a year for tours.  For additional information, please contact (252) 453-4939

Historic Corolla Village

The Wild Horse Museum is located at 1126 Schoolhouse Lane, Corolla, NC 27927 in the historic Corolla Schoolhouse in Corolla Village at the corner of Corolla Village Road and Schoolhouse Road.  An exact date of construction has not been definitively determined but the school was operational serving the needs of local population by the early 1900s.  One of the most interesting facts about the Schoolhouse is that there is evidence that this historical building was partially constructed using salvaged ship’s timbers.  In its time the schoolhouse was the center of the town’s activities by acting as a community center for village meetings, concerts, plays, dances and carnivals. 

Restoration of the schoolhouse by local preservationists began in 1999 and today it is open to the public as the Wild Horse Museum where it operates as an interactive educational museum and museum store.  The museum welcomes guests year round Monday through Friday from 10am to 4pm with no admission charge and offers children’s activities June through Labor Day for a nominal fee. For additional information contact (252) 453-8002

Corolla Chapel was built in 1885. A plain frame, front-gabled building with beaded pine walls and ceilings and a louvered belfry that was constructed at 1136 Corolla Village Road Corolla, NC 27927 to serve the spiritual needs of the local community. In 2002, 115 years after its originial construction, the chapel was moved to its current location and additional space was added on to accommodate the growing population.  The Corolla Chapel can be visited today across the street from its original location.  Non-denominational services are held on Sundays and the chapel has also become a popular location for many of the seaside weddings hosted on the Outer Banks.  For additional information call (252) 453-4224 or visit

Currituck Banks Estuarine Research Reserve Access Trail is is located off Route 12 in Ocean Hill just before the end of the paved road and 4 x 4 access. One of the most enjoyable activities for wildlife and birding enthusiasts on the northern Outer Banks is a journey down the boardwalk of the access trail located within the 960 acre North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve.  This two thirds of a mile long trail winds to the Sound past ancient live oaks, yaupons, wax myrtles, loblolly pines and bayberries.  What makes the walk amazing is that it traverses through several coastal eco-systems such as a maritime evergreen forest, swamp forest and brackish marsh.  Along the path are benches and educational kiosks and at the end a serene sound side setting that will stir the soul.

Outer Banks Historic Sites

The Wright Brothers National Monument commemorates the birth of flight, which took place in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. Orville and Wilber Wright achieved a 12 second flight that would forever alter the course of history.  Wilber Wright was born on April 16, 1867 in Millville, IN and Orville Wright was born on August 19, 1871 in Dayton, Ohio.  The brothers operated a bicycle repair shop which lead them into bicycle manufacturing in the late 1800’s and eventually into experimentation with kites and gliders.  The Wright Brothers made their first trip to Kitty Hawk, NC in 1900 lured to the remote area by the ideal conditions of wind, sand and hilly terrain.

Today the Wright Brothers National Monument located at Milepost 7.5 on U.S. Highway 158 in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina commemorates the achievements of the Wright Brothers.  The national park includes a visitor’s center which includes exhibits and reproductions of the first gliders.  Visitors can also experience the breathtaking panoramic views of the Outer Banks when they climb the hill to the 60ft. Plyon which marks the spot of where the first plane took flight.  Daily admission to the park is free for anyone under 15 years old and $4.00 for adults 16 and older.  The park holds many special activities for kids.  One of the most popular “Especially for Kids” program is “Kite Flight” which is a kite building and flying demonstration so be sure to check the visitor center calendar of events.  The Wright Brothers National Monument is open year round, 7 days a week from 9am-6pm in the summer and 9am-5pm September- May.  (Closed Christmas)

Elizabethan Gardens is a 10.5 acre public located within the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site adjacent to Waterside Theatre at 1411 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC.  The Garden where created as a living memorial to the first English colonists who came to America between 1584-1587. In 1951 the Garden Club of North Carolina adopted the Elizabethan Garden project and on Virginia Dare’s birthday August 18th in 1955 the Gardens opened to the public.  Today visitors can enjoy touring the meticulously maintained gardens to see a variety of plants, trees, wildflowers and shrubs that always offer something new to see and smell with the changing with the seasons.  Some of the highlights include the Queen’s Rose Garden, the Sunken Garden, Overlook Terrace and ancient live oak that is over 400 years old.

The Gardens are open 7 days a week year round (closed some holidays) and admission for children under 5 is free.  Admission tickets for children 5-19 years old are $5 and adult tickets are $8.  The Elizabethan Gardens is an ideal outdoor setting for weddings and a meeting hall is also available for special events.  Your trip will not be complete without a stop in the gift shop where plants propagated in the Garden nursery are sold.  Be sure to take advantage of all of the Gardens programming by visiting the Calendar of Events.

Roanoke Island Festival Park is a 25 acre island across from the Manteo waterfront that marks and celebrates the location of the first English colony in America.  In 1584, 23 years before the permanent settlement of Jamestown, Sir Walter Raleigh was given a patent by Queen Elizabeth to discover lands in the New World and claim land for England.  His expedition landed on Roanoke Island where he encountered Native Americans from the Algonquian Nation.  He returned to England with two powerful chieftains from the Croatan, known as Manteo and Wanchese to the delight of the Queen who then knighted Sir Walter Raleigh for his success.  In 1587 Raleigh sent another expedition to the new world with around 116 settlers most of whom were families. However, England was on the brink of war with Spain so the Queen would not allow any ships to return to the new world.  Three years later when ships finally arrived the crew found the village deserted.  Thus the mystery of the “Lost Colony” began and still lives today.

The Lost Colony gives visitors to Roanoke Island’s Waterside Theatre a glimpse into the setting of one of this country’s greatest mysteries. Written by North Carolina's Pulitzer prize-winning playwright, Paul Green, and produced by the Roanoke Island Historical Association, The Lost Colony portrays the lives of the first colonists to settle in the New World in 1587. Harsh winters, low supplies, and hostilities with the local Native Americans tested the endurance of these brave men, women and children. In the summer of 1587, Governor John White made a return trip to England to assemble additional supplies for the colony. Delayed by England’s war with Spain, Governor White was unable to return to Roanoke Island until 1590. Upon his arrival, he found no trace of the colonists, just the word “CROATOAN” carved into a post.

Audiences of all ages spend summer nights enthralled by this blend of fictional accounts and historical events. The show is performed May 30th - August 20th, Monday – Friday at 8:30 PM (252) 473-2127). Located at 1409 National Park Drive in Manteo, NC 27954, the Waterside Theater is not far from the ill-fated sight of the vanished settlement. The Lost Colony is the earliest and longest running historical outdoor drama with over four million visitors since its beginning in 1937. Currently, the cast and crew are led by Four-time Tony Award Winning Production Designer William Ivey Long and Emmy-nominated Executive Director/ Producer Carl Curnutte. A true original, the Lost Colony has been the foundation for many distinguished individuals from Andy Griffith to North Carolina Senator Marc Basnight.

Roanoke Island Festival Park offers a variety of activities that explore its historical significance. The Elizabeth II is a 16th century style sailing ship similar to the kind of ship Sir Walter Raleigh would have traveled in on his expedition to the new world.  It was commissioned as part of the 400th anniversary of the Roanoke voyages in the 1980s.  Today visitors can hear the history of the voyages brought to life by the sailors dressed in period garb.  The Settlement Site offers a glance into what life was like for the first settlers.  Here you can learn about the arts and crafts employed such as carpentry, shoemaking, leather and canvas works.  16th century warfare techniques are also demonstrated and you can even try on some of the armor.  The Roanoke Adventure Museum offers the opportunity to participate in interactive exhibits that teach about life in the first English colony.  Here you can dress in traditional clothing and learn about the Blackbeard and the shipwrecks in the Graveyard of the Atlantic.  Be sure to check the Calendar of Events for all of the wonderful family programming at Roanoke Festival Park!