The Story Behind Nags Head Beach Inn

By Kees Vacations on Aug. 02, 2024

Nags Head Beach Inn carries a long Outer Banks story: before it became today’s inn, the building spent time as a vibrant dance club, a gathering place, and even housing for lifeguards.

A vintage Outer Banks spirit still runs through Nags Head Beach Inn, which once drew crowds as a well-known dance hall. Its story stretches from 1934, when it began as Nags Head Beach Club, through many decades of local life to the present day. From the first nights of dancing onward, the building has remained part of the community’s memory. Here is a closer look, along with rare images sourced from Outer Banks photographers and historical collections.

1935 to 1970

Located at 303 East Admiral Street, Nags Head Beach Inn is still standing with cedar shake siding, white trim, and a history layered with countless memories. That story reaches back to 1934, near what is now Bonnet Street public beach access, where Nags Head Beach Club began welcoming visitors and locals, including Andy Griffith.

Source: A Young Andy Griffith at the Nags Head Beach Club, Courtesy of the State Archives of North Carolina

During the 1930s, when people commonly used Nags Head to refer to the entire Outer Banks, a notable hotel stood at Milepost 11 along the broad sandy shoreline. Known as the Nags Header Hotel, it rose 3 stories and included 31 guest rooms with hot and cold running water — the first hotel on the Outer Banks to offer this. Its dining room, The Tap Room, served hotel guests and the wider public with dinner, drinks, and entertainment.

Source: Courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center, State Archives of North Carolina

A sidewalk leading south connected visitors to a separate annex with an open floor plan: Nags Head Beach Club. This after-hours gathering spot became known for energetic entertainment, dancing, and as the place where Manteo local Andy Griffith is said to have begun his nightclub career. The cast and crew of The Lost Colony were also regulars after performances and sometimes added their own entertainment. Dare County residents, whether short-term or long-term, could enter through membership, while visitors paid a cover charge.

Source: Aycock Brown (top), Roger P. Meekins (bottom); Courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center, State Archives of North Carolina

In the 1950s, guest rooms were built onto the club. By 1970, just a little farther up the beach, the Nags Header was sold after more than 25 years under the ownership of George C. Culpepper Sr., following his death. In 1972, Nags Head Beach Club was relocated from its oceanfront site half a mile north to East Admiral Street and took on the name Nags Head Hotel.

After the move, Nags Head Hotel later became The Ocean Inn. By the mid-70s, as seasonal workers came to the Outer Banks for summer jobs, The Ocean Inn provided housing for lifeguards and other summer staff, adding another chapter to the building’s long memory. Many people who spent summers there still remember late nights and lively times at The Ocean Inn and the Nags Header. Stories from the Halloween in August parties, complete with handmade costumes, are still shared today.

Source: Courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center, State Archives of North Carolina

The Tap Room remained a popular destination, especially with college students and young adults aged 18 and up. During daytime hours, bands sometimes played out on the deck while partygoers gathered on the beach below, or listened from the roof above — a scene with a movie-like feel.

In time, the Nags Header Hotel was condemned. In October 1978, fire started on the third floor, and the building was reduced to memory.

Source: Nags Header next to the Nags Head Beach Club (top) and Nags Header Hotel (bottom) both by Roger P. Meekins; Courtesy of the Outer Banks History Center, State Archives of North Carolina

More Recent Years

Source: From the Ocean Inn to the Nags Head Beach Inn, Courtesy of Lisa Muglia (top and middle)

In 1999/2000, Ken and Lisa Muglia purchased the pink building from a woman believed to be named Ms. Pettibone and gave it the name Nags Head Beach Inn. The nickname Beach Inn helped distinguish it from the Nags Head Beach Hotel. Ken and Lisa lived with their 2 daughters in the on-site cottage, room 10. At one time, that cottage also held a guest library and gift shop.

Ken took off the pink siding and installed the cedar shakes that remain on the exterior today. During that work, the old Ocean Inn sign appeared underneath the siding. Lisa shared that, while renovating the inside, they tried to retain as much of the original layout and woodwork as they could. Much of the renovation was hands-on, including wall insulation, bathroom retiling, and restoration of the original windows.

For about the first 5 years, Lisa cleaned the rooms herself. She described the original showers as having small painted metal pans at the bottom that needed repainting after nearly every guest stay. As they restored the building, they researched its past and discovered that the pictures hanging inside showed the earlier decades when the property was a famous dance hall.

Lisa remembered the guests as mostly couples and single travelers. Breakfast sandwiches were served, and the inn became known for a personal style of guest interaction. Lisa also noted that, if you look carefully in the attic, burn marks are still visible on the rafters where lanterns once hung long ago.

In 2016, Nags Head Beach Inn was sold, and KEES Vacations took over management. Although the property has passed through several eras, the inn continues to offer a classic Outer Banks vacation experience for guests hoping to make lasting memories. Today, Nags Head Beach Inn includes 7 rooms and a 3-bedroom cottage on the west end. It sits within walking distance of Admiral Street Public Beach Access, ice cream and coffee shops, and shopping.

Visitors with their own memories of the inn are welcome, whether they knew it as The Ocean Inn, Nags Head Hotel, or Nags Head Beach Club. Stay for a few nights and rediscover the parts of the Outer Banks that first made you fall in love with it. Listen carefully, and the echoes of earlier memories may still be there.

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KEES Vacations features over 350 Outer Banks vacation rentals, including OBX rentals in Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, Corolla, Kill Devil Hills, Hatteras, Duck & more!