Outer Banks history tour across 400 years in 1 day

Step back through time.

Explore some of the Outer Banks’ historic and cultural landmarks, from the Elizabeth II, a recreation of the ship that carried explorers to the New World, to the Elizabethan Gardens, ending the day with the Lost Colony Outdoor Drama.

Suggested 1-day itinerary

8:00am
Start with breakfast at your hotel, or head to a local family restaurant for a hearty Southern-style morning meal.

9:30am — Roanoke Island Festival Park (2 hours)
Visit the Elizabeth II, a 69-foot sailing vessel modeled after the ships that traveled to the New World in 1585. Continue to the Roanoke Island Adventure Museum and Settlement Site to learn how the first explorers experienced life after arriving on Roanoke Island.

11:30am — North Carolina Maritime Museum and Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse on Roanoke Island (1 hour)
Set along the Manteo Waterfront, this museum is also called the George Washington Creek Boat Shop. The active boat shop introduces guests to traditional boatbuilding and restoration methods. Nearby, the reproduction of the 1850s screw-pile light that once watched over Croatan Sound gives visitors a closer look at the island’s maritime past and the lightkeepers who lived at the station.

12:30pm
Enjoy lunch on the Manteo waterfront, where sandwich shops and cafés are clustered within walking distance.

2:00pm — Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and Backstage Tour of Lost Colony (1 hour)
At the northern end of Roanoke Island, Sir Walter Raleigh’s explorers and colonists tried to establish settlements in 1585. The site also includes the Roanoke Island Freedman’s Colony, recognized as a National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom site. Waterside Theatre is located here as well, home of The Lost Colony, a symphonic outdoor drama. Visitors can also explore a visitors center, interpretive programs, a bookstore, and a nature trail.

3:00pm — Elizabethan Gardens (1 hour)
Walk through grand gardens created as a living tribute to Queen Elizabeth and the Lost Colony. One standout feature is the garden’s notable collection of antique statuary.

4:30pm — North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island Aquarium (1 hour)
Discover the “waters of The Outer Banks” and the many coastal habitats found throughout these barrier islands. See the aquarium’s 285,000-gallon Graveyard of the Atlantic tank.

6:00pm
Have dinner at one of the locally owned restaurants serving North Carolina Seafood.

8:00pm — The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama
Arrive at the Waterfront Theatre for the evening performance of The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama. The performance is approximately 2 hours, and the show starts at 8:30pm. Experience the drama and hardships of Paul Green’s Pulitzer Prize winning symphonic outdoor drama, the longest in the country, which tells the story of Sir Walter Raleigh’s 1587 expedition of three ships carrying English men, women, and children who attempted the first English settlement in the New World.

Please note: The Lost Colony Outdoor Drama is held during the summer months of June through August.