Top Places to See in Manteo

Places to Visit in Manteo

Manteo Business District

The Manteo waterfront has a very traditional small town feel. The buildings are beautifully restored and maintained, many of them of them between 60 and 120 year old.

Of particular note, the old Dare County courthouse. Built in 1903, and designed to be fireproof, it was state of the art construction when completed. It is now the home of the Dare County Arts Council and houses a marvelous art gallery featuring local artists.

The Pioneer Theater on Budleigh Street is the oldest continually family owned movie theater in the nation. It is not a chain, so the shows are a little less expensive and the popcorn is always freshly popped.

There are also sidwalk cafes and restaurants. The Lost Colony Brewery and Cafe across the street from the Dare County Arts Council, brews their own beer with a menu that features well-prepared dishes.

A little to the west of downtown, but still close, Outer Bank Distilling has been creating some very nice rums.

Other Attractions Manteo and Roanoke Island Attractions

Roanoke Island Festival Park

Immediately adjacent to downtown Manteo, Roanoke Island Festival Park is a 10 acre state run facility that features a spectacular outdoor theater, an indoor theater that shows children’s plays during the summer, and an interactive history museum.

History buffs…while there, check out the Outer Banks History Center. It’s a research library so books cannot be checked out, but whatever the arcane question about the Outer Banks that needs an answer, it will probably be there.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

Located at the site of what is probably the Lost Colony, this small national historic site includes archeological finds and what may be the footprint the colony left in the ground.

Included in the grounds, but administered separately is the outdoor drama The Lost Colony and the Elizabethan Gardens, a ten acre formal garden.

The Fort Raleigh site is also the headquarters for the National Park Service Outer Banks Group that includes Fort Raleigh, the Wright Brother Memorial and the Outer Banks National Seashore.

The Lost Colony

The oldest outdoor drama in North America, The Lost Colony premiered in 1937. Written by Pulitzer Prize winning playwright Paul Green, the play tells the story of the Lost Colony, beginning the tale in England.

There’s pageantry, dance, singing, some great acting and the story, although dressed up a bit of the stage, is surprisingly accurate.

The Waterside Theater where the play is performed, is a spectacular outdoor theater with Roanoke Sound as a backdrop. The sound and lighting are state of the art. A great show.

Elizabethan Gardens

A beautiful formal garden, Elizabethan Gardens offers a respite from the hectic pace of life. The garden includes an award winning rose garden and Italian statuary that has been dated by the Smithsonian Museum as created between 1300 and 1600.

The Great Lawn in the middle of the gardens is a large open grassy field, perfect for kids to burn off energy if they come with parents.

North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island

This is a fantastic aquarium that focuses on the inhabitants of the sea, estuarine and wetlands of northeastern North Carolina. Exhibits include an alligator tank, otters and a please touch display of sea life that lives in shallow waters.

The 285,000-gallon Graveyard of the Atlantic has the largest collection of sharks of any North Carolina aquarium. Experienced divers—you can swim with the sharks.

The aquarium sponsors some great summer programs for kids.

Wanchese

The fishing village on the south end of Roanoke Island is about as traditional Outer Banks as it gets.

Before tourism became the economic engine of the Outer Banks, fishing was how most families earned a living. Commercial fishing, as well as sport fishing, continue to be an important part of the economy, as well as a way of life.

There is also a small but thriving boatbuilding center in the village. The village is worth a visit just for the fresh seafood the three or four restaurants serve.