The Outer Banks is rich in history and likes to wear its heritage on its sleeve. Between Native American tribes, colonial settlements, pirates, the Civil War and the first airplane, today’s Outer Banks historic sites line the area. Make your way from one end of the Outer Banks to the other, visiting lifesaving stations that used to assist those in peril out at sea, lighthouses that brought ships safely to shore, farms that give you a taste of Outer Banks life in the 1800s, educational museums, piers and settlement sites that hold mysteries. No matter where you go on the Outer Banks, there’s relevant historical information to be found. If you enjoy the great outdoors, hike through nature preserves, Pea Island or Portsmouth Island. If you’d prefer sites that are more indoor oriented, climb up some lighthouses or visit the beautiful old Whalehead estate in Corolla. Check out the below listings to see what Outer Banks historic sites capture your interest, hop in your time machine and take a step back in time.
Outer Banks Attractions by Area
Corolla | Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills & Nags Head
Roanoke Island & Manteo | Hatteras Island | Ocracoke Island
Outer Banks Things To Do by Category
Experience a new adventure in an old world at Roanoke Island Festival Park. This 25-acre historic site allows guests of all...read more
Perched over the water along Manteo’s waterfront boardwalk, the picturesque Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse is perfectly suited to the town’s maritime setting....read more
Springer’s Point covers about 120 acres of maritime forest, tidal red cedar forest, salt marsh, wet grasslands and soundfront beach bordering Pamlico Sound...read more
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, weather observations gathered near Cape Hatteras were important for forecasters all along the East Coast. The...read more
Designated in 1991 as North Carolina’s first Historic Shipwreck Preserve, the USS Huron lies 250 yards from the beach. During the summer, buoys may...read more
Whalehead is an historic house museum on the northern Outer Banks. The grand residence, dressed in bold yellow and striking copper, stands on a vast green...read more
Wright Brothers National Memorial commemorates two ingenious brothers from Dayton, Ohio, who, in 1900, chose the sparsely populated area known as the Outer...read more
