Outer Banks Things To Do

Bowl, rent shoes, book parties and play billiards at OBX Bowling. Enjoy their arcade with classic games like skee ball, air hockey, Deal or No Deal and much more. There are automatic bumpers on the bowling lanes for the kids age 11 and younger. Try your hand at glowing disco bowling under neon lights on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Group rates are available upon request. Beer and soft drinks are available. The snack bar offers sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, pizza and fried food.

Manteo, the only incorporated town on Roanoke Island and the Dare County seat, is a small island town complete with a picturesque waterfront, a safe harbor, welcoming docks and a charming downtown historic area. 

Manteo’s waterfront downtown is an attraction in itself, with shops, art galleries, eateries, a lighthouse, a maritime museum, a waterfront boardwalk, a park and children's playground and boats sitting in the harbor of Shallowbag Bay. It’s also the home of Roanoke Island Festival Park, one of the Outer Banks’ most popular attractions. The Manteo historic district is full of restored homes and bed and breakfast inns that make for great sightseeing or overnight stays. It is perfect for exploring on foot or by bicycle. Park the car and walk around; the town is quite pedestrian friendly. 

The main corridor of Manteo is U.S. Highway 64. This road is lined with shops, galleries, restaurants, service businesses and places to stay. A bicycle/multi-use path runs parallel to U.S. Highway 64 for the northern half of this picturesque island. If you have a bicycle handy, we highly recommend using this path to explore Roanoke Island. The path ends at a beautiful soundfront park and beach. Also on the island are the attractions of Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, The Lost Colony’s Waterside Theatre, The Elizabethan Gardens, North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center, Island Farm and the fishing village of Wanchese.

In a prime location right on Pamlico Sound, Ocean Air Sports has been making Hatteras Island watersports adventures happen since 1987. Locals and visitors of all ages and experience levels have trusted this iconic north Avon business for family-oriented outdoor fun for more than 30 years. Ocean Air rents kayaks and standup paddleboards (SUP) and offers lessons and rentals in windsurfing, kiteboarding and wing foiling. Windsurfing enthusiasts have been flocking to Hatteras Island for decades, and Ocean Air Sports is their first stop for gear, rentals and the latest island and industry scoop. Whether you’re playing on the water or watching the action from the soundfront deck, Ocean Air is the perfect place to spend the day. The shop sells all the goods and gear for the outdoor experience, from boards, kites, sails and paddles to wetsuits, sunglasses, t-shirts, sunscreen and a whole lot more.