Historic site preserves the location of Roanoke Colony, the first English settlement in the present-day United States
General Information
Open daily except December 25
Visitor Center hours vary seasonally; check the National Park Service website for current schedules before visiting
Parking: Free
No entrance pass or reservation required for general visitation
How to Get There
From Manteo (near major hotel chains and waterfront hotels, about 3 mi): Take US-64 east toward Roanoke Island, follow NC-345 North/Fort Raleigh Road, and continue to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site at 1500 Fort Raleigh Road on the northern end of Roanoke Island.
Overview
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site preserves the location of the Roanoke Colony, the first English settlement in what is now the United States. About 120 men, women, and children arrived in 1587, including the birth of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in North America. When Governor John White returned in 1590 after being delayed by war with Spain, the colony had vanished, and the fate of the "Lost Colony" remains one of America's great unsolved mysteries. The site is on the north end of Roanoke Island off U.S. 64, about 3 miles north of Manteo.
Things to Do
Visit the Museum
The visitor center covers the English expeditions, the Roanoke Colony, and the island's Civil War history and Freedmen's Colony (1863-1867).
See The Lost Colony
The second-longest-running outdoor drama in the United States presents a conjecture of the colonists' fate.
Stroll the Elizabethan Gardens
Ten-plus acres created as a memorial to the colonists, with a replica Tudor gate house. Separate admission applies.
This article uses material from the Wikipedia article "Fort Raleigh National Historic Site", and "Roanoke Island", which is released under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike License 3.0
