History of the Outer Banks

A tradition of history-making

Out here, the past has always moved by its own rules. Nature carved the Outer Banks from the Atlantic Ocean, and the stories that followed are just as extraordinary: the Roanoke Island colonists arrived as early settlers in the Americas and then vanished into mystery; the Wright brothers achieved the first flight, changing the course of human possibility; and Cape Hatteras National Seashore became the first national seashore of its kind, with sweeping dunes and abundant wildlife.

Centuries later, the Outer Banks still has a way of reshaping perspective, inviting visitors into fresh passions, discoveries, and experiences in historic North Carolina. More firsts may still be waiting ahead. For now, step back into the moments, places, and stories that helped make this destination one of a kind, including Island Lore, Things You May Not Know About the OBX, and OBX Inspired Movies & TV.

Historic places and experiences across the OBX

• African American Experience of Northeast North Carolina
  Through Roanoke Island and Hatteras Island

• Bodie Island Lighthouse
  8210 Bodie Island Lighthouse Road

• Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
  46368 Lighthouse Rd

• Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station Historic Site
  23645 N.C. Hwy 12

• Civil War Trail
  Through Roanoke Island and Hatteras Island

• Elizabethan Gardens
  1411 National Park Drive

• Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
  1401 National Park Drive

• The Freedmen's Colony of Roanoke Island
  Roanoke Island

• Frisco Native American Museum & Natural History Center
  53536 NC Hwy. 12

• Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
  59200 Museum Drive

• Island Farm
  1140 N US Highway 64

• Jennette's Pier
  7223 S. Virginia Dare Trail

• The Lost Colony
  1409 National Park Dr.

• The Monument to a Century of Flight
  MP 1 (just pass the Home Depot)

• Outer Banks History Center
  1 Festival Park Blvd.

More OBX history stories

• Island Lore — Includes the story behind one of visitors’ most common questions: where the name Kill Devil Hills came from.
• Did You Know?
• OBX Inspired Movies & TV
• Bodie Island Lighthouse
• Cape Hatteras Lighthouse