Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site covers 513 acres at the northern end of Roanoke Island, about three miles from the historic town of Manteo. Created in 1941, the park honors the earliest English efforts to settle the New World between 1585 and 1587. Backed by Sir Walter Raleigh, those colonization attempts ended when 117 men, women and children disappeared, leaving a mystery that has never been solved. The site is also recognized as the birthplace of Virginia Dare, the first child born to English parents in America before the colony disappeared without a trace.

Today, visitors will find a visitor’s center, museum, Elizabethan Gardens, The Lost Colony outdoor drama, historic tour trail, gift shop and picnic area within the park. The site’s purpose has grown to include protecting and interpreting Native America culture, the American Civil War, the Freedom's Colony and the work of radio pioneer Reginald Fessenden.

Among the best-loved ways to experience the park are seeing a live performance of The Lost Colony outdoor drama at Waterside Theatre, walking through the Elizabethan Gardens, which recreates an early English garden with accuracy, and watching the 17-minute film Roanoke at the visitors center for context on the Roanoke voyages and Sir Walter Raleigh's campaign to colonize the region. Together, these offerings create one of the Outer Banks’ and North Carolina’s most distinctive historic experiences.

The Lost Colony

The longest running outdoor drama.