We’re getting ready to come to OBX for the first time, and we’d love to take our kids to see some of the more educational things in and around the area. Are there any spots that you would consider to be “must sees” for people visiting for the first time? Are there stops that we should make in order to get a good idea of the culture of the region? Thanks!

First and foremost is the Wright Brothers Memorial. Then my suggestions might be guided based on children's ages. Roanoke Island Festival Park with the ELIZABETH II ship and lovely educational museum (fee). A very nice but little visited place is The National Wildlife Refuge Welcome Center on the North end of Roanoke Island just past Fort Raleigh. Small free exhibit with excellent Buffalo City Video, cutaway plane ride over local Refuges. Fort Raleigh (free) Site is great for children that understand history. Lighthouses, NC Wildlife Commission Museum up in Corolla (free). Great Exhibit on Currictuck History. Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum (Free) in Hatteras. Chicomacomico Life Saving Station in Rodanthe. Small children would also like the Aquarium and climbing Jockey's Ridge.

What area of the Outer Banks are you staying in? Most people don't realize how long is it.

Pickle hit on a lot of the sites. I'd add the Native American Museum in Frisco if you're down that way. It's small, but interesting. You can also do Hatteras Lighthouse (there are also buildings with exhibits by the lighthouse) and Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum while down there.

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A ferry ride over to Ocracoke Island will open up a bunch of options as well. If you're going to Ocracoke, consider a trip over to Portsmouth Island (not technically the Outer Banks) and walk the abandon town. It's a long day though, so maybe not good for younger kids.

John

Island Farm on Roanoke Island is fantastic for kids (and adults!).

The OBX is the perfect place to learn and enjoy history.. IMO, Wright Memoriàl and Fort Raleigh are good places to start. Be sure to pick up stuff in the gift shops for social studies projects.

I second the suggestion about Island Farm. If you are in the general vicinity of Manteo, do yourself a favor and investigate it.

The two British cemeteries. One just south of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse visitor center, the other on the eastern edge of Ocracoke Village.

Portsmouth is a fascinating place to go. A succession of storms drove the villagers off the island in the 1930s. There are still a handful of old-timers in Carteret County where I grew up that were born at Portsmouth. The little Methodist Church and the Life Saving Station are must sees. Portsmouth is actually the very northern tip of Core Banks that stretches (albeit with a couple of very small inlets) all the way down to Cape Lookout to the south. This is very much part of the outer banks, and is sometimes that is referred to as the South Outer Banks. If you go to Portsmouth or to anywhere on Core Banks it will be truly remote, and the biting flies and mosquitoes will come in squadrons to attack.

Nags Head Woods is a change of pace from the beach. Lots of walking trails to choose from with a variety of landscapes including forest, small ponds, dunes, and the sound. Some interesting old family cemeteries, birds, turtles, deer, a really relaxing place to spend an afternoon.

Nags Head Woods is a change of pace from the beach. Lots of walking trails to choose from with a variety of landscapes including forest, small ponds, dunes, and the sound. Some interesting old family cemeteries, birds, turtles, deer, a really relaxing place to spend an afternoon.

Way back in the 70's. Me and some friends use to ride our dirt bikes all back in there, and come out way down behind Jockey's Ridge. Back when you could ride just about anywhere and not get run off. Nice rides all back in there. I remember some of those ponds look like there should be alligators in there. Parking at night back there with my girlfriend among the grave was kind a creepy. Yes the mosquitoes were bad.