Discover Manteo’s Timeless Appeal

Manteo’s architectural heritage is on display downtown, with more than 100 businesses and homes identified as historically significant having been restored to their original beauty. The town’s pedestrian-friendly streets cater to leisurely strolls past colorful storefronts and historic homes.
Manteo’s architectural heritage is on display downtown, with more than 100 businesses and homes identified as historically significant having been restored to their original beauty. The town’s pedestrian-friendly streets cater to leisurely strolls past colorful storefronts and historic homes.
Park the car and allow for several hours if shopping is on the agenda. Manteo’s downtown waterfront is lined with specialty shops, galleries and eateries, and all are within walking distance of one another.
Park the car and allow for several hours if shopping is on the agenda. Manteo’s downtown waterfront is lined with specialty shops, galleries and eateries, and all are within walking distance of one another.
The growing popularity of craft brewing and boutique distilling has found a home in Manteo, and two local businesses are helping to preserve the lore of the area with their flavorful drinks and historic namesakes. The Lost Colony Brewery and Café brews eight British-style beers, or ales. Flights of four five-ounce samples are a popular start, as is sitting outside for lunch or dinner.
The growing popularity of craft brewing and boutique distilling has found a home in Manteo, and two local businesses are helping to preserve the lore of the area with their flavorful drinks and historic namesakes. The Lost Colony Brewery and Café brews eight British-style beers, or ales. Flights of four five-ounce samples are a popular start, as is sitting outside for lunch or dinner.
Battered boat buoys hang on a weathered door of the George Washington Creef Boathouse, which is home to the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum. A working boathouse, the museum also highlights local and regional maritime heritage, with exhibits including an 1883 shad boat, a fishing boat designed for local waters that was designed by Creef, a Roanoke Island native.
Battered boat buoys hang on a weathered door of the George Washington Creef Boathouse, which is home to the Roanoke Island Maritime Museum. A working boathouse, the museum also highlights local and regional maritime heritage, with exhibits including an 1883 shad boat, a fishing boat designed for local waters that was designed by Creef, a Roanoke Island native.
Manteo’s waterfront boardwalk is one of the best ways to take in the views of Shallowbag Bay and the historic attractions of downtown Manteo. The boardwalk winds past marshlands, parks, a boathouse, lighthouse, maritime museum, stores and restaurants. At right, long-time Manteo residents Becky and Bill Rea enjoy sunrise with their dog Nala on Manteo Waterfront Marina, which provides overnight and seasonal slip rentals.
Manteo’s waterfront boardwalk is one of the best ways to take in the views of Shallowbag Bay and the historic attractions of downtown Manteo. The boardwalk winds past marshlands, parks, a boathouse, lighthouse, maritime museum, stores and restaurants. At right, long-time Manteo residents Becky and Bill Rea enjoy sunrise with their dog Nala on Manteo Waterfront Marina, which provides overnight and seasonal slip rentals.
Visitors to Manteo’s waterfront will be captivated by the Elizabeth II, a replica of the 16th- century sailing vessels that made the historic Roanoke Voyage to the New World. Docked at Roanoke Island Festival Park, this head-turning relic beckons visitors to climb its gangplank and explore its deck and quarters. Costumed sailors stay in character as they chart a course, swab the decks and answer any questions about how the first settlers lived.
Visitors to Manteo’s waterfront will be captivated by the Elizabeth II, a replica of the 16th- century sailing vessels that made the historic Roanoke Voyage to the New World. Docked at Roanoke Island Festival Park, this head-turning relic beckons visitors to climb its gangplank and explore its deck and quarters. Costumed sailors stay in character as they chart a course, swab the decks and answer any questions about how the first settlers lived.
Eight-year-old Drew Hyme gets up close to sand tiger and sandbar sharks at the 250,000-gallon Open Ocean or Graveyard of the Atlantic exhibit (named after countless shipwrecks along the Outer Banks) at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. The 68,000-square foot complex features all facets of aquatic Outer Banks life, including touch tanks, otter habitats and an alligator exhibit. The aquarium is open year-round, except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Eight-year-old Drew Hyme gets up close to sand tiger and sandbar sharks at the 250,000-gallon Open Ocean or Graveyard of the Atlantic exhibit (named after countless shipwrecks along the Outer Banks) at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island. The 68,000-square foot complex features all facets of aquatic Outer Banks life, including touch tanks, otter habitats and an alligator exhibit. The aquarium is open year-round, except Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Manteo features a diverse selection of dining options, including Avenue Waterfront Grille, a casual restaurant known for its view of Shallowbag Bay and its fresh seafood dishes, like sushi-style tuna, a local tuna with quinoa and jasmine rice, cucumber and seaweed salad, honey wasabi sauce, citrus soy reduction and pickled ginger.
Manteo features a diverse selection of dining options, including Avenue Waterfront Grille, a casual restaurant known for its view of Shallowbag Bay and its fresh seafood dishes, like sushi-style tuna, a local tuna with quinoa and jasmine rice, cucumber and seaweed salad, honey wasabi sauce, citrus soy reduction and pickled ginger.
Watson Harvey enjoys a sunset cruise on Shallowbag Bay aboard the Downeast Rover, a 55-foot topsail schooner that sets sail on daily cruises and private charters. The bay’s calm waters and proximity to the Albemarle and Roanoke sounds have helped make Manteo a favorable boating destination for centuries.
Watson Harvey enjoys a sunset cruise on Shallowbag Bay aboard the Downeast Rover, a 55-foot topsail schooner that sets sail on daily cruises and private charters. The bay’s calm waters and proximity to the Albemarle and Roanoke sounds have helped make Manteo a favorable boating destination for centuries.
Dolphins surface in the calm waters of Shallowbag Bay, the same waters made famous by the first English explorers in the New World. Still popular more than 400 years later, the bay and its surrounding Albemarle and Roanoke sounds offer an abundance of recreational activities that can launch from Manteo, including dolphin-watching, fishing, crabbing, jet-skiing, standup paddleboarding, kayaking and sailing. Briar Creek couple Rob Jennings and Ellen Morrissey celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on a sunset cruise on the Roanoke Sound aboard the charter schooner Downeast Rover.
Dolphins surface in the calm waters of Shallowbag Bay, the same waters made famous by the first English explorers in the New World. Still popular more than 400 years later, the bay and its surrounding Albemarle and Roanoke sounds offer an abundance of recreational activities that can launch from Manteo, including dolphin-watching, fishing, crabbing, jet-skiing, standup paddleboarding, kayaking and sailing. Briar Creek couple Rob Jennings and Ellen Morrissey celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary on a sunset cruise on the Roanoke Sound aboard the charter schooner Downeast Rover.
Strolling through canopied trails of live oaks and diverse native vegetation at Elizabethan Gardens, it’s easy to imagine what first attracted the English settlers to the lush terrain and safe harbor of Roanoke Island. Created in 1951 by the Garden Club of NC, the 10-acre Roanoke Sound-side garden is a living memorial to first English colonists who came to explore the New World in 1584-1587. The garden includes hundreds of species of seasonal annuals and perennials, as well as a collection of Renaissance statues and a sunken Elizabethan garden. The garden is open year-round, but closed in February.
Strolling through canopied trails of live oaks and diverse native vegetation at Elizabethan Gardens, it’s easy to imagine what first attracted the English settlers to the lush terrain and safe harbor of Roanoke Island. Created in 1951 by the Garden Club of NC, the 10-acre Roanoke Sound-side garden is a living memorial to first English colonists who came to explore the New World in 1584-1587. The garden includes hundreds of species of seasonal annuals and perennials, as well as a collection of Renaissance statues and a sunken Elizabethan garden. The garden is open year-round, but closed in February.
Outer Banks Distilling serves up something with more of a pirate punch, namely, its award-winning Kill Devil rums. Co-owner Matt Newsome concludes a distillery tour in the tasting room, where participants get to sample three flagship spirits, Kill Devil Silver, Pecan and Gold rums.
Outer Banks Distilling serves up something with more of a pirate punch, namely, its award-winning Kill Devil rums. Co-owner Matt Newsome concludes a distillery tour in the tasting room, where participants get to sample three flagship spirits, Kill Devil Silver, Pecan and Gold rums.
Without a doubt, Manteo’s No. 1 attraction is its historical outdoor symphonic play, “The Lost Colony,” the longest-running drama of its kind in America. Now in its 82nd year, “The Lost Colony” tells the story of Sir Walter Raleigh’s attempts in the 16th century to establish a permanent English settlement in the New World, of the Native Americans colonists befriended in the process, and of the mysterious disappearance in 1590 of 117 men, women and children who came to live on Roanoke Island. Staged within the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site at the Waterside Theater, a cast of more than 100 actors, singers and dancers depicts the birth of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America, (and for which the Outer Banks county seat is named), and the Christian baptism of Manteo, chief of the Croatan tribe who befriended English explorers in 1584.
Without a doubt, Manteo’s No. 1 attraction is its historical outdoor symphonic play, “The Lost Colony,” the longest-running drama of its kind in America. Now in its 82nd year, “The Lost Colony” tells the story of Sir Walter Raleigh’s attempts in the 16th century to establish a permanent English settlement in the New World, of the Native Americans colonists befriended in the process, and of the mysterious disappearance in 1590 of 117 men, women and children who came to live on Roanoke Island. Staged within the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site at the Waterside Theater, a cast of more than 100 actors, singers and dancers depicts the birth of Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America, (and for which the Outer Banks county seat is named), and the Christian baptism of Manteo, chief of the Croatan tribe who befriended English explorers in 1584.
Three-year-old Caroline Wilcox searches for bears with her binoculars during a tram ride with her mother, Beth, in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, which is a short drive from Manteo on U.S. Highway 64. Visitor Services Specialist Cindy Heffley, left, talks about wetlands and wildlife on the three-hour tour through the refuge. Black bear, deer, river otters, red wolves, birds and reptiles may be seen. Visitors can learn more about the refuge at the NC National Wildlife Refuges Gateway Visitor Center in Manteo. The tram tours run June through August, and during special off-season times.
Three-year-old Caroline Wilcox searches for bears with her binoculars during a tram ride with her mother, Beth, in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, which is a short drive from Manteo on U.S. Highway 64. Visitor Services Specialist Cindy Heffley, left, talks about wetlands and wildlife on the three-hour tour through the refuge. Black bear, deer, river otters, red wolves, birds and reptiles may be seen. Visitors can learn more about the refuge at the NC National Wildlife Refuges Gateway Visitor Center in Manteo. The tram tours run June through August, and during special off-season times.
Sightseers will marvel at the beautiful old homes and bed and breakfasts in Manteo’s historic district, including The White Doe Inn bed and breakfast, a 1910 three-story late-Queen Anne style house, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Guests can expect to be pampered at the intimate and luxurious inn, which is known for its warm hospitality and innovative cuisine. Guests can indulge in chef-prepared complimentary breakfasts.
Sightseers will marvel at the beautiful old homes and bed and breakfasts in Manteo’s historic district, including The White Doe Inn bed and breakfast, a 1910 three-story late-Queen Anne style house, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Guests can expect to be pampered at the intimate and luxurious inn, which is known for its warm hospitality and innovative cuisine. Guests can indulge in chef-prepared complimentary breakfasts.

Maybe it’s the sunrise over Shallowbag Bay that paints the sky in a colorful awakening. Or perhaps it’s the lure of local legends that draws visitors from near and far. Whatever the reason, more than 400 years after English adventurers landed on its shores, the island town of Manteo continues to be a destination worthy of exploration.

Located on Roanoke Island, between the central Outer Banks and the mainland, Manteo is built on rich historic attractions and quiet island charm. Only a few hours from Cary on Highway 64, this tiny town has all the shops, restaurants, accommodations, attractions and recreation for a perfect daytrip or extended stay.

Named after the Native American chief who befriended English explorers in 1584, Manteo has kept its history alive with attractions centered around its colonization attempts. A replica of 16th-century ship Elizabeth II, manned by costumed sailors, is similar to merchant vessels hired by Sir Walter Raleigh. The outdoor symphonic drama, “The Lost Colony,” tells the story of colonists who attempted to settle here, only to mysteriously vanish years later. Their fate remains unsolved.

Visitors come for the history and stay for much more. Enjoy strolling through the Elizabethan Gardens or along the waterfront boardwalk, encountering sharks at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, spotting wildlife at Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge, staying at an historic inn, sailing the sound with dolphins or sampling rum on a distillery tour.

Manteo’s past and present are ready for discovery.

When you go

More From Our Mar 2019 Issue
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1 Comment

  • Charlene Staples says:
    Mar 7, 2019 at 5:01 pm

    Island Farm c.1847 is a nonprofit 19th-Century Living History Site also in Roanoke Island. There you can step back in time, feed chickens, help wash, visit with an ox, sheep and adopted Spanish mustangs. We are located at 1140 Hwy 64 Manteo, NC 27954
    252-473-6500.

    Reply

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