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Location
Parking
Free parking included with venue rentals
Best time
Visit on weekday mornings (Tuesday-Thursday) in October or off-season for a less crowded experience where you can spend unhurried time with costumed interpreters and hands-on demonstrations
Visitor tip
Engage directly with costumed interpreters at the Settlement Site and Elizabeth II ship—they vary in enthusiasm, so seek out the knowledgeable staff members who actively answer questions and demonstrate hands-on activities like the spindle-turning and shipcraft demonstrations
About Roanoke Island Festival Park
Interactive historic attraction & museum. Hands-on historic site with a kid-friendly museum, 16th century replica ship & American Indian town.
Quick Facts
- Type
- Historic Site & Living History Museum
- Main Attractions
- Elizabeth II ship, Settlement Site, American Indian Town, Adventure Museum
- NC School Groups
- Free admission
- Location
- 27-acre site on Outer Banks, Manteo, NC
What visitors say
Enjoyed walking through the park and looking at all the cool stuff. Most of the hands on displays were interesting.but each area was a little sparse. Seem like they could have a little more stuff but it could be the miserable day and…
We really enjoyed the costumed employees who gave us a lot of information and let us try out some things. We loved the fire in the settlement and the blacksmith! We visited on a Thursday morning in October and it wasn’t busy at all,…
Really cool area to visit, esp if you have younger children or just love history. They show and talk about life for the early colonists. Small outdoor area with trails through the park and in one area they had a black smith and a…
From 1,762 Google reviews
Did You Know?
- The Elizabeth II is a full-scale replica of a 16th century sailing ship that visitors can board and explore, with costumed interpreters providing detailed historical information about the vessel and colonial seafaring
- The Settlement Site recreates the first English settlement in North America from 1585, featuring costumed interpreters demonstrating period-accurate activities like blacksmithing and woodcrafts
- North Carolina K-12 public, private, and registered homeschool groups receive free admission to the park, making it a zero-cost educational resource for NC schools
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