Point of Interest
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, NC 27954
A beginning chapter in the story of America is kept on the north end of Roanoke Island, the place of England’s first colonization efforts. Sir Walter Raleigh’s explorers and colonists established settlements in this area in 1585 and 1587, including the mysterious Lost Colony. Today, visitors can walk among reconstructed earthworks and imagine the challenges those first English colonists faced more than four centuries ago.
But Fort Raleigh holds more than colonial history. It’s also a place to discover stories of the Algonquian-speaking peoples who lived here first, the struggles and resilience of freedmen during the Civil War and the power of performance through the long-running outdoor drama, "The Lost Colony", staged nearby each summer. Whether you're a history buff, theater lover or coastal traveler, Fort Raleigh connects you to the roots of America’s earliest narratives.
