Roanoke Island Festival Park

Nice way to learn about the history of the early settlement period. Check out the shops located by the water in the small town. Very original!

We came here with my nieces and as other reviewers have stated it was well run and informative. Movie was interesting and well worth sitting through for the AC. The visit to the Queen Elizabeth II was fun for the adults as well as the kids in our group. The museum gift shop had lots of great items.

We didn’t know what to expect and even hesitated to spend the $ 9 admission (senior, AAA rate), but we went for it and are so glad we did. We ended up spending about 3 hours there.
The grounds are gorgeous. There wasn’t a whole lot to the Indian village, but there were displays geared toward children (basket weaving, guessing games, etc.) so I think it would keep them interested.
We especially enjoyed the Elizabeth II (a recreation of the ship that carried the first settlers to the island in 1585) and the commentary by the reenactors aboard, the settler’s village with the carpenter and iron smith reenactors, and the recently completed museum. My husband was fascinated to see all the carpentry tools from that time and learn how ingenious many of them were.
We watched the film about Manteo, Wanchese, and Skyco and even though it was pretty corny, we learned from it. There are a lot of different places on the OBX where you can learn about the earliest colonists here, but I think this one presented the information in the most thorough, understandable way.

I basically grew up visiting Hilton Head each summer for the better part of 20 years… I kind of feel I missed something here. My roommate’s family has a beach front home in Nags Head, so he showed me some points of interest around the island. Of course, it’s off-​season, so the island was pretty much to us and other locals.
This park is really quite lovely, with an interesting history as well. I definitely plan to return a few times. It is so picturesque.

Roanoke Island is one of the coolest historical locations in the U.S. It was the site of the first English colony, the first child born and baptized in the New World, and the mysterious disappearance of the colonists themselves.
The museum doesn’t quite do all of that justice in the way that Colonial Williamsburg and similar sites do. Although it is certainly priced fairly with that in mind ($ 10 for adults).
The «museum» is essentially one large room filled with a mish-​mosh of historical artifacts. A worker there told us that this was due to the center being under construction, but it’s hard to imagine that a single small room could be much more engaging than our experience was.
Elsewhere on site, they have a «colonial village.» Most of these sites explain how pottery was made, how baskets were weaved, etc. However, they are each separate, with no staff on hand, and not much to see or do. The whole thing can be done in 15 minutes. Following each site leads to a clearing with more colonial stations that were at least well staffed. Someone was making ropes, there were colonial games, and a blacksmith was hard at work.
The smith was the best part of the visit. He was working real iron, and we watched as he made all sorts of contraptions before our eyes. He even made us an actual nail which we got to take as a very cool souvenir.
Finally, we went to see the Elizabeth II, a ship set up as in colonial times. It was interesting to see, and hard to imagine how people could have survived sailing such a thing across the Atlantic. It was also humorous to hear each worker’s slightly different take on a fake British accent.
Overall, given the limited cost in time and dollars, it was worth it for what we got to see. However, I can’t help but think that more could be done with such interesting source material.

It was fun here, but maybe because I don’t have children I didn’t appreciate it quite as much as I should have. The re-​enactors were fun and very interactive, but it was quick. When we were there, the black smith hadn’t set up yet, so there wasn’t much to do. It was a little wet from rain the previous night as well. I probably wouldn’t come here again, but I did enjoy myself the one time I did visit. It seems like it would be a fun thing to do with kids as opposed to two adults.

This place was pretty cool. The replica merchant ship was very interesting and the staff were very knowledgeable about it. there were also some interesting Native American and colonial displays that gave you a good feel for what life was like back then.

We had a very enjoyable afternoon visiting the Elizabeth II, villages & the adventure museum. The actors in the village were a delight & were great with the kids. The museum had plenty of hands-​on activities for the kids– the pirate part was a big hit! And you can’t beat the price!

Although this place isn’t as extensive and big as similar sites, such as Plymouth Plantation in MA, or Colonial Williamsburg, etc., it was still a fun place to visit in its own right. Plus, for the price, it’s a real deal! If you have a family, this site would be especially fun to visit. When you go through the visitor center, for $ 8 you can visit the Elizabeth II replica ship, and watch a movie about the relationship beween queen Elizabeth and her beau, Sir Raleigh.
They also have a replica Native American settlement and English settlement, in which you can talk with costumed volunteers about the life of the early settlers in the colony. Some activities you can watch, and sometimes even participate in, include digging out a canoe, weaving mats and baskets, carving wood, making nails in a blacksmith’s forge, and playing old colonist’s sports games. You really can keep yourself busy in a relatively small space.
The best part is if the heat becomes to much for you, you can always find relief by visiting the art gallery, or the Roanoke Adventure Museum, which is especially good for children. Those who visit can put on lots of costumes they can dress up in, hold and interact with model artifacts, and use their imagination as they immerse themselves into some really wonderful thematic environments. There is also a lot of great information for the adults, if they take the time to read through the many labels and panels with interesting facts.
Overall, this was a fun experience, and anyone looking to spend a day with «living» history would surely have a great time.

For $ 8 of entertainment, this place is great, and especially good for families! What your ticket will get you:
1.) Self guided tour of Elizabethan II ship replica (ship some of the first colonists used to travel to Roanoke Island).
2.) 45 minute introductory movie.
3.) Play representing life of Queen Elizabeth.
4.) Entry to Native American Village and English Village, complete with Third Person Interpreters (volunteers dressed in costume that interact with the public).
5.) Entrance to Roanoke Adventure Museum (great for kids and VERY interactive!)
Your ticket is good for two days, although I don’t think it’s necessary to spend two days here — in about a half day you can see all the sites. In some ways, this place reminds me of Colonial Williamsburg, but on a much smaller scale.

Every year, the North Carolina School of the Arts has a Pops Concert of patriotic music right before and during a lovely fireworks display. Come early to snag a spot for picnicking and optimal fireworks-​viewing – the lawn space is very much like that of Wolftrap or Merriwether Post Pavilion, but less crowded even at peak fireworks time. There is plenty of room to fly kites or play frisbee before all the festivities start, and the park is close enough to the water or to town for any wandering or last-​minute shopping if your friends save your spot.
I thought my group was uberprepared with four blankets, a picnic basket, two coolers, and a bag full of snacks, but we were put in our place by a party of super-​organized old people who had a folding table, chairs, and a centerpiece full of lilies to accompany their gourmet food… they would probably have been able to hang at Tanglewood up in Massachusetts.