For such a small area, the Outer Banks enjoys a diverse and significant history.  This little string of barrier islands has had a big influence on American history.

 
 

There is so much that can be said but here are some highlights to get you started.

Pirates and Shipwrecks and Settlers...Oh My!

  • Edward Teach, aka Blackbeard - one of the most notorious pirates was not the first pirate on the Outer Banks but was certainly the most famous. His piracy began in 1716 and he amassed a fleet of 4 ships with 400 pirates by 1718. His unbelievable story continued until is death at Ocracoke Inlet on November 22, 1718.

  • This area was notoriously treacherous. Storms and shipwrecks abounded. Over 650 vessels were lost along the North Carolina coast and resulted in this area being known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

  • The Lost Colony: Roanoke Island was the site of the first English colony in America. The colonists arrived July 22, 1587 with the intention to settle. The first child born of English parents in America, Virginia Dare, was born on August 18, 1587. Two years later, the colony had disappeared. What happened to the lost colony remains a mystery that is explored every summer at The Lost Colony theatre - the first and longest-running outdoor production. This show has enjoyed an 85+ year run and is a definite must-see for locals and visitors alike!

First in Flight!

Orville Wright first stepped ashore at Kitty Hawk Village in the fall of 1900 and over the next 3 years, he and his brother worked to be the first in flight.  On December 17, 1903, they accomplished just this with a series of 5 flights.  The reason they had chosen this remote fishing village on the Outer Banks was partly for privacy from the competition in the race to mechanized flight.  Learn more about the life the brothers led as they made history on the Outer Banks at the Wright Brothers National Memorial and Museum in Kill Devil Hills.