The Outer Banks is full of rich history, environmental wonder, and lots of fun. From coming face to face with sharks and stingrays to going back in history and learning about the first ever airplane flight, take our Homeschooling Journey and learn the in and outs of the Outer Banks!
DAY 1: NORTH CAROLINA AQUARIUM
Explore and learn more about the sea, sound, and marsh life here on the Outer Banks. The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island is a place where you can see animals that call the Outer Banks home. Ask any questions you’ve ever had about sharks with the daily Dialogue with a Diver program or get up close and personal with a snake or an alligator in the Creature Feature program. The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island also offers different day camps and programs all summer long!
Courtesy of the North Carolina Aquarium
DAY 2: FESTIVAL PARK
Travel back in time to 1585 at Roanoke Island Festival Park. Festival Park is a historical representation site that portrays life when the first military settlement from England landed on Roanoke Island in 1585. The colony of 1585 was the first group to explore Roanoke Island before the famous Lost Colony arrived in 1587. Festival Park features a representational ship, The Elizabeth II, which is the same size of the ship that arrived in 1585. Learn more about the ship, Native Americans, and even watch a real working blacksmith. (If you’re nice, he might even make you a nail!)
Courtesy of Roanoke Island Festival Park
DAY 3: WILDLIFE REFUGE
Learn more about the different wildlife refuges all over the country at the National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center. The center represents eleven different wildlife refuges and one national fish hatchery. With interactive exhibits and audio-visual programs like a virtual airplane ride, you can learn more about national refuges and their importance. The National Wildlife Refuges Visitor Center is free and open to the public seven days a week all year long.
Courtesy of the National Wildlife Refuges
DAY 4: WRIGHT BROTHERS NATIONAL MEMORIAL
It’s very hard to visit the Outer Banks without hearing “Wright Brothers National Memorial”. Visit the national memorial and learn more about the Wright Brothers and what all they’ve contributed to the world of aviation. Visit the sport where the Wright brothers first took flight, see how they lived when they stayed here doing research and climb to the top of the Wright Brothers Monument. There’s also a sculpture representing the Wright Glider that changed history.
Courtesy of the National Park Service
DAY 5: LIGHTHOUSE HOP
Lighthouses are an Outer Banks icon, so why not learn more about them while you’re here? The Cape Hatteras Lighthouse is the tallest lighthouse in America while the Ocracoke Lighthouse is the nation’s second oldest lighthouse in operation today. The Bodie Island and Currituck Lighthouses are actually twins with the same design plan, just different paint. Learn about the function of lighthouses and even climb them on your visit!
Courtesy of the Currituck Lighthouse
DAY 6: GRAVEYARD OF THE ATLANTIC MUSEUM
Learn about 2,000+ shipwrecks, World War II, the Civil War, and more at the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum. View artifacts from the USS Monitor and see the original First Order Lens from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse from 1854. With daily programs like a museum scavenger hunt and maritime crafts, the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum provides a fun but educational atmosphere for everyone.
Courtesy of the Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum
DAY 7: OBX ART STUDIO
Take some time on your last day to explore your creative side. Formerly known as Glaze N’ Go Nuts, the OBX Art Studio offers pottery, beading, and painting. Art and culture are a big part of what makes the Outer Banks so unique. Make your own memory from the Outer Banks with help from the staff at OBX Art Studio. The whole family will enjoy and be proud of their finished product. Get in touch with your inner artist and you never know, you might spark a new hobby!
Courtsey of OBX Art Studio
