Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

Amongst the shallow blue waters of the Outer Banks lies Fort Raleigh on Roanoke Island. Shaped by constant winds of change, Fort Raleigh has become a focal point of American history. From the first Algonquian-speaking people to the first English colonies, from formerly enslaved people starting anew to an inventor testing new radio technology, this island continues to be a place to forge new paths.

First Light of Freedom

Commemorating the Roanoke Island Freedmen's Colony

Back of the monument commemorating the Roanoke Island Freedmen's Colony

Thomas Hariot Trail

Venture through a maritime forest

Tree standing next to the maritime forest path of the Thomas Hariot Trail

Crucible Artifact

Shards unearthed here provide clues to the English expedition of 1585

Pieces of a crucible left behind by the 1585 English expedition

Waterside Theatre

Home of The Lost Colony drama performed every summer

Stage of the Waterside Theatre with a view of the Roanoke Sound in the background