Charlotte, North Carolina – Home of InvestEd 2008

Things to Do, Places to Go, Sites to See

Scenic Spots Beyond the Piedmont: The Beaches

The North Carolina Coast, a sunny place with pristine beaches, giant sand dunes, and wetlands, is filled with wildlife and a variety of plants. The area also is full of history dating back to the 16th century. North Carolina’s coast and 300 miles of barrier island beaches have everything you need to play or to rejuvenate. Explore the history, ride a ferry, or learn about life under the sea. Enjoy fresh seafood right off the boat or plan a picnic in a state park.

North Carolina Beaches
The commanding splendor of the ocean, the sunny and temperate climate of the beautiful beaches, and the abundant marshes and wetlands are just a few reasons the North Carolina beaches are one of the hottest tourist attractions in the nation. Take a complete tour, beach-by-beach, of North Carolina's peaceful shore at the North Carolina Beaches website.

North Carolina Coast Host
The east coast boasts the largest sand dunes in the United States, as well as more than 3,375 miles of shoreline, including the offshore barrier islands. North Carolina beaches offer an abundance of history, as well as wonderful ocean scenery.

Battleship North Carolina
Eagles Island
#1 Battleship Rd.
Wilmington NC 28402-0480
Phone: 910-251-5797

Step on board the battleship where history took place. Experience the thrill of the most decorated US battleship of WWII. Come aboard and explore nine decks, crew's quarters, gun turrets, and much more. The self-guided tour of this authentically restored World War II-era combatant is well marked so that you may tour at your own pace. The Visitors Center includes an orientation film that takes you through the wartime history of the ship to her current role as a memorial.

Kitty Hawk
City of Kitty Hawk
101 Veterans Memorial Drive
Kitty Hawk NC 27949
Phone: 252-261-3552

Once a remote area, Kitty Hawk has grown into a summer resort area and provides some of the best beach recreation on the North Carolina coast. Along the Albemarle Sound, the village remains a treat for those who choose to take a drive off the beaten path. Shaded lanes wind along the marshes. Quaint clapboard cottages and fishing boats line a series of canals that lead to the open waters of the Sound. Life takes on a more leisurely pace that is reminiscent of the way Outer Bankers used to live.
 
National Park Service Outer Banks Group
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
1401 National Park Drive
Manteo NC 27954
Phone: 252-473-2111

Within the National Park Service Outer Banks Group are the Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and the Wright Brothers National Memorial.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore
Cape Hatteras National Seashore
1401 National Park Drive
Manteo NC 27954
Phone: 252-473-2595

Cape Hatteras is at the ocean's edge, but no well-defined boundary marks where the sea ends and the land begins. Land and sea work together in an uneasy alliance. Cape Hatteras stretches north to south across three islands: Bodie, Hatteras, and Ocracoke. The islands are linked by State Highway 12, a narrow paved road, and Hatteras Inlet ferry.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
Fort Raleigh National Historic Site
1401 National Park Drive
Manteo NC 27954
Phone: 252-473-5772

Whether your interest is in the general history of Fort Raleigh, educational supplements, maps, or current exhibits, you'll find a wealth of information at the historic site. This area of the country is the location of important conflicts in the Civil War. The three island forts, either worn down over the years or washed away into Croatan Sound, are commemorated by historic plaques and street names throughout Roanoke Island, the location of Fort Raleigh.

Wright Brothers National Memorial
Milepost 8
Kill Devil Hills NC 27948
Phone: 252-441-7430

The Visitor Center includes the story of the Wright Brothers told through exhibits and full-scaled reproductions of the 1902 glider and the 1903 flying machine. A large granite boulder at the first flight area near the reconstructed 1903 camp buildings marks the spot where the first airplane left the ground. Numbered markers indicated the distance of each of the four flights made on December 17, 1903.

North Carolina Aquarium at Fort Fisher
900 Loggerhead Rd.
Kure Beach NC 28449
Phone: 910-458-8257

The Aquarium offers a wide variety of free programs and activities throughout the year. Daily programs include marine life videos, live animal programs, audience participation games, and demonstrations. Live animal programs in the auditorium may feature alligators, sea turtles, or snakes. Fish in selected tanks are fed daily.

Roanoke Island Festival Park
One Festival Park
Manteo NC 27594
Phone: 252-475-1500

Roanoke Island Festival Park, a 25-acre island across from the Manteo waterfront, is where art and nature surround you and history comes alive. Through a sixteenth-century ship, living history, an interactive museum, and a variety of performing and visual arts, Roanoke Island Festival Park is a celebration of Roanoke Island’s place in history as the birthplace of English-speaking America.

Tryon Palace Historic Sites and Gardens
610 Pollock Street
New Bern NC 28563
Phone: 800-767-1540

When visiting North Carolina's First Capitol you will discover a world of people, places, and objects from the past waiting to entertain you. The historic homes offer glimpses into changing lifestyles from Colonial days through the early years of our nation and gardens that feature stunning displays of both contemporary and historic plants.

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