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.
About 1.5 hours from Virginia Beach by car.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
Hours
| Park Grounds | Daily · All Day |
When to go
June draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Lindsay Warren Visitor Center ↗Passport stamp
The visitor center of Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, housing immersive exhibits on the Algonquian, the English, the Roanoke Island Freedmen's Colony, the Civil War Battle of Roanoke Island, and Reginald Fessenden.
No campgrounds, no webcams or things to do in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
Events
- The Lost Colony- Walking Tour10/1401:00 PM · runs through Oct 16 · freeMeet in the plaza outside the Lindsay Warren Visitor Center.
- The Freedmen's Colony - The Civil War on Roanoke10/1501:00 PM · runs through Oct 17 · freeThe program meets in front of the Fort Raleigh Visitor Center.
News
- Fort Raleigh National Historic Site Seeks Public Help with Identifying Suspect in Recent Alleged Crime ↗2026-06-17
Law enforcement rangers at Fort Raleigh National Historic Site are seeking the public’s assistance for information regarding a recent investigation of an alleged theft of personal items that occurred within the park on…
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
On the National Register nearby
- Adam Dough Etheridge HouseBuilding · Manteo · 1.5 mi
- John T. Daniels HouseBuilding · Manteo · 2.5 mi
- Herbert and Ann Creef HouseBuilding · Manteo · 2.9 mi
- Thedore S. Meekins HouseBuilding · Manteo · 2.9 mi
Public land nearby
Distances are approximate. Wilderness Atlas publishes a center point and an acreage for each area rather than a boundary, so each area is treated here as a circle of the same size and the figure is the gap to that circle.
Guidebooks for North Carolina's national parks and the South
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Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Weather & climate
Weather on the Outer Banks varies seasonally and daily. Please check the National Weather Service at http://www.weather.gov/mhx/ for up-to-date weather forecast information.
Questions people ask
Does Fort Raleigh charge an entrance fee?
No. Fort Raleigh is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
Is Fort Raleigh open year-round?
Yes. The grounds are open 24 hours a day, year-round.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Fort Raleigh?
266,775 recreation visits in 2025, number 157 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
When was Fort Raleigh established?
1941.
Source: Wikipedia
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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