Rainy Day Activities on the Outer Banks
Into every vacation, some rain is bound to fall. Generally, we see some rain about every couple of days in the summer on the Outer Banks. The good news is, it usually doesn’t last too long. You may hear the phrase from locals, “If you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes.”
But if the rain overstays its welcome, there is still plenty of Outer Banks fun to be had. Even on stormy days, there is a myriad of activities for the whole family beyond your vacation rental. Even if you’re staying in a home with a rec room, home theater, or media room, cabin fever can kick in. Puzzles, pool tables, and binge-watching movies can only entertain for so long!
Shopping
Art Galleries
We’ll start with the most obvious, although kids probably will not be as thrilled about shopping on the Outer Banks as their parents. There are so many galleries, craft stores, and unique items to buy that shopping has to be at the top of the list of rainy day activities.
Thinking about checking out a local art gallery? There are 20 art galleries between Duck and Hatteras Village. No matter where your vacation rental is, there is sure to be art nearby that appeals.
With so many to choose from, it’s tough to pick out a favorite, but the Dare Arts Gallery in downtown Manteo is excellent, and the KDH Cooperative Gallery & Studios is an artists’ cooperative in Kill Devil Hills. The Timbuck II Village has a couple of relatively inexpensive galleries with jewelry and artwork. If you’re feeling creative, some galleries and local artists even offer art classes and workshops that may have last-minute availability.
Gift Shops and Boutiques
Shop small, support local! There’s a myriad of unique gift shops and boutiques on the Outer Banks. Here are a few favorites to check out:
- Mom’s Sweet Shop (Kill Devil Hills)
- Seagreen Gallery (Nags Head)
- Seagreen Gallery (Duck)
- Muse Originals (Kitty Hawk)
- Scarborough Lane Shops (Duck)
- Island Bookstore (locations in Corolla, Duck, and Kitty Hawk)
Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt
Shopping does not have to be complete misery for kids, especially if you add in an ice cream break. From Corolla to Ocracoke, there are several locally owned ice cream shops, and many make their own ice cream from scratch.
Here’s a list of some locally owned ice cream shop options. We admit, we may have missed a few. Also, these are locations with indoor seating, although sometimes that’s limited.
- The Spot (Nags Head and Kitty Hawk)
- Surfin’ Spoon Frozen Yogurt (Nags Head)
- Big Buck’s Homemade Ice Cream (Duck, Kitty Hawk, Manteo, and two locations in Corolla)
- BLVD Ice Cream Co. (Southern Shores)
- Noosa Scoops (Kill Devil Hills)
- Booty Treats Ice Cream & Shave Ice (two locations in Nags Head)
- Keyz New Zealand Style Ice Cream (Nags Head)
- Ned’s Ice Cream & Sweets (Corolla)
- Scoops Ice Cream Parlor (Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head)
Indoor Entertainment
Not every activity has to be an outdoor adventure. There are some great options for indoor fun for the whole family. Certainly, our list is focused on kids, but the chance to learn axe-throwing at Jump Masters in Manteo sounds like fun for the family, although there are, for good reasons, age requirements.
- OB-Xscape Rooms (Southern Shores)
OB-scape Rooms offers several different themed rooms where you and your group will work together to solve a puzzle within a given time limit. Book our adventure online or by phone at least 45 minutes before a session begins; walk-in availability is rare. - Avalon Fishing Pier Arcade (Kill Devil Hills)
Admission to the Avalon Pier arcade is free, and if the rain stops, you can pay a small fee to walk to the end of the pier and enjoy the views. - Kitty Hawk Kites Indoor Climbing Wall (Nags Head)
The climbing wall is a fun challenge for kids and adults alike. Filled with kites of all descriptions and lots of toys, the Nags Head Kitty Hawk Kites location is good for at least 30-45 minutes of indoor time. - OBX Laser Tag (Nags Head)
The location includes a complete game arcade as well as a laser tag course. - OBX Bowling Center (Nags Head)
The OBX Bowling Center in Nags Head is a great possibility on a rainy day. It is first-come, first-served, and if the sun isn’t shining, there’s a good possibility a lot of families will head to the bowling alley, but give it a shot just in case. It’s well-run, clean, and has a small but fun arcade area. - Jump Masters Trampoline Park (Manteo)
Tickets for activity time slots can be purchased on their website. They offer:
– Open Jump
– Ninja Warrior Course
– Dodgeball
– Battle Beam
– Air Bag
– 3D Climbing Wall
– Toddler Time
– OBX Axe Throwing - North Carolina Aquarium (Manteo)
The North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island is a favorite rainy day activity for vacationers, so be sure to make an online advance reservation before making the drive to Manteo. Interactive exhibits, educational opportunities, and a myriad of Eastern North Carolina species make the aquarium a staple of Outer Banks vacations, rain or shine.
Movie Theaters
There are only two movie theaters on the Outer Banks: the R/C Kill Devil Hills Movies 10 and the Pioneer Theater in Manteo.
- R/C Kill Devil Hills Movies 10 (Kill Devil Hills)
With ten screens, there is sure to be something for everyone. They keep their previews short and there’s a small arcade to help keep the kids entertained before the film starts. - Pioneer Theater (Manteo)
The Pioneer is a wonderful, funky old theater that first opened in 1918, and going to a show there is like a throwback in time. They typically do evening showings, and sometimes musical performances or comedians take the stage instead of a film. Tickets can be purchased in advance on their website.
Museums of the Outer Banks
The rich, perhaps even amazing, history of the Outer Banks can easily be overlooked in a place where there are so many outdoor activities. And in some ways, that’s too bad, although there is nothing quite as nice as a day or two at the beach with family. But when it rains, that is a great time to learn a bit about the history of the Outer Banks, and there are some wonderful museums that help to bring the full story of the region to life.
Corolla Museums:
There are three museums in Corolla, all of them located in Historic Corolla Park. The address is 1101 Corolla Village Road, but the easiest way to find the park is to look for the 156-foot Currituck Beach Lighthouse. The park is at the base of the lighthouse.
The Whalehead Club
After three years of construction and the equivalent of a few million dollars to build it, when multi-millionaire Edward Collings Knight Jr. and his wife, Marie Louise LeBel Knight, completed construction in 1925, they called it Corolla Island.
After the Knights passed away in the 1930s, Washington, D.C. businessman Ray Adams bought the property and renamed it the Whalehead Club.
Now meticulously restored to its original Art Nouveau look with many original furnishings, a tour of the Whalehead Club should be on everyone’s Outer Banks to-do list. Tours are by reservation, but there’s always a chance there will be a few slots open. It’s worth a try.
Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education
A fascinating museum that traces the history of hunting and the hunt clubs of Currituck Sound. Included in the museum displays is one of the largest hand-carved decoy collections in the world.
The museum includes a diorama of life on the Currituck Sound in the early 20th century. An 8,000-gallon aquarium stocked with fish native to the Currituck Sound is in the center of the floor.
Currituck Maritime Museum
Housing an extraordinary collection of Currituck watercraft, the Currituck Maritime Museum probably will take an hour at most to check out, but it will be time well spent.
The staff has done a remarkable job of finding historic boats for the Currituck Sound and restoring them to their original condition.
More Outer Banks Museums:
Wright Brothers National Memorial (Kill Devil Hills)
The best-known museum on the Outer Banks, the Wright Brothers Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, does a great job of telling the story of the fathers of flight.
Although the entire Wright Brothers Memorial grounds serve as a museum, on a rainy day, it’s not practical to climb to the top of the Monument hill or retrace the path of those first three flights.
However, the museum and visitor’s center is a must-see part of the Outer Banks experience. Walking through the exhibits in the museum, it becomes apparent that Orville and Wilbur Wright were gifted scientists and that their flight was not an accident of history. They knew what they were doing and why they would succeed, and just as importantly, how to replicate that success.
The centerpiece of the museum is the full-sized replica of the Wright Flyer. The original is in the Smithsonian Institute. Interpreters are on hand to explain what the brothers did and the significance of it. The talk is geared to children, but is so well done that it will hold the interest of adults as well.
Roanoke Island Festival Park (Manteo)
Roanoke Island Festival Park itself is not a museum; however, there are historic exhibits, and the small Roanoke Adventure Museum on the premises, so it’s a great way to spend a rainy afternoon.
The American Indian Town and the Settlement Site give a hands-on look at what life was like on Roanoke Island when the first colonists arrived. The highlight of the historic tour for most kids (and adults) is the Elizabeth II, a replica of the ship that brought the settlers of the Lost Colony to Roanoke Island. The deck of the ship is exposed to the elements, but it is dry below deck.
The Roanoke Adventure Museum is an interactive museum that does a very good job of walking visitors through the history of the area.
Museums for those willing to make a trip further south:
Frisco Native American Museum and Natural History Center (Frisco)
The Frisco Native American Museum on Hatteras Island features an extraordinary collection of Native American artifacts. Some of the pieces are from local tribes, and other articles originated with tribes outside the area.
A small but very worthwhile museum.
Graveyard of the Atlantic Museum (Hatteras)
Located just past the Ocracoke Ferry Terminal, the museum is a must-see part of the Outer Banks experience. Featuring spectacular displays and easy-to-understand explanations for many of the maritime events that have shaped the history of the Outer Banks makes a visit to the museum a fun and educational experience.
There are some very rarely seen artifacts here as well, including an Enigma machine, the Nazi Germany coding device, that was found in the sunken remains of U-85, sunk by the USS Roper in April of 1942.