Make a Day of It!
Just a few minutes from the beach, you will discover a “New World”on Roanoke Island. With charming boutiques, art galleries, sidewalk cafes and a working waterfront, there’s something for the whole family.
Find Your Show
For 19 days each May over 200 actors, technicians, designers and volunteers rehearse to bring The Lost Colony to life for another summer season. The production is enormous. The stage itself is over three times larger than most Broadway stages in New York. You will be seated in the center of the stage area with action happening on three sides of you and even sometimes right next to you in the aisle. Come see epic battles and Indian dances. Experience the sorrow and heartbreak of tragedy and loss. Witness the pageantry of the Queen and her court and celebrate the birth of Virginia Dare. There is music, laughter, romance and dance. The Lost Colony is widely acknowledged as the precursor to the modern American Broadway Musical.
Arrival
You should plan on arriving one half hour prior to your first scheduled event. For example if you’re doing the backstage tour at 7:00, arrive by 6:30. This gives you plenty of time to park, pick up your tickets, take some pictures, etc. Parking is very close to the box office but there is about a 150 yard walk from the box office into the theatre, so plan accordingly.
Pre Show
The theatre opens for seating at 7:30, but the rain-shelters are open at 6:00. Restrooms, gift shop and concessions are available.
Curtain
The play begins promptly at 8:00. Late arrivals may be held from going to their seats at the discretion of the house manager.
Length
The drama is performed in two one hour acts with a 15 minute intermission.
Listen to what patrons had to say about our 2012 tours:
- “An awesome experience for an awesome price”
- “The highlight of our vacation”
- “The kids loved it!”
- “My mother loved it!”
- “We all loved it!”
- “We’ve seen the show for many years, but decided to take the backstage tour for the first time this summer. I would recommend it to anyone attending The Lost Colony.”
Address: 1409 National Park Dr. Manteo, NC 27954 (google map)
get directions
From the North (Elizabeth City)
Take Highway 158 South toward the Outer Banks. About fifty miles from Chesapeake and Elizabeth City Hwy. 158 will cross the Wright Brothers’ Memorial Bridge. Continue South on Hwy. 158 until you reach Nags Head. Turn right onto Hwy. 64 West toward Roanoke Island and the town of Manteo. Continue on Hwy. 64 three miles past Manteo to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. Turn right into Fort Raleigh and follow the signs to The Lost Colony parking area.
get directions
From the North (Hampton Roads)
Take I-64 E/ HAMPTON ROADS BELT. Go onto the Chesapeake Expressway, continue straight to NC-168. Continue on to US-158 towards Nags Head. About fifty miles from Chesapeake and Elizabeth City Hwy. 158 will cross the Wright Brothers’ Memorial Bridge. Continue South on Hwy. 158 until you reach Nags Head. Turn right onto Hwy. 64 West toward Roanoke Island and the town of Manteo. Continue on Hwy. 64 three miles past Manteo to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. Turn right into Fort Raleigh and follow the signs to The Lost Colony parking area.
get directions
From the Northern Beaches & Points North (Corolla, Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Nags Head)
Take NC Highway 12 South to Kitty Hawk, NC. At Kitty Hawk, pick up US Highway 158 Bypass (East). Go through the towns of Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head. Continuing on the Manteo/Nags Head Causeway, you will cross over the Washington Baum Bridge to Manteo. Continue through Manteo, following Highway 64 Business West to the North end of Roanoke Island. Fort Raleigh will be on your right, approximately 4 miles North of Manteo. Turn right into Fort Raleigh and follow the signs to The Lost Colony parking area.
get directions
From the Hatteras Island & Points South (Ocracoke, Hatteras, Buxton, Salvo, Rodanthe, Waves)Travel north on NC Highway 12 until you come to the US Highway 158 Bypass (East). Turn left. Follow the Bypass until you come to the town of Manteo. Continue through Manteo, following Highway 64 Business West to the north end of Roanoke Island. Fort Raleigh will be on your right, approximately 4 miles north of Manteo. Turn right into Fort Raleigh and follow the signs to The Lost Colony parking area.
get directions
From Points WestTravel East on US Highway 64 from Raleigh, NC. When entering Mann’s Harbor, turn left at the flashing yellow light and follow US 64 Business through Mann’s Harbor. You will cross over the Croatan Sound on the William B. Umstead Bridge. Fort Raleigh National Historic Site will be on your left approximately one mile after crossing the bridge. Turn left into Fort Raleigh and follow the signs to The Lost Colony parking area.
get directions
From Washington, DC & Richmond, VAFollow I-64 through the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel (a busy route on weekends) to Great Bridge, VA. Go south on VA-168 to US-158 East at Barco, NC. Continue South on Hwy. 158 until you reach Nags Head. Turn right onto Hwy. 64 West toward Roanoke Island and the town of Manteo. Continue on Hwy. 64 three miles past Manteo to Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. Turn right into Fort Raleigh and follow the signs to The Lost Colony parking area.
For specific directions from other areas of the country, visit: Outer Banks Visitors Bureau website.
Dinner & A Show
Visit 1587′s website
The Lost Colony has partnered with 1587 in Downtown Manteo! 1587 Restaurant is committed to creating a distinctive atmosphere where food is prepared with artistry and presented with flair. You’ll find world-class chefs who blend the freshest of ingredients, including herbs grown from the Inn’s own gardens, today’s Atlantic seafood, meats and fowl plus vegetables from the Outer Banks’ finest growers. Each dish is individually prepared and garnished to your delight.
Receive 20 percent off your meal if seated by 6:00pm and can present any of the following:
- a print out of this page.
- your tickets.
- your ticket purchase receipt.
Reservations are highly recommended. Call 1587 with questions or to make reservations at 252-473-1587 or visit them on Facebook.
Roanoke Island
In addition to The Lost Colony there are literally hundreds of things to do on Roanoke Island. Just a five minute drive from Nags Head this quiet refuge is a hidden gem on The Outer Banks and you should plan to spend at least one full day during your vacation. The locations listed below are far from a full listing of offerings on Roanoke, but the establishments listed here support The Lost Colony and we encourage you to support them during your stay! For a complete listing of Roanoke Island properties visit http://www.outerbanks.org
Attractions
The Elizabethan Gardens
Events
New World Festival of the Arts
Dining
Adrianna’s in Manteo
- Ortegaz Southwestern Grill and Wine Bar
- Poor Richards
- 1587
- Adrianna’s
- Fisherman’s Wharf
- Big Al’s
- Darrell’s
Lodging
The Tranquil House Inn
- The White Doe Inn
- Elizabethan Inn
- Dare Haven Motel
- Cameron House Inn
- The Refuge RV Park
- The Roanoke Island Inn
- The Tranquil House Inn
- Duke of Dare Motor Lodge
- Island Guest House
Ft. Raleigh National Park
Beauty blooms, mysteries unfurl, and the past speaks
On these small wooded grounds lie many stories of families and their struggles that have continued through time, resulting in the creation of a nation and its people. Here, the first infant cries of English colonization in the New World (1584-1590) burst upon the world. These efforts, sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh, ended with the disappearance of 116 men, women and children, including two that were born in the New World. The fate of this “lost colony” remains one of the world’s great mysteries. It is the home of The Lost Colony.
This site also celebrates the preservation of Native American culture and was the location of an important Freedmen’s Colony during the Civil War era. One of the early radio pioneers, Reginald Fessenden, conducted many of his experiments here.
The American tradition of sacrifice, inventiveness, and courage in the face of great adversity was defined by the actions on these grounds and continues to thrive in our national spirit. Visit Fort Raleigh National Historic Site for a visit into our past and a glimpse of our future.
Archaeology dig May 24, 2008 shot for First Colony Foundation
Visitor Center
17 minute orientation film is shown every half hour. A large exhibit area featuring a rotating schedule of exhibits currently has artifacts found on the grounds during recent archaeology digs. The Elizabethan room is perhaps the most fascinating artifact here. Brought to the US by none other than William Randolph Hearst, the room is a preserved wood paneled room from the Elizabethan era. The Visitors center also offers restrooms, a gift shop and interpretive information about the Freedman’s Colony which stood near here following the Civil War.
Earthen Fort
Earthenworks restored on the site are associated with England’s colonization efforts that were sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh from 1584 to 1590. An adjacent spot has confirmed evidence of metallurgical activity from the 1585 exploration expedition.
Nature Trail
The Thomas Hariot Nature Trail offers a 20-minute pocket wilderness experience of the island’s natural setting. Wayside signs on the trail relate what English explorers observed of the natural resources and the commodities that could be made from them.
Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail leads 1¼ miles from the nearby Elizabethan Gardens through the park land to the island’s western edge, offering a view-shed that the native Algonquians enjoyed from their island home.
The National Park Service & Archaeology Projects in the Park
The National Park Service has an extensive website with schedules, contact information and educational materials about the park that The Lost Colony calls home.
Since 2004 The First Colony foundation has been using archeology and historical research to find the lost colony. We think it’s pretty cool. We think you will too.
The Lost Colony Seating Chart – click to expand
Box Office Info
Hours (April 15, 2013 through August 23, 2013)
- Mon-Sat 10:00am – 8:00pm ET.
- Sun: Closed
Contact
Phone: 252-473-2127
Location
The Box Office is located in the Fort Raleigh National Historic Site. Follow the signs to Waterside Theatre.
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