As summer vacations approach, many families are looking for fun activities to keep everyone engaged and entertained on their trip to the Outer Banks in North Carolina.
A perfect place to enjoy some quality time together is at the North Carolina Aquarium, located near Manteo on Roanoke Island. This area is better known as a part of the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
This aquarium offers an exciting and educational environment for visitors of all ages with its diverse collection of marine life, engaging exhibits, and educational programs. It is a great place to spend a few hours or the whole day.
When Should I Go To the North Carolina Aquarium?
Visiting the North Carolina Aquarium is the perfect activity for families of all ages during your family vacation at the Outer Banks, especially when the weather is cold or rainy.
But it is also worth a visit on sunny days as well because of the variety of outdoor attractions, including food trucks, trails, playground equipment, and a beautiful pier with a gazebo on the sound.
Children will enjoy hunting for tiny shark teeth or exploring the pollinator exhibit outdoors.
The indoor activities make the North Carolina Aquarium an absolute must-visit during your vacation. When you enter the aquarium, you’ll be treated to a wide variety of exhibits that tell stories about our ocean’s past and present inhabitants.
The exhibits showcase native aquatic creatures in the outer banks’ ecosystem.
One thing to note before you go though, the aquarium is currently operating by reservation only.
Depending on the season, reservations can be really easy to get.
When we were there in April, we were able to get same day reservations. But, during the busy summer season, you may find that you need to plan your trip in advance.
The last ticket of the day is sold at 4:00pm, and the aquarium closes at 5:00pm, so you probably want to plan for an earlier arrival if you want to experience everything that the aquarium has to offer.
Experience Marine Life Up Close and Personal
At the North Carolina Aquarium, you’ll be able to get up close and personal with some of our ocean’s incredible creatures.
From sharks to jellyfish, you can view these majestic creatures in their natural habitats through interactive tanks.
For younger visitors, Playtime by the Sea is a great interactive exhibit where kids can get creative while learning about sea life through interactive exhibits, providing children a fun and educational experience.
For more hands-on experiences, guests can even touch live starfish, horseshoe crabs, sea stars, and hermit crabs in the Touch Tank Pavilion.
If you’re into live animal programs, the aquarium has a lot to offer. Visitors can also take part in feeding demonstrations where they will learn more about these unique creatures and watch them being fed by knowledgeable staff members.
Here your family can get an up close encounter with sea creatures and even sharks! Don’t worry though; these encounters are completely safe.
The Outer Banks aquarium houses the largest collection of sharks in North Carolina. You can see sandbar sharks, sand tiger sharks, and more, in addition to the wide variety of fish, bottlenose dolphins and aquarium animals you’ll find at the N.C. Aquarium.
Mysteries Below the Water
Another great way to explore the aquarium is through its historical exhibits.
Here you can take a journey through time as you explore artifacts from ships that have sunk off the coast over centuries in the Graveyard of the Atlantic.
If you want to take it a step further, you can visit a recreated shipwreck inside one of the tanks at Living Shipwreck exhibit. You will love all observing all of the sharks and other marine life through the huge viewing window.
Interactive Learning, Especially for Little Ones
One of their most popular activities is the Turtle Rescue station, where kids learn about responsible fishing practices, water safety, and conservation efforts -all of which help protect sea turtles from harm. This interactive learning station blends technology and imaginative play, providing children with an opportunity to scan a plastic turtle for injury or disease, and then provide life-saving assistance to the turtle at the medical station.
In the sea turtle assistance area, guests can observe injured sea turtles that are being rehabilitated as part of the sea turtle rescue program. Multiple tanks include large and small sea turtles that will be re-released on the North Carolina coast after they are properly rehabilitated.
With plenty of hands-on opportunities, the interactive experience at Playtime by the Sea promises to be an unforgettable part of your family vacation to North Carolina’s Outer Banks!
Conservation and Sustainability
At NC Aquarium staff members are passionate about marine life conservation and sustainability—and they want to share their knowledge with guests!
They offer many opportunities to learn more about how to protect our oceans through behind-the-scenes tours or animal encounters led by knowledgeable guides.
During these experiences, visitors can gain a deeper understanding of how fragile our ocean ecosystems truly are and what we can do as individuals to help protect them for generations to come.
The NC Aquarium also offers educational programs for all ages such as summer camps for budding marine biologists and “Behind The Scenes” tours which grant access to areas not open to other guests.
Other programs include special events like “Turtle Talks” where experts share insights on conservation efforts aimed at protecting sea turtles in our region.
Neptune’s Theatre at the NC Aquarium
Lastly, if you are looking for a place to rest for a bit, be sure to check out the theatre which has a variety of marine life videos that are both entertaining and educational. The educational films include topics like Why Do Sharks Attack and more.
Final Thoughts About the North Carolina Aquarium
After spending time exploring all that this incredible aquarium has to offer, don’t forget to visit their gift shop!
Here you will find souvenirs that will help you remember your visit for years to come—from t-shirts commemorating your family adventure in Marine Education Building or plush creatures from Undersea Wonders Gallery II!
A visit to North Carolina Aquarium during your family vacation in Outer Banks is sure make lasting memories that everyone will enjoy!
With its diverse collection of sea creatures, wide array of exhibits perfect for all ages, educational opportunities about marine life conservation & sustainability—as well as plenty of souvenir options–you won’t regret planning your day around this incredible experience!
It is one of the most popular attractions by the waters of the Outer Banks, and you can spend as little as an hour to as much as an entire day experiencing the wide arrach of aquatic life that the aquarium has to offer.
So, while on your vacation to Nags Head, Kitty Hawk, Corolla, or Kill Devil Hills, be sure to check out the North Carolina Aquarium.
And, if you’re already on your Virginia vacation, consider taking a short drive to the attractions offered in the Outer Banks, close and convenient to Virginia.
