Roanoke Festival Park has a variety of entertainment options. Firstly it is a pleasant park which sometimes has exhibitions/displays in the grounds – when we were there it had a display of historic and custom cars and bikes in aid of a diabetic charity.
The main attraction in the park, however, is the Elizabeth II which is a reconstruction of one of the first ships which brought the British to North Carolina. This very interesting (and remarkably small for such a long and dangerous journey). On board are various people in costume to answer all the visitors’ questions – though there seemed a rather dubious selection of accents considered suitable! In the same area, and included in the entrance price of $10, is a good small museum where you (or accompanying children) can dress up as settlers or pirates, a film show about the first interaction between the Indians and the settlers, and sites set up to look like a small American Indian town. We spent a couple of very interesting hours in the various areas. A souvenir shop has a variety of Elizabethan and pirate themed souvenirs. There is a machine for drinks etc but no restaurant on the site.
We enjoyed our time in the park and the rest of Roanoke Island and would definitely advise anyone touring the coast of North Carolina to spend a day visiting the various sites though if you are visiting in winter the opening hours are restricted and it is best to check the website www.roanokeisland.com before going.
