Attractions - Kill Devil Hills
Nature is the main attraction in Kill Devil Hills, and the town’s beautiful beaches bring visitors to our shores year after year.
Below, we’ve provided some information on how to enjoy Kill Devil Hills’ beaches safely and with respect for the fragile ecosystem of the barrier islands and the power of the ocean. Whether you’re a surfer, kiteboarder, kayaker or sunbather, Kill Devil Hills is the perfect place to pursue your favorite outdoor activities.
You can’t visit the Outer Banks without seeing the place where flight began. Visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial. There are several temporary additions to the site that were placed there during the centennial celebration, so this is a great time to visit and see the special exhibits.
Don’t forget to take a look at our Calendar of Annual Events. There are exciting things happening on the Outer Banks year round, so you may just have to come back!
Wright Brothers National Memorial
- 800 Colington Road and The Bypass, MP 8
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-7430
- map
The Wright Brothers National Memorial is the site of the world’s first powered, sustained and controlled flight. Orville and Wilbur Wright of Dayton, Ohio, traveled to the Outer Banks for their flight experiments because of the wind, slopes without trees or shrubs and sandy soil for soft landings. On December 17, 1903, the Wright Brothers were successful with four powered flights. The first lasted 12 seconds and carried Orville 120 feet, and the last, longest flight lasted 59 seconds and carried Wilbur 852 feet.
The Memorial includes a visitor center with a bookstore, exhibits on the Wright brothers and full-scale replicas of both the 1902 Wright Glider and the 1903 Wright Flyer. On the grounds a six ton granite boulder marks the take-off spot and the smaller markers of all four flights that took place on December 17. There are replica buildings of the Wright brothers’ living quarters and hangar. The Centennial Pavilion includes exhibits on the Wright Flyer, the 100 Years of Powered Flight, NASA and the future of flight and the Outer Banks at the turn of the century. A 30-minute film is shown daily in the pavilion auditorium on the Wright brothers. There is a gift shop filled with Wright brother’s memorabilia such as T-shirts, hats, outerwear, kites, glassware, diecast plane replicas and models.
On top of the 90-foot dune known as Big Kill Devil Hill is a 60-foot granite monument. You can climb the hill to get a striking view of Kill Devil Hills, the ocean and the sound.
The Wright Brothers National Memorial is open seven days a week, year round, with the exception of Christmas Day. The visitor center and centennial pavilion are open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily during summer months and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily September through May. The admission fee is $4 per person and is good for seven days. Children and teens 15 and younger are free, and seniors 62 and older are free with a valid Golden Age Passport. An annual admission pass is $20.
Nags Head Woods
- 701 W. Ocean Acres Drive
- Kill Devil Hills
- (252) 441-2525
A beautiful place for hiking, trail running and birding, The Nature Conservancy’s Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve is one of the best remaining examples of a mid-Atlantic maritime forest. Often referred to as the “best kept secret on the Outer Banks,” the five miles of trails in the 1,400-acre preserve are open every day from dawn until dusk for foot traffic only; dogs and bikes are not allowed on the trails but they are welcome on the gravel roadway. Highlights are an extensive dune system, inter-dune ponds and pine and deciduous trees that can be up to 500 years old. It is home to more than 300 species of plants and 50 species of birds, including herons, pileated woodpeckers and red-shouldered hawks plus other creatures like salamanders, turtles and muskrat. Before you begin your hike or ride, find maps and other information at the outdoor information counter located up the boardwalk at the parking area. Every May they host the Annual Nags Head Woods 5k. Race time is 8 a.m., so lace up your running shoes and get on it!
