Fodor's Expert Review North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island
Occupying 68,000 square feet of space overlooking Croatan Sound, this modern aquarium includes exhibits on sea turtles, shipwreck marine life, and wild wetlands. The Graveyard of the Atlantic—a 285,000-gallon ocean tank containing sharks and the re-created remains of the USS Monitor, which sunk off Hatteras Island in 1862—remains the centerpiece exhibit. The aquarium hosts a slew of activities and field trips, from feeding fish to learning about medicinal aquatic plants and participating in a workshop on injured sea turtles. It also manages the 1,000-foot-long Jennette's Pier in Nags Head.