Need a little inspiration on how to have fun during the occasional rainy day in Currituck County? Then check out these museums, shops, attractions and "at-home" activities that will appeal to visitors of all ages.

Currituck Maritime Museum

Museums and Historic Sites

Turn a rainy day into an opportunity to learn more about the diverse Currituck region by stopping by these quintessential Corolla attractions.

Currituck Maritime Museum - Take a day trip or an afternoon off the beach to explore the heart of Historic Corolla Park, and you’ll find one of the Outer Banks’ newest and most noteworthy attractions, the Currituck Maritime Museum.

Currituck Beach Lighthouse Museum Shop - Take a stroll through the restored lighthouse keeper's cottage and pick up an armful of Lighthouse memorabilia at this small but charming site that's adjacent to the Currituck Beach Lighthouse.

Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education - This extensive center located next to the Whalehead in Historic Corolla features a short film on northern Outer Banks wildlife, a collection of vintage decoys and sporting exhibits, and an 8,000 gallon aquarium that's stocked with native species. The Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education is also free to the public.

The Whalehead in Historic Corolla - Take a guided tour through the interior of the Knights' historic 1920s hunting estate, and admire the opulent furnishings, historic portraits, and the incredibly ornate art deco architecture. Main tours of the home are approximately $10 for adults and $5 for students.

Corolla Wild Horse Museum - Pop into the Wild Horse Museum to learn more about Currituck's treasured residents, and pick up some one-of-a-kind souvenirs at the on-site Mustang Store. Proceeds go to help preservation efforts.

Shopping in Corolla NC

Shopping and Area Activities

The Currituck Beaches offer a world of shopping, crafting, and pampering options that will appease visitors of all ages and interests. Check out these local sites for a fun way to spend a rainy afternoon.

Braids and Body Art - At Beach Braids in Corolla, customers can have their hair styled in colorful beaded braids or even get custom (and temporary) henna tattoos.

Jewelry Making - Head to the Garden of Beadin' in nearby Kill Devil Hills and spend an afternoon creating custom bracelets and necklaces from their vast selection of thousands of beads.

Vintage Old Time photos - Take a trip back in time at Miss Kitty's Old Time Photos and Gifts, where families can dress up in mid -19th to early 20th century garb, and enjoy a truly "old school" family photo.

Shopping in Corolla - In Corolla, head to the Scarborough Lane Shoppes, Timbuck II Shopping Village, and Corolla Light Town Center for a selection of surf shops, art galleries, and gift stores

Shopping in Duck - The Waterfront Shops, Scarborough Faire, and the Osprey Landing Shopping Center are located within a mile radius of each other, and feature a world of eclectic boutiques and art galleries.

Tennis - Indoor clay courts are available at the Corolla Light Sports Center and the Pine Island Racquet & Fitness Center, both in Corolla, for active visitors who want to enjoy a game, rain or shine.

Spa Day - Pamper yourself at one of Currituck's many day spas that feature massages, body wraps, facials, and a myriad of other beauty treatments. In Corolla, visitors can head to the Eden Day Spa & Salon, Hair-I-Canes, or the Sanderling Resort which offers a full service spa on site.

Movie Theaters - Catch the latest summer blockbuster at the Corolla Movie Bistro, which boasts a full lunch and dinner menu, as well as a bar and newly renovated movie and sports lounge.

Ice Cream and Crafts - Stonies Ice Cream & Fun is a great destination for kids, thanks to a myriad of "projects" that include creating fish print T-shirts, hand-painted ceramics, and unique sand art. The shop also features more than 16 flavors of ice cream and 30 toppings as a sweet reward for their efforts.

At-Home Rainy Day Activities

The beauty of a vacation rental house or condo is that a number of activities can be enjoyed in the comfort of your own "home." A completely free and no-frills way to spend time with the family, these ideas will help keep little hands busy until the rain clouds pass by.

Board Games - Many homes have board games, books, and movies on hand, but these items can also be picked up at the local shopping centers, like Ace Hardware on NC Highway 12, or at specialty shops like Puzzles Pranks & Games in Kitty Hawk.

Connect with Home - The majority of vacation rentals now have Wi-Fi, which makes it easy to write a few emails to the folks back home. A rainy day is also the perfect time to write out a few postcards to loved ones. You can easily drop them off at the Post Office in Corolla at 1150 Ocean Trail.

Cook up a Feast - Put that kitchen to good use and whip up a homemade dinner or dessert that the whole family will love. Local specialty food shops in Corolla like Bacchus Wine & Cheese, Dockside North Seafood Market and Seaside Farm Market offer a world of fresh ingredients.

Beach Crafts - Get creative with your seashells and beach finds. Pick up some clear nail polish, ribbons, beads, glitter and glue, and craft some lovely shell ornaments that will become family vacation treasures for years to come.

Theater / Game Day at Home - Many modern vacation rentals have extensive game rooms with pool tables, foosball tables and TVs, and / or theater rooms that boast stadium style seating and projection screen TVs. Keep these amenities in mind when selecting a vacation rental for a sure-fire way to keep everyone entertained at home.

 

Kitty Hawk Surf Co.

Kitty Hawk Surf Co.

Experience more adventure, fun, and style with Kitty Hawk Surf Company. As the trusted Outer Banks retailer for all top surf and lifestyle brands, including, Hurley, Billabong, RVCA, The North Face, Patagonia, Salt Life, Salty Crew, Volcom, O’Neill, Roxy, Ray-Ban, Oakley, Hobie, Catch Surf, Under Armour, Reef, Rainbow and more, you will always find the latest fashions and trends available in store. Our unmatched quality and service makes us a favorite for locals and visitors alike, and our easy to shop layout allows you to find your next purchase a breeze.

(More Locations)
Brew Thru

Brew Thru

No trip to the Outer Banks is complete without cruising through Brew Thru, the Outer Banks’ original drive thru convenience store. Whether you’re looking for a refreshing cold beverage of Coke, Pepsi and other soft drinks on the go, stocking up your cooler with refreshments to enjoy at the beach or piling up on beer and wine for a party, Brew Thru is a fun and unique experience all vacationers need to see for themselves.

Drive-Through Beer & Gear

Brew Thru is Your One-Stop Shop at the Beach

The year was 1977, and Dana and Becky Lawrentz were chatting with friends over brews in their hometown of Akron, Ohio. They got to talking about a gas station convenience store in the area that had built a makeshift drive-through. Everyone agreed it would be pretty great if you could actually drive through a convenience store and pick up everything you needed without getting out of the car. But what would you call a place like that?

Well, you’d call it a Brew Thru.

It was an idea they couldn’t shake, so the Lawrentzes moved to the Outer Banks and built the first Brew Thru with the help of a partner. The idea was that people could come buy everything they would need for their trip to the beach—beer, wine, soft drinks, snacks, ice—without getting out of the car. That same year, a t-shirt salesman visiting the store and talked them into adding t-shirts to their product line—and 44 years later there are now more than five million Brew Thru t-shirts out in the wild.

The Lawrentzes’ daughter Brandy and her husband Philip Foreman purchased the business from them in 2002, and they now operate five locations across the Outer Banks.“We love being the one-stop shop for folks on the way to their beach house,” Foreman says. “Our car tenders are the friendliest people at the beach. We’re here to greet you, get you everything you need for your trip, load it up in the trunk for you, and have you leaving with a smile on your face.”

The store is quite expansive, featuring more than 100 brands of beer, dozens of wines and even a vast selection of cigars—not to mention all the snacks, t-shirts and other gear. To make ordering a little easier, customers in line get a menu—fondly known as the Summer-y—that outlines everything available at the store. These Summer-ies are also available in many of the beach rentals, which allows vacationers to decide what they want before driving through.

For customers who would like to get out and stretch their legs, there’s the Brew Thru Shop in Kill Devil Hills, where you can find their world famous t-shirts and other gifts. New t-shirt designs are created each year, making a yearly Brew Thru t-shirt a favorite of locals and annual visitors to the Outer Banks.

The Foremans both grew up in the Outer Banks, and they love that Brandy’s parents’ vision for a friendly and convenient place for people to grab their brews and other beach stay essentials is continuing to flourish.

“Our family has been welcoming people to the Outer Banks since 1977,” Foreman says. “We love this beautiful place, and we want everybody to get to enjoy it.”

(More Locations)
Wild Horse Adventure Tours

Wild Horse Adventure Tours

Wild Horse Adventure Tours has been voted the #1 tour company in the USA by TripAdvisor. Feel the ocean breeze and taste the salty beach air as you cruise the Outer Banks beaches in our exclusive OPEN AIR, 13-passenger Hummers with one of our seasoned guides in search of the Colonial Spanish Mustangs! With the added capabilities of our custom designed open air Hummer H1s, we venture into three previously inaccessible and distinct ecosystems teeming with wildlife of all types! New exclusive rights to the Wild Horse Sanctuary in Swan Beach allow us to view the horses in their natural environment.

Sun Realty

Sun Realty

Sun Realty offers the Best Selection of Vacation Rentals on the Outer Banks. Our large selection of Outer Banks rentals means you can choose from a wide range of amenities, including private swimming pools, hot tubs, theater rooms, game rooms, pet friendly lodging and more! Our properties span the entire OBX coast including Carova, Corolla, Duck, Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, and South Nags Head. On Hatteras Island, we proudly offer beach cottages in Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras Village.

(More Locations)