Corolla, North Carolina skyline: the 13 most iconic buildings and best views in Corolla

Absolutely beautiful lighthouse! The climb up wasn’t bad for me or my 4 year old. Your child does have to be 4years and older to climb the lighthouse and you cannot carry your kid up or down. I believe it was $12 to climb the lighthouse. It was a fun and exciting experience! Highly recommend!!

We really enjoyed our visit to this lighthouse. It is held by a local restoration group, so there is a fee to go up the lighthouse, but the grounds and outside of the structure are free to visit and interesting and attractive. We enjoyed the well stocked shop that fills one of the old houses even though the power went out and we could only pay with cash.

We didn’t pick the nicest day, a nor Easter was expected to come in the day we went. Turned out to be a decent day. The lighthouse is beautiful and so stately. It is $13 per person to climb, 220 steps. It was not that strenuous for this 60 year old, the landings between floors gave you time to let the burning in your thighs subside 🤣 before moving on. The view from the top, I am sure, is amazing on a sunny day. It was a sisters day and we had a fantastic time in Duck and Corolla.

Amazing grounds. Well maintained. My daughter and I climbed the 220 step lighthouse. At each landing there are fun facts about the history of the lighthouse. The woman accepting the money for the climbs really does enjoy her "job".

Went this past Sunday with my husband and a friend of ours because we’d never been before. Came early in the morning driving from Chesapeake and got there a little after they opened for the day and wasn’t as busy yet. Very beautiful historical lighthouse ❤️ The lady we met who we paid to enter the lighthouse was really friendly and knowledgeable. As a heads up, you do have to sign a waiver before you can climb up, it’s a safety thing considering how old the lighthouse is. Please be aware that on hot/humid days it can get REALLY hot inside on your way up (they can’t really open the windows for preservation reasons). Pace yourself, bring some water to sip on, and take breaks on the levels with fans. The views at the top are worth it!! You can see the Atlantic side and the sound. Plus the cool ocean breeze feels nice after the long climb up :) Be careful going down and wait on the landings to let others pass. All in all glad we stopped to check it out, need to go see the other lighthouses next trip!

We walked 200’ straight up a spiral staircase of this lighthouse. What an absolute amazing experience. There are landings as you climb the lighthouse tower. So you can take your time walking up to the top. The view from the top of the lighthouse is breathtaking. 360 degrees view and You can lookout as far as the eye can see. This lighthouse was built in the 1800’s it cost $13.00 per person to tour the lighthouse. The homes on the property were residential homes for the workers and their families.

As a history need I love visiting historic places and supporting the preservation. The lighthouse is beautiful and the grounds provide a thorough history and artifacts. The staff were very pleasant and knowledgeable. It is a long 200+ stair climb to the top. I took my 4yo and 6yo up. My 4yo was a bit scared and nervous to climb and go out at the top.

It was stunning! We loved it and the history. Impressed with the county taking over the dilapidated structure and fully renovating it to its original design. Absolutely magnificent. No photos allowed inside or we'd have hundreds!

This is a house with a fascinating history. The self guiding tour was very well done and efficiently run by some dedicated volunteers. The architecture and furnishings are interesting, but it is the story of the couple who built the mansion and the privileged lives they led are what made this such a worthwhile experience. The history of the house in the years afterwards is also a compelling tale. Thankfully, after years of neglect, this community found the resources to restore this amazing property.

What an amazing place that we still have with us. Unit sat for decades abandoned and going into ruins till it was brought back by the local preservation authority The interior has so many amazing and incredible details showing no cost was soared to build this hunt club. Unfortunately they don’t allow interior pictures to be taken. Well worth paying for the tour and seeing the home and surrounding grounds.

We went for a wedding and it was a gorgeous venue. They set everything up on the property and had plenty of room so we weren’t getting in the car between the ceremony and reception. Signage could be a little clearer for events but we had a wonderful time.

Went here with my family to walk on the paths and fish. It was quiet and peaceful and had pretty views.

Amazingly restored 1920's mansion that sits close to the Currituck Sound and worth a visit if in the area. Connected to other historic areas by pathways and boardwalks, the entire area is worth a visit.

Toured this Historical Building on a weekday afternoon. It wasn’t too busy. The grounds are beautiful and the home was restored to mimic the original home. There are guides to help direct you to the self guided audio tour throughout the home. Very beautiful interior and fascinating that the dining room was disassembled from the families original home in Rhode Island and assembled in the Whalehead. If you’re curious about the history behind this home and grounds from the 1920s, I highly recommend. Just absolutely ornate detailing with the wood fixtures. I would recommend leaving kids under 14 at home as there is no touching, video, photos, and loud voices within the home and tour. Plan to spend about an hour reading the information and just taking in the details. There is a 5-7$ fee for entering the home. You should check it out if you’re in Corolla.

Today was a fabulous day in the park for the Under The Oaks Arts Festival!! The event staff were so kind and helpful!!! The weather was perfect, the park is so breathtaking!! I loved the peace and comfort it brings! And to my surprise, restrooms were available everywhere and super clean!

Absolutely beautiful park!!! So many places to walk and explore. Absolutely gorgeous place to take in the sunset and amazing scenery for a photoshoot!

This is a lovely open Park. There's water access in two different locations. One for boats and one for fishing and crabbing I'm sure. Lovely landscaping. Got some pretty cool history

Great place to meet up with friends and family an take pictures of sunset..See the top of lighthouse in pictures such a cool place for pictures an meet some new friends around ya..Go back there every time I come back..

Awesome park and venue, highly recommend to anyone in North OBX. New air filling stations & reasonable venue pricing. Bathrooms up-to-date and lighthouse well maintained.

I've been to Corolla a few times in the past but completely glanced over this park. I came for the first time last week, right at sunset and the views are unmatched. Exceptionally clean and well kept, it's a hidden gem of the outer Banks for sure.

An awesome place to stop with the family as evident by the lighthouse which is claimable ($13), a nice walking trail, historic village nearby, and this newer playground for the kiddos!

The museum’s staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Learn about the history of the Corolla horses! Gift shop purchases benefit the non-profit fund to protect the island’s horses.

Corolla wild horse rescue farm 🐴 is so healing for all 😃 The nicest people, they really care. I loved my visit at the farm 🐴 The people take great care of the horses. I enjoyed the video about the horses. Tells you about the people who work there also. That so touched my heart ♥ Rip tide & some of the other horses can paint! I need to go visit again & to purchase a painting 🎨 🐴 The farm is a great place to visit 🐴🫏🐈 to meet the horses and enjoy being in the country side 🐴🫏🐈🎨 By the way it's opened on wendesdays at 10am 🐴

This place on the map is not the sanctuary. It’s the shop/mini museum and obviously run by lovely people that care. This whole area of Historic Corolla is beautiful but if you want to hang with the Mustangs it is a different location in Jarvisburg (hopefully I spelt that right). They do Mustang Mornings every Wednesday in the summer. Visit both! If you end up at this place you might as well check out everything else in the area and make a day out of it because it is worthwhile it.

Wife and I went here for part of our honeymoon. She enjoyed it even though she isn't into horses. Tour guide was awesome, and made us all laugh. The tour itself was almost more fun than when we saw the horses. He was knowledgeable and I could tell he loved his job, and the horses. Wife and I had fun, purchased some merchandise, and became a member. This is the only true wild horse nonprofit in the area. I love these guys and will be returning when I can. Highly recommend you go here and support these guys. The tour is a blast.

Our tour guide was Doug and he was phenomenal. He was friendly, helpful, considerate and knowledgeable. We saw over 20+ horses and some dolphins. Highly recommend this tour. We had two kids (5 yr old and 2 year old) with us and they loved it. Their car seats clicked right into the latches - very secure. The sand blowing in their faces was a little uncomfortable for the 2 year old but it was quick. Maybe bring a small towel if your child is sensitive to these things. Overall, wonderful tour and would go back! Money well spent!

Good people, great organization to help protect the wild horses here on the Outerbanks. Tour guide was very nice. Tour was done in a GMC Yukon which I was happy about considering how hot out it was and were not all jammed in like cattle in a humvee like we witnessed with other companies that did the same. Had a great time and encountered a lot of the horses up close and personal.

Our experience with the tour was incredible! Instead of booking tours off site, go directly to the source. It's almost half the price. The guides know EXACTLY where to find the horses. Even if they have to hunt them down (it doesn't take much) we learned such amazing history about the horses. Plus, I admire the fact that $ collected goes to helping protect these majestic creatures. We also got some amazing pictures.

Great for family vacations!!! 4x4 beach only! NO big city lights, sounds & early, late summer, wide open beaches. Drive up to the water and have beach fun!

The water was excellent, sea lice and jellyfish pain in butt..

Best place to go if you want to see the wild horses!!! I took my camera out and captured a few of these wild beauties.

All I can say is WOW! Beautiful beach and definitely worth the trip. I suggest buying a parking pass so you can park on the beach. And make sure you have a four wheel drive and not low to the ground! We were able to see some horses and dolphins. Relaxing beach and you’re not right up against everyone else.

Seen horses all over the place. If you plan on parking, definitely buy your permit a few weeks in advance. $50 per vehicle plus a little driving course.

We went in to get our parking pass for the beach. The people were very friendly and helpful. A very easy process and not as bad as people make it out to be! There was also a lot of tourists destination stuff and helpful booklets.

This is such a breathtaking place! You must see the wild horses! The Hampton Inn at Corolla is a great place to stay and only 8 miles from the 4wd beach access. The visitor center is also close buy where you can purchase the $50 week long beach parking permit. Bernies Brothers and Duck Duck Burgers are great places to eat.

Free small museum highlighting the regions history of being a major duck hunting economy. It showcases the early 1900s specialized small boats to navigate the shallow waters. These boats had a concave hull running down the keel to allow the propeller to function in shallow water. Plenty of interactive displays. If you want to see big modern fiberglass boats this is not your place. The lighthouse and other historical sites are nearby within short walking distance.

This is a nice, small museum in the historic village of Corolla. Upon first entering, it looked like just a little collection of boats, but there was more to it than just that, such as the informational videos and reading with the exhibits up and down each side. Plus, it provided an air-conditioned break from the heat.

A great free museum, very nice very clean bathrooms, your right at the lighthouse and next to a kids playground that was big and pretty new. There was some more shadded parking on the north side of the museum.

Great place, very nice well kept park area. Public restrooms are nice and clean. The maritime museum is nice and informative. Had a great time in the area and climbed the lighthouse. Highly recommend!

Good if you like boats, otherwise it’s pretty boring.

Well worth a visit. Beautiful building and interesting information about local waterways and the people who lived and worked on them l.

What a great addition to the other museums in the area that interpret the local area. I learned so much about some of the local boat makers and was able to see some of their work. They have some benches around the small museum, however, I it would be more helpful to have them at the stations where they have videos. As someone with limited mobility and walk with a walker, it was a challenge to make it around the museum.

Super cute shopping area with all different kinds of restaurants, eateries, shopping, go - carts, mini golf and more. Many of the shops have a nice variety of souvenirs and obx swag. Little nicer quality but more pricey as expected than the big box stores. We spent alot of time here!

This is one of the most awesome destinations on the Outer Banks. There is just a great ambiance here, a lot of different shops, and a variety of shops that will appeal to everyone. To me, it defines the island in the north, while the lighthouse does it in the south. Don't miss out on this unique shopping experience. There is plenty of parking. You could practically spend an entire day here. So relaxing.

We love walking the boardwalk after stopping in to check out some of the little stores. We got some nice photos too. Go Bills!!

There is a lot going on here, which is a good thing. Many shops and activities within this shopping village. There is parking around the village as well as mini "parking garages". Parking is free. The shops are great! Lots of shopping and browsing you can do. There is also amazing food shops/restaurants here. Burgers, ice cream, sushi, fudge, etc. There is also mini golf, live music, go karts, etc. Lots to do, eat and see. Stop by and take some time to comb through.

I live and work in Corolla, and the Tim Buck II shopping, dining, entertainment plaza has something for everyone. I went a few hours again to grab some ice cream, and enjoy all of this early September sunshine!

Quite a selection of neat stores here ranging from ice cream, to books to kites and great restaurants here. Worth a visit.

If you are staying in Corolla, this is one of the few places to shop. With a variety of clothing stores, souvenir shops restaurants and kite stores, it’s a good place to spend time if the weather isn’t good enough for a day on the beach. We always go by to look for sales, since most of the prices are a bit steep.

Friendly, Christ-centered worship🙌 You're invited to Wed. dinners served to international students and various Bible studies.

We were visiting on our summer vacation and attended church on Sunday. Everyone was so friendly! Definitely recommend getting there early for the 10am service :)

We were in Corolla for the past two weeks and because we love worship we immediately sought out a house of God. Corolla chapel was close by and easy to find so we went there on Sunday morning. The preaching was great! They teach the word of God like it is! The fellowship was amazing! Yes, you can sneak in and easily sneak out but we attended the fellowship coffee and snacks after the service and felt very welcomed. Candy the pastor’s wife is a real authentic genuine Christian that shines! We attended their international student ministry weekly dinner and then their Thursday morning Bible study! In the few days we were there we felt very connected and wished we lived there all year around. The pastor and wife as well as the church members are truly a family anyone can easily become a part of because they all shine the light of Christ each in their own special way! Go there and it’s likely you will be greeted by Candy at the front door! With love in Christ, Alex and Nancy

Visited for Easter service while here on vacation. This is a wonderful church with an amazing mission. The people were incredibly friendly and the pastor had an amazing message for Easter Sunday. This is definitely a wonderful church with a huge outreach program. They help students and the community alike. Even way up in the Outer Banks Gods message is alive and well. They welcome all religions and seek to spread the gospel while encouraging faith. If you get a chance to stop in, definitely make this a stop on Sunday. They offer all kinds of events and the church is even used as a school for children so they do not have to travel far away to a school. Truly a wonderful place to visit rich in history with a wonderful story and message!

The only church north of duck is very welcoming. Nice place to enjoy a non denominational service. Services are about an hour. Mix of song (not praise band) and traditional service. If you're looking for a church service while in Corolla or parts of northern OBX, here's a good place to go.

It's usually hit or miss when visiting a church on vacation. We were really blessed and happily surprised when we attended Corolla Chapel. We were greeted warmly and felt at home right away. This church family is aware of their unique position to minister to tourists and exchange students alike; both groups come for a short time then leave. They are mission minded to minister in a way that is as inclusive as possible to people from all different backgrounds. The teaching and preaching was from the Bible, the gospel was clearly given, Jesus was lifted up, and the saints encouraged. I recommend attending for worship no matter what your background. Come as you are. Jesus' arms are open wide at this church!

We enjoyed a wonderful worship experience. Friendly and God-honoring atmosphere. Lord willing, we'll see you again next year.

After years of visiting. Corolla just made our way to these little shops and will definitely be back. This bookstore has a great selection with a little bit of everything for everyone. Prices are very reasonable. Kids selection specifically is great and was a fun way to get the kids something from a book, learning how to draw guides, etc.

As many have shared, this is a very nice bookstore in one of the old Corolla Village buildings. Staff was helpful. So why only 1 star? As the photo shows, the end cap in the history area was exclusively devoted to pro-Palestinian books. Not a single book supporting the nation of Israel's right to exist. ZERO. The most common author is Ilan Pappé. He wrote about October 7 "It is this moral compass that led me, and others in our society, to stand by the Palestinian people in every way possible; and that enables us, at the same time, to admire the courage of the Palestinian fighters who took over a dozen military bases, overcoming the strongest army in the Middle East." He went on to say "people like me cannot avoid but raise questions about the moral or strategic value of some of the actions that accompanied this operation." All he can do is raise questions about killing civilians including children! No wonder he was condemned by the Knesset. When looking at all these books critical of Israel with hand written recommendations, one has to wonder if the person responsible is guilty of antisemitism? If you want a balanced view of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, I recommend Benny Morris's 1948. He criticizes both sides and gets to the brass tacks of a minority living among a population that does not think you should exist. The books on this end cap are one-sided and biased.

A beautiful little bookstore with a surprisingly large - and excellently chosen - selection of books. Two stories packed to the rafters of all genres. Lovely place, beautiful setting, wonderful staff. A little treasure.

A perfect bookstore! Has a great layout in a great area with a great book selection!! Even had a collectors edition that I was looking for. The Night I went, there was live music playing upstairs and it was amazing!

This little bookstore in this little villiage makes my heart so happy. It is funky and fun and so cool. It is in the old Corolla villiage of long ago. There are shelves and shelves of books. There is an upstairs area as well. The outdoor space is shady and the porch is inviting. There are old trees and a few nooks to sit in. The help is friendly and always available to answer questions. There are cards, sunglasses, small souvenirs for book readers. There is a children's are too. This is just the place to spend a day browsing books. There is something for everyone!

The bookstore was clean and well kept and the staff was friendly. The Children’s book section was FANTASTIC. I walked away with three books for my toddler but he and I both wanted more. My son enjoyed his time there as well. They allowed him to wander around and he loved being amongst all the books. The environment is comfortable so you’ll want to just hang out for bit if time allots. There was a BBQ spot across the road to grab some lunch as well.

Very well curated bookstore. Could have spent the entire day browsing. Love the categories of books

Confusing parking area. The layout of the shopping center and parking area is a bit confusing for toursist. But with a quick study of the place you'll figure it out.

Please try the Philly Steak and Deli in this strip mall. One of the the best kept secrets in the area. This man makes the freshest sandwiches! Loved the club, one of the best I have had!!

Nice shops, plenty of parking, clean restrooms

bought some cool souvenirs and the prices were pretty reasonable

This was a great place to visit. Lots of shops and places to eat. Corolla is just beautiful. And there are tons of places to visit

Uncle Ike's Great Food. Shrimp and Crab cakes are to die for. 😋

ate at Fat Crab on our last day of our vacation The service was great and the food was very very good Will recommend it to everyone Wonderful food for land and sea lovers

This is a great place to come to if you have young children in your group. They have fairly well maintained miniature golf courses. The playing areas are great. They’re reasonably priced. Please check it out when you’re in the area.

mini golf was was nice, but didn’t have too interesting of holes. also, for some reason, the worker was playing really sad music the entire two hours we were there. It was fine just kind of threw off the vibe.

This was one of the best mini golf places we've visited! The courses were fun and in great condition. Also great music at a good volume. I'd highly recommend visiting!

We HIGHLY RECOMMEND this mini golf course. They were very accommodating to our large group! Even the little ones had lots of fun. We were rained out and they honored a rain check for the next day.

3 pretty decent 9 hole courses. We had a lot of fun on a Sunday afternoon.

We wanted to go play mini golf on our last night before we left this fun little course. You get 27 holes to play and there are a couple of challenging ones that make it fun. When you get to hit it over a bridge and a couple of others which has a ramp over the water. But you don’t need to worry if your ball goes in the water it will float down the tunnel through a grate and deposited on another part of the hole. A nice way to end our vacation and then we went for ice cream after. it’s very popular and gets quite busy we went around 5 PM when people were eating dinner and it wasn’t too bad but filled up afterward. but definitely come back to again.

We went here for the bumper cars, but the area caught on fire from being hit by lightning so obviously that was closed and a bummer. We did the mini golf instead and it was well kept up. $54 for 2 adult and 2 children, not sure if that is considered the going rate or not. It has 3 sections of 9 holes so 27 total.