Hatteras Island Ocean Center - Museum in Hatteras - 57204 North Carolina 12 Mile Marker, 71, USA

This is an interesting place to spend time and soak up learning about the ecology of this fascinating area of the outer banks. (also -- there is a great ice cream store NEXT DOOR!) lots of science exhibits and interesting items about the locals. I VERY nice boardwalk that goes out into the marsh. There are items for sale as well.

Absolutely amazing. Awesome breathtaking views. An absolute must to visit!!

Our family did the Campfires, Crabs, and Constellations program last week. One of the leaders, Sam, was amazing! She kept all of our interest and that’s not an easy task sometimes with the kids! Sam helped make a wonderful memory for our family. Thank you to her! Unfortunately, the other girl, Corrine (not sure if I spelled that correctly), was obviously annoyed and didn’t want to be there. I even heard her try to end our campfire 30 minutes early- very disappointing when we all were having a nice time. Sadly, once Corrine started packing up, others were confused and just followed along. To the Ocean Center, please only hire people like Sam who understand the importance of helping vacationing families make memories in your town.

This may be a small building, but it is packed with amazing displays and information. It has tons to see and a number of great activities as well. My family did the Marsh Madness and loved being able to feed and 'fish' for crabs. The staff if friendly and knowledgeable, making this a great place to visit.

The staff was wonderful. My niece really enjoyed the crab and campfire tour as well as the turtle patrol. She asked a lot of questions and the team was happy to answer them all. The only thing I would change is to update the website with more details about each activity and the requirements. For example we had a family member with a disability and it was difficult for her to climb the stairs to the beach. If it was noted she might have chosen a different activity that was more suited to her needs.

We had a great time at the Ocean Center! The staff was extremely helpful in providing information about things that would be good to checkout while we’re here, and the museum had some really interesting information about the history of the area and wildlife we might see while we’re here. It has definitely been a highlight of our trip, and we look forward to coming back when we can take a nature tour!

There ice cream is really good and good choices to choose from

Love this place!! The director took us to the sound to seine for creatures. Our 3 year old grandson thoroughly enjoyed it. And there are no words to describe how happy it made us to see him learning about the importance of preserving the resources of this area. Go to the Ocean Center!