Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station
The best-preserved 19th-century coastal life-saving station, showcasing the legendary rescues performed by Outer Banks lifesavers.
Chicamacomico Life-Saving Station in Rodanthe was established in 1874. It is the best-preserved group of U.S. Life-Saving Service buildings in North Carolina, including the original station house, boathouse and lifesavers' quarters. Its most famous event is the 1918 rescue, in which lifesavers braved a sea of fire to save the crew of the British oil tanker Mirlo. In summer, a weekly “Beach Apparatus Drill” reenacts the rescue, firing a rope line by cannon as was done in the past. Admission is about $10, and the season runs from spring through fall.
Opening hours
About April–November, open Monday to Friday (check the official website)
Nearby sights
- Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge
- Bodie Island Lighthouse
- Coquina Beach
- Jennette's Pier
- Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
- Manteo Waterfront & Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse
- Roanoke Island Festival Park
- North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island