Things To Do in Nags Head: Child & Family Oriented

The place to be in Nags Head during the summer season, Jennette’s Pier offers anglers a wide variety of fish to target while sightseers can watch brown pelicans overhead and bottlenose dolphins swimming in the sea. The pier is surrounded by wide, clean public beaches, free parking and a bathhouse, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from near and far. Owned and operated by the N.C. Aquariums, this state-of-the-art facility includes large aquariums in its pier house alongside educational exhibits, restrooms and a remodeled Pier Shop. There, visitors can find Jennette’s Pier t-shirts, hats, visors and plushies. Anglers can also find everything they need for a day of fishing, including different types of rod and reel combos, bait and tackle. Ice-cold drinks, snacks and souvenir items are also available in the gift shop.

The Pier property serves as a frequent venue for community events, and the upstairs Oceanview Hall is available to book for wedding receptions.

Education is a strong suit of Jennette’s Pier. The pier has emerged as a must-see place for schools to visit on the coast. In the past decade, they’ve averaged around 8,000 to 10,000 North Carolina students a year. They host school groups on field trips, offer week-long summer camps and teach Family Fishing – a rundown on the angling essentials – for $20. Check out the Surfside Classroom, or sign up for Family Fishing offered weekdays all summer at 9 a.m. Pier staff also keep busy with two important conservation organizations – the OBX Marine Mammal Stranding Network and the Responsible Pier Initiative, which promises to help protect sea turtles.

The pier has a blanket license for all anglers, so if you don’t have a fishing license, you’re covered. A daily fishing pass costs $14 for adults and $7 for children ages 12 and younger. A three-day pass costs $36, and a seven-day pass is $80 (children pay half on passes). Walk-on passes cost $2 for adults and $1 for children. Rods can be rented by the day for $12 (photo ID required). Ask about prices for annual passes, family passes and pin rig passes. 

For more information about their events and pier programs, call or see their social media pages. Jennette’s is open year-round except on Thanksgiving and Christmas days. In season, from May through October, their hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. Off-season hours vary, so call ahead.

Bowl, rent shoes, book parties and play billiards at OBX Bowling. Enjoy their arcade with classic games like skee ball, air hockey, Deal or No Deal and much more. There are automatic bumpers on the bowling lanes for the kids age 11 and younger. Try your hand at glowing disco bowling under neon lights on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights. Group rates are available upon request. Beer and soft drinks are available. The snack bar offers sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers, pizza and fried food.

Outer Banks Sporting Events is an event-planning nonprofit that organizes multiple fitness events throughout the year. One hundred percent of the net proceeds of these events supports two Outer Banks nonprofits – Outer Banks Relief Foundation and Dare Education Foundation – and this is why the slogan of Outer Banks Sporting Events is Run for a Reason. This organization hosts races like Running of the Leprechauns 5 and 10K in March, Flying Pirate Half Marathon in April, Outer Banks Triathlon in September, the Outer Banks Marathon (a Boston qualifier) and Southern Fried Half Marathon in November and more. All the events have after parties, finisher awards and activities for the whole family. Challenge yourself while giving back to the community. Volunteer opportunities are always available.