News Releases

Following multiple days of snow and ice removal from park roads and sidewalks, National Park Service visitor facilities at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site, and Wright Brothers National Memorial will reopen at normal times on Friday, Jan. 24. Temperatures are expected to rise above freezing on Friday; however, visitors should use caution while driving and walking through the parks, particularly during the colder morning hours.

National Park Service visitor facilities at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Fort Raleigh) and Wright Brothers National Memorial will remain closed Thursday, Jan. 23. Fort Raleigh’s shoreline erosion public meeting, originally scheduled for Jan. 23, is postponed—a new date will be announced in the coming days.

Ahead of an impending winter storm, National Park Service visitor facilities at Cape Hatteras National Seashore (Seashore), Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (Fort Raleigh) and Wright Brothers National Memorial will close at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 21 and remain closed Wednesday, Jan. 22. Outdoor areas at the Seashore and Fort Raleigh will remain open.

Wright Brothers National Memorial will waive its entrance fee on eight days in 2025.

On Dec. 17 at 9 a.m., Wright Brothers National Memorial, the First Flight Society and Outer Banks Forever will celebrate the accomplishments of Wilbur and Orville Wright on the 121st anniversary of their first heavier-than-air, controlled, powered flight. Park entrance fees are waived on this special day.

On the evening of Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, a single-engine airplane crashed into a wooded area at Wright Brothers National Memorial’s First Flight Airport (FFA). The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash of the Cirrus SR-22 airplane.

At approximately 5 p.m. today, a single-engine airplane crashed into a wooded area at Wright Brothers National Memorial’s First Flight Airport.

Wright Brothers National Memorial, in partnership with the First Flight Society, will celebrate National Aviation Day on August 19, 2024, at the park and the Dare County Regional Airport. In addition to free entrance for the day and ranger-led educational programs, the park will stay open late for a special viewing of Disney’s “Up” on the lawn of the visitor center.

Contractors from Quinn Evans and Terracon will conduct investigative work from Feb. 5-8 on the Wright Brothers Monument to assess the monument’s condition. The assessment will inform the development of a Wright Brothers National Memorial project to address water intrusion and general maintenance needs for the 91-year-old structure.

Facilities at Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Fort Raleigh National Historic Site and Wright Brothers National Memorial, will close ahead of anticipated impacts from a strong cold front forecast to bring strong winds, coastal flooding and ocean overwash Tuesday, Jan. 9 into Wednesday, Jan 10.