The sunflower-yellow, art nouveau–style Whalehead Club, built in the 1920s as a hunting 'cottage' for a Philadelphia industrialist, is the centerpiece of the well-manicured Currituck Heritage Park in the village of Corolla. Tours take about 45 minutes and are self-guided. Visitors can learn about the history of the property and explore its art-nouveau ornamentation – including Tiffany glass sconces, a Victorian safe, and a Steinway & Sons grand piano. Tour times may vary in winter (November to March).
Whalehead Club
Outer Banks
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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You'll climb 220 steps to get to the top of this red-brick lighthouse, which is still in operation. The light from its Fresnal lens can be seen from 18…
Nearby Outer Banks attractions
1. Outer Banks Center for Wildlife Education
0.1 MILES
This modern education center has an 8000-gallon aquarium and a life-size marsh diorama with a duck blind. Don't miss the 20-minute film about area history…
0.11 MILES
This very pleasant manicured park in Corolla preserves 39 acres of gorgeous sound-front and sound-side property that was once the waterfowl- and duck…
0.23 MILES
You'll climb 220 steps to get to the top of this red-brick lighthouse, which is still in operation. The light from its Fresnal lens can be seen from 18…
4. Corolla Wild Horse Fund Museum
0.37 MILES
This small nonprofit museum spotlights the wild mustangs that inhabit the dunes and shoreline north of Corolla. Also runs two-hour tours to see the horses…
5. Currituck Banks Maritime Forest Trail
1.12 MILES
A hidden 0.3-mile Boardwalk Trail (with disabled access) and a 0.75-mile Maritime Forest Trail snake through sections of the 950-acre Currituck Banks…
6. Waterfront Shops & Boardwalk
14.62 MILES
A pleasant waterfront boardwalk with 27 shops and eateries dotted around it. Peruse local design shops, do a Village Yoga session, or grab a bottle of…
7. Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge
17.84 MILES
This 9250-acre wildlife and migratory-bird marshland habitat is most stunning during the December migration season. The refuge's visitor center is open…
8. Wright Brothers National Memorial
26.26 MILES
Self-taught engineers Wilbur and Orville Wright launched the world's first successful airplane flight on December 17, 1903 (it lasted 12 seconds). A…