The Lost Colony

Category: Area Attractions

Before Jamestown and Plymouth, a group of about 120 men, women and children bravely established the first English settlement in the New World on Roanoke Island in 1587. Shortly after arriving in this New World, colonist Eleanor Dare, gave birth to Virginia Dare, the first English child born in America.

But life on the island was difficult. Low on supplies and facing hostile Native Americans, the colonists sent Governor John White back to England in the summer of 1587 for supplies. Due to the impending war with Spain, however, Governor White was unable to return to Roanoke Island until 1590. When he arrived, the colony had vanished, leaving one tantalizing clue as to their whereabouts: the word "CROATOAN" carved on a post. The fate of those first colonists remains a mystery to this day and is one of America's most intriguing unsolved mysteries.

Today, visitors to Roanoke Island can see this amazing story on summer nights at Waterside Theatre, home of The Lost Colony. Performed near the very site of the colonists' ill-fated settlement, the production recounts the actual historical events with the fictional story of the colonists' spirit, courage and dream of freedom, a story that rings true today.