Although not in the record books, don’t miss what we call the world’s longest museum—the Roanoke Canal Museum & Trail! Once you enter this museum you will quite follow the mighty Roanoke River and experience our national, state & local history of transportation, power generation & industrialization via the creation of the Roanoke Navigation Canal.

The Roanoke Canal Museum and Trail is a unique attraction, blending the preservation of the past through the history of the canal with a look at our community’s future and where the canal has brought us with the development of hydroelectric power and industry. One of the best features of the museum is a DVD oral history presentation of local residents telling stories about the canal and the river, how the Roanoke River is truly the lifeblood of our region’s culture. The museum also celebrates nature’s beauty and bounty along the river, including the mighty Striped Bass or Rockfish as locals call them.

In addition to the museum, there is a 7.5-mile nature trail that follows the old navigation canal bed. The Roanoke Canal Trail has recently been designated as a site on the North Carolina Coastal Plains Birding Trail, and the trail, which can be used for hiking and biking, is rich with native wildlife and plants.

Phone:  (252) 537-2769

Address:  15 Jackson Street Ext., Roanoke Rapids, NC 27870 

Website: http://www.roanokecanal.com/