2025 Book Stores Guide

B&B Antiques is chocked full of eye-catching collectibles and treasures from the past along with lots of “other cool stuff.”You could spend days browsing through the quilts, art, furniture, glassware, lamps - vintage baking supplies to old-fashioned baby strollers - and all the knick-knacks in between and still not see everything. And there’s lots of OBX memorabilia as well, including prints of the old Nags Head Casino, old photos with local fisherman displaying their catches, many beautiful duck decoys and old fishing lures and buoys.There’s a whole section on cooking supplies, including the old mixing bowls they don’t make any more, glass juicers that never lose their appeal and older, but often better, utensils for use or display. Besides antiques and the vintage culinary collection, the other cool stuff includes men’s and women’s jewelry, nice fabric and needlework art - and a whole “cave” of hunting and bar paraphernalia, with old tools, fishing and hunting collectibles and books. The shop also carries local artists’ prints and original paintings and rare and vintage books.Towering over it all stands a gorgeous oak armoire filled with vintage boy scout and other uniforms. Another fine piece of furniture, if it’s still there, is a large world globe and stand, the kind you used to see in libraries.It would be hard to visit B&B and not find something useful or decorative, a great OBX souvenir or the perfect gift for a special friend or family member. You’ll find B&B Antiques less than a mile south of the Kitty Hawk Post Office on the sound side, at the Buccaneer's Walk. Call for fall and winter schedules.

Beach Books is located in the heart of the Timbuck ii Shopping Centre in Corolla. They are locally owned by Corolla residents, fully accessible and stroller friendly. Beach Books stocks books for all ages and interests - including new releases and best sellers.

Find a new beach read to enjoy along the Ocracoke shoreline, or pick up a few local treasures to share with friends back home at this popular island shop that has been delighting readers for more than three decades. Books To Be Red is Ocracoke Island’s local book store, and the quaint and charming shop is brimming with regional selections and national bestsellers to the delight of bookworms everywhere.

A used and new book store with plenty of bargains. 

A full service book shop that's cozy and filled with good reads. 

If you enjoy a good cup of coffee and a good book, a stop into Duck’s Cottage Coffee & Bookshop is a must. Located in a historic gun shop next to the pond in the Waterfront Shops in Duck, a visit to Duck’s Cottage truly is an experience to savor. Owner Allen LeHew, a self-proclaimed java junkie, uses only the best coffee beans from a small roasting company in Lexington, Virginia.

Looking at the small town of Manteo, with its Crepe Myrtle lined busy main streets, and charming downtown filled with contemporary restaurants and old antique stores, one wouldn't necessarily think that this Outer Banks village was the veritable birthplace of European Settlement in America.

If you are an antique hunter and are looking for an eclectic selection, you can’t miss a trip to Freedom Antiques at Buccaneer’s Walk in Kitty Hawk.  Owners Sue Norris and Grady Lassiter opened the doors to this quaint antique shop in 2011 and are proud to carry a wide selection of vintage pieces that keep customers returning again and again. From antique fishing items like fishing poles to vintage pottery, Freedom Antique’s is an antique enthusiast’s paradise.  

A Native American Museum featuring artifacts from local indigenous people.

Campground stores don’t get much better than the one at the Frisco Woods Campground. At the Frisco Woods Camp Store, you can find everything you need for the perfect Outer Banks camping trip and you will without a doubt leave as a happy camper. Not only can campers find all the necessities they need such as firewood, groceries, RV needs, beach toys, snacks, coffee, beer and wine and ice cream, there is more. The kids will love the large selection of toys, seashells and puzzles while the adults can browse the souvenirs, gifts, local books, shoes and T-shirts. If you are interested in windsurfing lessons, kayak lessons or just have a question about the area, stop by and talk to the friendly staff. Have a question about the campground and camping cabins? This is the place you will find all your answers. You will also be able to find WiFi here too. The campground is located on Highway 12 between Buxton and Hatteras Village. The camp store is at the entrance to the grounds.

More than 2,000 shipwrecks sunk off the Coast of North Carolina in what’s called the Graveyard of the Atlantic. With all that history floating around, it was only natural to build a museum to honor and preserve the maritime culture of the Outer Banks. A state-of-the-art structure, the year round museum houses and displays artifacts, and presents a variety of exhibits and interprets the rich maritime culture that includes war, piracy, ghost ships and more. Artifacts include thoseex from the USS Monitor, which sank 16 miles off the Hatteras coast. The lobby features the stunning and original, 1854, First Order Lens from the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. Current hibits include those on piracy and the Civil War on Hatteras Island.

Gulf Stream Gifts in Nags Head, NC (Outer Banks, MP 10.5) offers a great variety of sterling silver, 14kt gold and fashion jewelry with a coastal flair. We also have souvenirs such as mermaids and turtles, t-shirts, wind chimes, greeting cards, Christmas figurines, hats, beach coverups, sunglasses and books. You can pick up some gifts and jewelry and then dash across the street to the beach.

With three locations filled with riches for the mind, heart and soul, Island Bookstore is a must-see Outer Banks stop. Their motto says it all – they are committed to providing you with selections to amuse, inform, enrich, and edify. What else is there in life?

A locals favorite, Island Gallery & Christmas Shop makes for an exciting day trip. 

You could spend all day in Kellogg’s Cottage Shop and still not see everything it offers. From specialty sauces and snacks, to hardware, to home and lawn maintenance and décor and even pet supplies, there’s little you won’t be able to find there.As soon as you enter, you’re invited to sample some of the Cottage Shop’s own brand of sauces and snacks, like sea-salted and black-peppered peanuts, or corn and black bean salsa, and you can also sip on a fresh cup of coffee while you browse the store’s many treasures.The fake snow the store invites all to touch is a reminder to stop by the Christmas section, which offers a lovely selection of old-style ornaments designed around beach and ocean themes.In addition to basic hardware items for most maintenance needs, there are beautiful pieces for home décor, from art prints to accent and patio furniture. For children there are games galore including a beautiful, eclectic collection of marbles of many sizes, almost too pretty to play around with.Also available are personal accessories like Viva beaded jewelry, fashionable scarves, cloth hand or tote bags, hats and gloves, as well as greeting cards and gifts for special occasions, weddings and holidays.”For those building rental or second homes, Kellogg’s offers comprehensive kitchen, bedding, bath and recreational packages designed to accommodate homes ranging in size from 12 to 24 guests or more.In a nutshell, the Cottage Shop hopes to “fulfill the finishing touches needed to make a house a home.”

An old fashion general store not to miss! 

No trip to Ocracoke Island can be complete without a visit to the Preservation Society’s Museum and Gift Shop. The building that houses the Museum, along with the Society and its collections are a testimony to the island’s rich historical heritage.The foursquare with a deep hip roof and deep-hipped porch is believed to have been built in the late 1800s by David Williams who served in the Coast Guard. It was moved to its present location near the current Coast Guard station and restored by Ocracoke Preservation Society in 1989.The Museum Gift Shop is a popular place to find that special keepsake of your visit to the island, with an assortment of momentoes - including locally crafted Christmas ornaments - along with music, postcards, photographs, cookbooks and other books of local and regional interest.Housed upstairs in the Museum is OPS’s unique research library - a growing number of historical, genealogical and photographic collections and other resources relevant to Ocracoke history. Here you can find just about anything you want to know about the island’s lighthouse, it’s British Cemetery, wild ponies, hurricanes and WWII Naval Base - and even how to square dance Ocracoke style. For locals and other descendants of the island’s original settlers there’s lots of resources for tracking down your ancestry. Throughout the summer, the Museum hosts weekly porch talks on local history on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 11 a.m. and Backyard Kids Talks, usually on Wednesdays. It also hosts exhibits by local artists. Research materials can be viewed by prior appointment. And you can shop online for many Gift Store items.

The Outer Banks Hotline is a crisis intervention center with a 24-hour hotline. The also have thrift stores up and down the Outer Banks including one in Manteo. 

Video game and comic book fans will have a great time at Super Galactic Games N Comics, a unique shopping destination that is situated in the heart of the Outer Banks. Brimming with items that range from valuable collectibles to trading cards, Super Galactic Games N Comics is a fun place for folks of all ages and interests to linger and explore.

No shopping trip with the kids is complete without a trip to a toy store, and The Kid’s Store in the Waterfront Shops in Duck is the perfect spot to find everything for children. From toys, books, puzzles and games, there is plenty to choose from, whether you are looking for a gift or just a few toys to keep the kids entertained during your vacation. The Kid’s Store also has outdoor gear. Enjoy a large selection of bathing suits for all ages, rash guards, hats and t-shirts to protect youngsters from the strong rays of the sun. Education toys, stuffed animals, and novelty toys are everywhere. Looking for some beach toys or the perfect kite to fly on the beach? You are bound to find it here.  And no child’s Outer Banks vacation is complete without a hermit crab.  At The Kid’s Store, customers can expect personalized attention while children choose the perfect hermit crab to bring home. Don’t forget to pick up some beach toys and kites for the kids, who will be eager to try their new gear at the beach. After 20 years in business, The Kid’s Store knows toys and they know kids, too. So bring the kids for a fun treat.

A classy gift shop with something for everyone.

A complete office supply store that includes art supplies, as well. 

Sometimes you just want to visit a Walmart. Fortunately, Walmart is conveniently located at milepost 1, right as you enter the Outer Banks from the Wright Memorial Bridge.