2025 Ocracoke Gifts and Specialty Items Guide

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.

Treat your senses and indulge in a few culinary delights with a stop at this Ocracoke shop that is literally brimming with flavor. The Moonraker Tea Shop is a relatively new addition to the Ocracoke shopping scene, but it’s a delightful destination that is filled with teas of all varieties, unique food items and specialty gifts, and so much more.

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.

An eclectic, delightful gift store on Ocracoke Island.

Pirate fans and landlubbers alike will find something unique and fun at Pirate's Chest Gift Shop, a favorite destination for kids of all ages that’s located in charming Ocracoke village. From shells to local books, and toys to beach gear, this gift store has a little something for everyone, and is a fine spot to pick up a few Ocracoke souvenirs to take back home to friends and loved ones.

From surfing lessons and kayak tours to all the gear you’ll need to stay active on the Ocracoke beaches, Ride the Wind Surf Shop has everything under the sun for island visitors who want to uncover all the on-the-water fun that the Outer Banks has to offer. Featuring beach gear, watersports equipment sales and rentals, lessons, tours, and a host of other unique items for sale, this destination is miles beyond your typical surf shop, and is a must-stop for anyone who wants to enjoy an active Ocracoke vacation to the fullest.

Coffee and creativity in one venue!

An eclectic art, craft and gift shop on beautiful Ocraoke Island.

You never know what treasures you’ll uncover at Village Thrift, which is the only thrift store on Ocracoke Island. Featuring an ever-rotating array of goodies that can range from beachy apparel to books, games, and other unique items, Village Thrift is a favorite destination for locals and visitors alike who love to explore and uncover an eye-catching bargain or two.