An authentic Outer Banks treasure, this shell shop is one of the oldest family-owned stores in Nags Head, and it is without a doubt one of the most interesting.  Opened in 1954 by Woodrow Stetson, a Coast Guardsman, and his wife Lucretia, the building burned down in 1965 and was rebuilt at the same location where it is today --- and is still operated by the same family. Visiting Shipwreck, located off the Nags Head-Manteo causeway, is like going to an art museum because the shells are like works of art. Imported from exotic locales all over the world including the Philippines, Tahiti, Australia, Indonesia and Thailand, all the shells are real.Check out the stunning (and valuable) Chamber Nautilus and the half Nautilus. Only Mother Ocean could create such a beauty. The store is worth a stop just to see the variety of spectacular shells that wash up on the world’s beaches (some of them, like Conch shells and Sand Dollars, can be found off the Outer Banks).  The shells are displayed neatly on shelves, so you can pick them up and look closely before making a choice of what to buy. There is also a good selection of coral, which has become exceedingly rare and won’t be available for long. (Sea horses no longer are, the owner said.) The three large rooms are stuffed with fascinating sea-related items, including driftwood art; seashell mirrors, lamps, wind chimes and curtains;  shark’s teeth and fish décor. In the back room, there’s an old bathtub filled with small shells for sale by the cupful. There is also a selection of fossils and rocks for sale, right near the massive whale jawbone hanging from the ceiling. 


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Nags Head
252-441-5739
Hours
*Off-season hours may vary*
Call 252-441-5739 for current hours.
  • Monday9:00am-9:00pm
  • Tuesday9:00am-9:00pm
  • Wednesday9:00am-9:00pm
  • Thursday9:00am-9:00pm
  • Friday9:00am-9:00pm
  • Saturday9:00am-9:00pm
Categories
Shopping
The Cotton Gin

The Cotton Gin

For those traveling to the Outer Banks, The Cotton Gin is a beloved landmark with its large windmill and picturesque gardens. The Cotton Gin has stood in the same location since 1929, starting as a working cotton gin and growing to a gift store with 4 locations. Visitors are treated to a unique shopping experience in our main store in Jarvisburg, as well as our beach stores in Corolla, Duck, and Nags Head. Explore room after room filled with décor for your home and coastal fashions for both men and women. Discover the brands you really want, like, Vera Bradley, Vineyard Vines, La Mer Luex, Simply Southern, Lindsay Phillips, Scout, Pandora, Kameleon, Brighton, Spartina, Tommy Bahama, Southern Tide and Salt Life and Old Guys Rule - all under one roof!

 

Don’t forget the gourmet market, or shop our beautiful linens for your bedroom and bath. We also feature coastal books and fine art, or just a whimsical fun gift to bring home to family and friends. Stop by soon and don’t forget to try our estate grown wines in our stores or visit our vineyard and winery, Sanctuary Vineyards, located adjacent to the original Cotton Gin in Jarvisburg.

 

Most know The Cotton Gin as a must-stop shop for fine gifts, beachwear, souvenirs and so much more, but this retailer has a long-standing history within the Outer Banks. A local landmark that holds almost a century of memories, The Cotton Gin started from humble beginnings and continues to adapt to the times and tourists. Tommy Wright’s family has been in the Outer Banks for nearly 200 years. His great-great grandfather, Jacob Francis Wright, shipwrecked in Duck back in the early 1800s. Calling these barrier islands his new home, Wright and his family acclimated to their new environment.

 

Adaptation is a common theme for the Wright family. Tommy and his wife Candace, who continue to steer The Cotton Gin, have seen not only their business change with the times, but the Outer Banks as a vacation destination as well. A farm market in Jarvisburg eventually transformed and flourished into several retail locations dotting the Outer Banks.

 

“As the area changed and tourism took off in the 1960s, the family saw people coming for vacations, so they began to grow vegetables and things developed from there,” says Tommy Wright. The Wright family expanded upon the farm market and began to remodel a working cotton gin, later transforming the gin into The Cotton Gin general store in the late 1960s. While the additions to the farm store drew visitors, it was their encounters with the Wright family that kept people coming back year after year, which is something that remains true today.

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