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-5:00pm
  • Tuesday9:00am-5:00pm
  • Wednesday9:00am-5:00pm
  • Thursday9:00am-5:00pm
  • Friday9:00am-5:00pm
  • Saturday9:00am-5:00pm
Categories
Shopping
Ben Franklin

Ben Franklin

Stop by Nags Head's Ben Franklin at Mile Post 10 on the Bypass where you will find everything you need for the beach! From Clothing, T-shirts and Swimwear to Boards, Chairs, Umbrellas and Tackle. You'll find it all…and of course, we have the best selection of Souvenirs anywhere on the Outer Banks. Enjoy your vacation! Independently owned by a member of one of the Outer Banks’ oldest families, the Ben Franklin store is stocked with just about everything a visitor would need to go to the beach.

 

Ben Franklin stores were once part of a five-and-dime retail empire, with about 2,500 locations across the country in its heyday. As decades passed and the times and customers began to change, many closed their doors, leading to fewer than 150 of these nostalgic shops. Nags Head Ben Franklin, however, has withstood the test of time and adapted to the needs of its customers to provide a memorable shopping experience on the Outer Banks.

 

Debbie Terry Tolson, manager of the Ben Franklin location in Nags Head, recalls working with former owner Tommie Daniels. Daniels’ father, Moncie Daniels, started the business in downtown Manteo in the early 1900s. The Daniels family has been a longstanding fixture in the Outer Banks business community—Moncie even sold gas to the Wright brothers in 1903.

 

Tommie, with an excellent business mind, saw the opportunity the new Bypass presented and, in 1977, he opened the Nags Head location of Ben Franklin. He was one of the first businesses on the Bypass,” Tolson says.In addition to a new location, the Ben Franklin store saw a new group of customers.

 

“People would come from all around because Tommie had a little bit of everything—it was more like a five and 10 then,” Tolson explains. “As he went to the beach, he began to get more tourists, so he started catering more and more to visitors.”

 

Today, the 21,000-square-foot souvenir shop quickly catches the attention of anyone driving by thanks to the ocean-themed mural that decorates the façade of the building, painted by local artist Rob Snyder. This Ben Franklin location has become the must-stop shop for both first-time visitors to the area and generations of families who escape to the Outer Banks annually.

 

Tolson credits the great prices and friendly customer service to the success of the location, which keeps families returning.“People come in all the time and tell me, ‘my grandmother or my grandfather used to bring me here and now I’m bringing my children,’” she shares. “One of my favorite parts about working here is seeing the people come back year after year.”