Elizabethan Gardens — Attraction in Roanoke Island

My family is having Friendsgiving this week in Kitty Hawk. We are from Virginia and planned our trip to see the lights at Elizabethan Gardens weeks before our trip. We showed up about 45 minutes early and had to wait for our group to arrive with the tickets. We went left to the door of the gift shop and was stopped by greeters scanning tickets. They said in a rude tone that we must enter the gardens through the right. We explained that we were waiting on friends and wanted to check out the shop for a few minutes until they arrived with the tickets. They allowed us to proceed. Once we entered the shop, my five year old was excited looking at toys. A blonde lady who works at the shop was very quick to let us know (in a very rude tone) that we needed to exit the shop because we had entered the wrong way and would come back through on our way out. I responded that clearly the workers needed to get on the same page because the greeters outside did not tell us this wasn't an option. We went to the entry way and waited on the bench. The same blonde lady was fussing at another man about coming in the wrong way as we were sitting on the bench. She then came and slammed the doors shut and said "these doors need to stay shut". My mom responded that we were not the ones who opened the doors. We did enter the main gardens when our friends arrived and the experience was wonderful. I have given a 1 for the lights and the gardens. I have also included the girls working the Fire Pit in the positive score. They were wonderful! As we were leaving, we exited through the shop. My little boy was excited to see the toys again. We felt like we were being watched closely, as if we were going to steal something. The shop was pretty calm until the blonde lady came back in the room. Suddenly, both ladies were rude and seemed annoyed that anyone was still there. One family came back in to use the restroom and she repeated multiple times that they close in 2 minutes and would need to hurry. Another person asked about hot chocolate and she said, 'we closed at 9:00". I finally made the call that we would not be purchasing anything from this shop. I explained to my little boy that we would not be supporting a place who didn't want our business. I had him put his toys back and we left. I am frustrated that we chose your business as one of our beach experiences and this was the experience we had. Best of luck to you. We will...

The Gardens have been loved and walked thru by me my children and now with my grandchildren for many years, what a place to daydream, any season is beautiful, yes even the winter.. as soon as you enter into the door entrance for the gardens, the wonderful smell of cinnamon mixed with flowers is smelled, you pay and if you are as I was.. getting a year pass is so worth the cost,,it pays for itself after a couple visits... when you go into the gardens, its like entering another world, your cares can be left behind and you can enjoy the beauty of nature ( and hardworking staff) that is seen in every season.. you can be brisk, or leisure, as I am.. sit at the sunken garden and look at the fountains.. beautiful.. walk around towards the "Sound area" and see the authentic tundra top covered in grass gazebo, listen to the waves as they come to shore take in a big breath, if you continue around to the gate facing the sound you can see straight off in the distance the dunes of Jockeys Ridge, the tallest sanddunes on the East Coast.. spring,summer, fall or winter, your in for a peaceful and beautiful stroll thru the prettiest gardens on the Outer Banks, and uniquely different than any I've been to anywhere.. so, take a detour to the south side of Manteo, and check out this haven, for it's not just where the play " the Lost Colony " is seen but round the corner to The Elizabethan Gardens, I promise you wont regret it... I've always loved the gardens, but what a beautiful wonderland to enjoy this past December at the special lights and Santa" to boot... it truly was a sight to behold, for the children of all ages, and the older ones as well, feeling once again like a child was a happy memory for me to cherish. I would encourage anyone to go when it opens up again next year.. you will not regret it, and until then enjoy it year round during the daytime hours it is opened, it is beautiful any season...and is well worth the visit.. I'd give it more than 5 stars if it was available, in other words dont miss the trip to the end of Manteo at the Elizabethan Gardens, the beach and all of the Outer Banks is wonderful, but Manteo is a gem often overlooked.. enjoy, and if you get the opportunity to visit during the Christmas season, tell Santa we all...

I do not recommend this place only because of their EMPLOYEE at the ticket counter. I was there in the middle of May visiting the Lost Colony National Park with my husband. We decided to walk over to the queens garden because we had no idea what it was and wanted to take a look. Not being from North Carolina and visiting from the state of Florida we had never heard of the Queens Gardens before and had no information about it. When we walked through the front door there was a gentleman who was blocking the doorway and I was unable to see the sign for how much the tickets cost. Because I did not realize we had to pay to get in I had asked to step by the gentleman and was beginning to walk to the gardens. The woman at the front Desk taking tickets yelled at me to stop stating that I had to pay. I understand that part was fine because she was trying to stop me from going in before paying however when I stopped and began to look in the store area and began to look at the ticket pricing she then began to yell at me about how there is a line and that I needed to get into the line. After she yelled at me I told my husband we were leaving because I was not paying $20 to be yelled at. I understand that I might have frustrated the employee about walking to the gardens without paying but you’re in a customer service job where people from all over the country come and visit here and maybe do not know that you have to pay. Once she advise me that I had to pay there was no need to yell at me about getting in line you could’ve asked me politely to get in line. I feel that this place needs to have their customer service skills improved by their staff. I highly do not recommend this place unless you want to get yelled at by the lady who takes tickets. Neither me or anyone in my family will ever visit this establishment. Anyone who ever asked me about it I will be strongly expressing the rude treatment that I received in the few moments of walking in the door. I highly do not recommend...