Dayton Aviation Heritage
National Historical Park
16 S. Williams Street Dayton, OH
Phone: 937.225.7705
Web: www.nps.gov/daav/index.htm
The Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park includes several geographically separate elements that are connected by the story of the Wright brothers and the development of the airplane. Together they tell the story of the lives and legacies of the Wright brothers and poet Paul Laurence Dunbar. The National Park Service operates the sites in collaboration with other public agencies and nonprofit organizations.
The Wright Cycle Company Complex
The Wright Cycle Company complex consists of the Wright Cycle Company building and the Wright–Dunbar Interpretive Center (the restored Hoover Block) and the new Aviation Trail Visitor Center and Museum. The Wright Cycle Company was the fourth bicycle shop operated by the Wrights and the only one remaining on its original site. Across a plaza is the Hoover Block building where Wilbur and Orville operated a print shop as Wright & Wright, Job Printers. The renovated Hoover Block houses the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center and the Aviation Trail Inc. Visitor Center and Museum.Huffman Prairie Flying Field
After their first powered flights at Kitty Hawk, the Wright brothers continued their flight experiments on Huffman Prairie in Greene County. The flying field occupies part of a natural tallgrass prairie remnant. Both are now a part of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base but accessible to the public. The Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center is located nearby at the Wright Brothers Memorial Park.1905 Wright Flyer III
The world's first practical airplane is the centerpiece of the John W. Berry, Sr. Wright Brothers Aviation Center at Carillon Historical Park. Built by the Wright brothers in 1905 and flown at Huffman Prairie Flying Field, the Flyer III is owned by Dayton History. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990.Hawthorn Hill – the Wright family mansion
After the airplane brought them wealth and fame, the Wright brothers designed Hawthorn Hill as the new family home for themselves, their sister Katharine and their father, the Bishop Milton Wright. Wilbur died in 1912, before the stately mansion was completed, but Orville lived there until his death. It is owned by the Wright Family Foundation and operated by Dayton History.Wright Company Factory Site
The two buildings of the Wright Company Factory Site are the first buildings in the United States constructed specifically for the purpose of making airplanes. They are now a part of a much larger Delphi Corp. plant and not accessible to the public.National Park activities and events
News articles about the National Park in AviationDayton™
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