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Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, Dayton, OH

Photo: Chris Light, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

SightseeingHistory BuffFree

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park

16 S Williams St · Dayton, OH

Why you should go…

This national historical park is spread over several sites that follow the Wright brothers and poet Paul Laurence Dunbar through Dayton. Start at the Wright-Dunbar Visitor Center, next to the Wright Cycle Company building where the brothers ran a bicycle shop and print shop from 1895 to 1897. Other units include Huffman Prairie Flying Field, the Paul Laurence Dunbar House and Hawthorn Hill, Orville Wright's home. The sites managed by the National Park Service charge no entrance fee.

  • #wright brothers
  • #national historical park
  • #aviation history
  • #paul laurence dunbar

Good to know

General sightseeing guidance

Habits that pay off across this whole category, not rules for this one venue. Always check the official site for the specifics.

  • The forecast is part of the ticket

    Haze, low cloud, and rain flatten a view. Clear-day visits are worth rearranging your plans for.

  • Golden hour sells out first

    Sunset slots at observation decks and cruises are the first to go, so book those further ahead.

  • Dress a layer warmer

    It is always breezier up high and out on the water than it feels at street level.

  • Timed entry is common

    Plenty of landmarks release tickets in windows rather than at the door, so check before you walk over.

What's around here?

The closest stops to Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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    National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

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    Walk through four huge hangars holding more than 360 aircraft and missiles, from Wright brothers artifacts to Air Force One.

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    65 mi awayMore like this