Dayton Aviation Heritage
National Historical Park

Through the invention of powered flight, Wilbur and Orville Wright made significant contributions to human history. In their Dayton, Ohio, bicycle shop, these two men, self-trained in the science and art of aviation, researched and built the world's first power-driven, heavier-than-air machine capable of free, controlled, and sustained flight. The first flight was at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina on December 17, 1903, and the site is now part of Wright Brothers National Memorial.

The Wrights also built and flew the world's first practical airplane. At their flying school, just northeast of Dayton, on Huffman Prairie, they trained more than one hundred military and civilian aviatiors, many of whom became leading figures in aviation in the following decades.

Paul Laurence Dunbar achieved national and international acclaim in a literary world that was almost exclusively reserved for whites. This gifted and prolific writer produced a body of work that included novels, plays, short stories, lyrics, and over four hundred published poems. His work, which reflected much of the African American experience in America, contributed to a growing social consciousness and cultural identity for African Americans in the United States.

The park is a cooperative effort between the National Park Service and three partners, and it contains four separate sites. They are The Wright Cycle Company building and Hoover Block; Huffman Prairie Flying Field; the 1905 Wright Flyer III; and the Dunbar House State Memorial.

Information to help you plan a visit is presented below.

VISITATION:

Highest from June to August; lowest during the winter.

LOCATION:

Dayton, Ohio

ADDRESS:

22 S. Williams Street
P. O. Box 9280 - Wright Brothers Station
Dayton, Ohio 45409

TELEPHONE:

(937) 225-7705 (Wright Cycle Co. Building)
(937) 225-7706 (FAX)
(937) 224-7061 (Dunbar House State Memorial)
(937) 293-2841 (Carillon Historical Park)
(937) 257-5535, extension 254 (Huffman Prairie Flying Field)

OPERATING HOURS, SEASONS:

The Wright Cycle Company Building - May 9 to Labor Day: Monday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Starting September 9, 1998: Monday and Tuesday by appointment; Wednesday to Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, 11:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; closed on holidays during this period.

Dunbar House State Memorial - Memorial Day to Labor Day: Wednesday to Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday and holidays, 12:00 noon to 4:30 p.m. Labor Day to October 31: Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. November 1 to Memorial Day: Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; groups of 20 or more by appointment.

Huffman Prairie Flying Field - Daylight hours when the Wright- Patterson Air Force Base is open to the public.

Wright Hall - Carillon Historical Park - April 1 to October 31: Tuesday to Saturday, 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Sundays and holidays, 12:00 noon to 5:00 p.m.; closed Mondays.

CLIMATE, RECOMMENDED CLOTHING:

Winter's average lows are 5 to 20 degrees, and highs are 10 to 35 degrees. Heavier clothing and layers are appropriate. Snow and snowstorms possible. Summer's average lows are 65 to 80 degrees, and highs are 70 to 90 degrees. Hot, humid weather is possible, as well as thunderstorms.

DIRECTIONS:

The Wright Cycle Co. building - Exit Interstate 75 at Third Street in downtown Dayton. Proceed west across the Miami River. Turn left at the third stop light on the west side of the river onto Williams. The Wright Cycle Co. Building is on the left in the first half block. From Interstate 70 or U.S. 35, exit onto Interstate 75 and follow directions listed above. Also accessible from several state and U.S. highways. Directions to the other park sites can be obtained at The Wright Cycle company building.

TRANSPORTATION:

City buses, taxies and personal vehicles.

FEES, COSTS, RATES:

Each unit of the park has a different fee structure.
The Wright Cycle Company building - free
Dunbar House State Memorial - $3.00 per person, members are free, $1.25 per child age 5 to 12, under 5 free. Groups are $0.75 per person.
Huffman Prairie Flying Field - free
Wright Hall - Carillon Historical Park - $2.00 per adult, members are free, $1.00 per child age 6 to 17, under 6 free

FACILITIES AND OPPORTUNITIES:
Visitor Center/Exhibits:

Restored museum and exhibits operated by the National Park Service are located at The Wright Cycle Company building. Exhibits and visitor services are also available at the Dunbar House State Memorial and at Carillon Historical Park. Self guiding facilities available at Huffman Prairie Flying Field. Park is in development and currently has no visitor center.

Programs/Activities:

Programs vary throughout the year at The Wright Cycle Company building, Dunbar House State Memorial and Carillon Historical Park. Themes center around aviation and early transportation history, African American lifestyles and the accomplishments of Paul Laurence Dunbar and Wilbur and Orville Wright.

Other Concessions/NPS-Managed Visitor Facilities and Opportunities:

A small bookstore is operated by Aviation Trail, Inc., at The Wright Cycle Company building. A limited number of books are sold at the Dunbar House State Memorial. Larger facilities with a greater range of material are available at Carillon Historical Park. There are no facilities available at Huffman Prairie Flying Field.

Accessibility:

The Wright Cycle Company building has limited accessibility. There is also limited accessibility at the other three units of the park.

RECOMMENDED ACTIVITIES/PARK USE:

Visitation to sites associated with the invention and development of heaver-than-air, human-controlled, powered flight, and the Dunbar House. Special programs and activities at all four sites throughout the year.

RESERVATIONS/PERMITS:

Reservations for groups or out-of-season visitation to The Wright Cycle Company building should be made at lease two weeks in advance to guarantee staff availability. Reservations are needed for group visits to the Dunbar House State Memorial and to Carillon Historical Park.

BASIC VISIT RECOMMENDATIONS:

The Wright Cycle Company building - 45 minutes
Dunbar House State Memorial - 60 minutes
Wright Hall at Carillon Historical Park - 30 minutes
Huffman Prairie Flying Field - 30 minutes.

To fully explore Carillon Historical Park, allow from two-to-four hours. Travel time between park units can take up to 45 minutes. Other theme related sites in the area involve additional time commitments.

ADJACENT VISITOR ATTRACTIONS:

Known as the Birthplace of Aviation, Dayton has many visitor attractions associated with aviation heritage. The U.S. Air Force Museum on the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is the largest military air museum in the world. Also on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is the Wright Memorial on Wright Brothers Hill. This memorial, overlooking Huffman Prairie Flying Field, was designed by the Olmsted Brothers and commemorates the Wright brothers and the legacy of flight. Additional aviation related sites in the region include the Wright "B" Flyer in Miamisburg; Woodland Cemetery, the final resting place of the Wright Brothers and Dunbar; the WACO Historical Society Museum in Troy; and the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakoneta. These sites, and others, totaling forty-seven, are part of the Aviation Trail.

Other sites in the region present both local and national history. Places to visit include the Kettering-Moraine Museum and Historical Society and the Montgomery County Historical Society. The National Afro-American Museum and Cultural Center, in Wilberforce, serves as a repository for the preservation, study, and interpretation of African American history and culture.

For additional travel information contact the Greene County Convention and Visitors Bureau at (937) 429-9100, the Dayton- Montgomery County Convention and Visitors Bureau at (937) 443-0293, and the Dayton Area Chamber of Commerce at (937) 226-1444.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

For information about the park write the Superintendent; Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park; P.O. Box 9280 - Wright Brothers Station; Dayton, OH 45409 or call (937) 225-7705.
Email your questions, comments, or suggestions to: DAAV_Interpretation @nps.gov.

Last Updated:Wednesday, 31-Mar-99 09:26:46
http://www.nps.gov/daav/
Author: Ann Deines