Getting the story Wright

Passing through Dayton, Ohio this year? If you only have a couple of hours, stop at Carillon Historical Park and see the world's first practical airplane, the Wright Flyer III and reproduction of the fifth and final Wright Cycle Shop. The park is open Mon-Sat, 9:30am to 5pm, and Sunday 12pm to 5pm. Admission is $14 per adult, $12 per senior, $10 per child, age 2 and under are free. If you plan the visit during meal time, you can eat on site at the Carillon Brewing Company Wed-Sun, 11am to 9pm. Or, you can eat at Culp's Cafe Tue-Sunday, 10am to 2pm. If you have more than a couple hours, take a train ride through the park, $5 a ticket. There is so much to see and do, including the carousel ride inside for the kids, $1 per ticket.

Carillon Park Wright Brothers Aviation Center with Wright Cycle Shop reproduction, and restored Wright Flyer III, world's first practical aeroplane. Photo by Author.

If you plan ahead and can pass through Dayton on a Wednesday or Saturday, make a reservation through Carillon Historical Park to visit the home of Orville Wright, Hawthorn Hill, in Oakwood. A 14 passenger shuttle will transport you and others from Carillon to Hawthorn Hill for a guided tour. Tours are available at 10am and 12:30pm, $16 per person. The tour is not recommended for children aged 10 and under. Most likely you'd combine your Carillon Historical Park visit with your Hawthorn Hill visit, and combined ticket cost is $26 per person. Hawthorn Hill tours are only available Wednesdays and Saturdays, so be sure to make the reservation before your visit, as the vans fill up quickly.

Hawthorn Hill, Oakwood, Ohio, Wright family home 1914-1948. Photo by Author.

More time available? Head for the Air Force Museum, open 9am to 5pm, seven days a week, and admission is free! If you want to watch an I-Max movie while you're there, there is a fee of $7.50 per ticket. Food is available at two locations within the museum. See a reproduction of the 1909 Wright Military Flyer, and a modified 1911 Wright B Flyer. A 250 sf bundle of fabric from the 1903 Kitty Hawk Flyer is on display, as is Orville Wright's 1916 Wind Tunnel utilized at his Aeronautical Lab. There is so much more to see, such as the Air Force One aircraft that carried President Kennedy's casket, and in which Lyndon Johnston was sworn in as President as Jackie Kennedy stood by his side. You can stand right there in the airplane inches from where that history took place. Be sure to also view the actual Apollo 15 Command module on display. The museum is huge, so be prepared for a lot of walking. If you spend 3 hours here viewing, you'll not see everything.

Apollo 15 Command Module Endeavour. Launched to the moon July of 1971, just 68 years after the Wright's flights at Kitty Hawk in December of 1903. Photo by Author.

Planning on spending a couple days to see more sites? If so, head for West Third Street to the Wright's neighborhood and business sites and visit the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center. This site is open Wednesdays through Sundays, 9am to 4pm. Admission is free. If visiting during meal time, the West Social Tap & Table is located immediately west of the museum. The Wright's print shop business from 1890-1895 was located at the second floor level of the Hoover Block, the building which is now occupied by the museum. The Wright's fourth Wright Cycle Shop location at 22 South Williams Street is located just south of the museum with tours available on the hour. The fifth and final Wright Cycle Shop location at 1127 West Third Street is an empty lot with signage, as the original structure was relocated to Greenfield Village, Dearborn, Michigan in 1936/37. The former location of Orville Wright's Aeronautical Lab is a short walk west from the museum on North Broadway, where a reproduction facade, signage, and statue can be seen. A short stroll to the south of the museum takes you to the former location of the Wright home at 7 Hawthorn Street. A reproduction partial porch, and outline of the home with signage is at the site. The home was also relocated to Greenfield Village in 1936/37. A reproduction of the home has been built across the street from 7 Hawthorn, and is a private residence. Ed Sines residence at 15 Hawthorn still stands, but is also privately owned.

Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, West Third Street, Dayton, Ohio. Photo by Author.

Next, visit the Wright Brother's Memorial and Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center. The museum is small, and free to enter. The museum is only open Wednesdays and Thursdays, 9am-4pm. The memorial site is open from dawn to dusk. The Wright Memorial sits on 27 acres, with an overlook of Huffman Prairie in the distance, and of Huffman dam.


Wright Brother's Memorial and Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center. Photo by Author.

Huffman Prairie is easily accessible on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base property. The site has been preserved much as it existed when the Wright's used the field from 1904-1915. There is no admission fee. The park is open 6am-8pm. An adjacent prairie at the site has been restored and is available for walking the trails. There are no restroom facilities at this site. To fully appreciate the site, it is best to know the history of the efforts of the Wright Brothers here in 1904 and 1905 in perfecting the world's first practical airplane, the Wright Flyer III.

Huffman Prairie Flying Field, reproduction hangar and launching derrick. Photo by Author.

Check the websites for each site for the latest information on hours of operation, costs. and driving directions. If any questions, leave a comment below, and I'll respond likely that day.

Websites:

Carillon Historical Park

Hawthorn Hill, Oakwood, Ohio

National Museum of the United States Air Force

Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center

Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center

Huffman Prairie Flying Field brochure

I have found the more historical background I have learned of a site prior to visiting makes the experience much more meaningful. Otherwise, when visiting West Third Street in Dayton, your mind's eye will be focused on the buildings standing there today, in lieu of imaging how the street and neighborhood existed in the early 1900's. When facing the empty lot at 1127 West Third, read the signage about the Wright Cycle Shop, and realize that here, the Wright's sold their bicycles, performed their wind tunnel experiments, designed, built, and eventually stored the Kitty Hawk Wright Flyer. As you stand there, imagine the year of 1913, with flood waters six to eight feet at this location, the Kitty Hawk Flyer submerged under water and mud. You'll miss that experience unless you do some reading on the history.

For historical information on West Third Street, see post:

West Third Street, Dayton Ohio Wright Brother Connection

For historical information on the Wright Print and Cycle Shops, see posts:

The Wright Brother's Print and Cycle Shop Locations

1127 West Third Street- The Wright Cycle Company

For historical information on Orville Wright's Aeronautical Lab and the Boyd Building, see post:

15 North Broadway- The Wright Aeronautical Laboratory

For historical information on the Wright's neighborhood, see post:

Hawthorn Street, Dayton, Ohio- Neighborhood of the Wright Brothers

For historical information on the Wright Memorial site, see post:

The Wright Memorial, Wright Brother's Hill, Wright-Patterson AFB

For historical information on Huffman Prairie, see post: