Dayton,OH Sightseeing
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force
A “MUST SEE!” in Dayton, the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is the world’s largest and
oldest military aviation museum and Ohio’s most visited FREE tourist attraction with nearly 1.3 million
annual visitors. This world-renowned museum features more than 360 aerospace vehicles and
missiles and thousands of artifacts amid more than 17 acres of indoor exhibit space. Exhibits are
arranged chronologically so it’s easy to visit the areas that interest you most. Examine a Wright
Brothers plane, sit in a jet cockpit, walk through a NASA shuttle crew compartment trainer, or stand in
awe of the world’s only permanent public display of a B-2 stealth bomber.
Feeling adventurous? Check out the Morphis Movie Simulator Ride, a computer controlled simulator
for the entire family. Capable of accommodating 12 passengers, the capsule rotates and gyrates on
hydraulic lifts, giving the passengers the sensation of actually flying along. Dramamine may be
required.
Or, take in one of the multiple daily movies at the Air Force Museum Theatre’s new state-of-the-art
D3D Cinema showing a wide range of films on a massive 80 foot by 60 foot screen.
Satisfy your hunger at the Museum’s cafeteria (where you can even try out freeze-dried ‘astronaut ice
cream!’), or shop for one-of-a-kind aviation gifts in the Museum’s impressive gift shop.
And, just when you didn’t think it couldn’t happen, the best is getting even better!
In 2016 a new fourth hangar will open. The 224,000 square foot, climate-controlled fourth building
will allow dedicated gallery space to present the Air Force's past, present and future in space and the
opportunity to consolidate the presidential and research and development aircraft, currently located
on the controlled-access portion of Wright-Patterson AFB, to the museum's main campus. In addition,
the building will house aircraft such as the C-141C Hanoi Taxi and the C-130E, which are currently
outdoors, as part of the Global Reach Gallery.
www.nationalmuseum.af.mil.
Dayton Aviation Heritage National
Historical Park
Dayton is the proud home of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park a “must-visit”
attraction in Dayton.
Throughout the sites of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, you'll find an evolving
story of two ingenious Dayton brothers---Wilbur and Orville Wright, inventors of manned powered
flight-- and one America's greatest African-American poets, their childhood friend Paul Laurence
Dunbar. But the stories don't begin and end with just these three amazing Dayton men. Their stories
coalesce around the many people who supported and loved them and the places where the magic of
these brilliant minds were showcased.
The Park consists of multiple sites.
The Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center includes an information area, bookstore, theater, exhibit
gallery and bicycle shop. The center’s exhibits focus on the Wright brothers’ early printing and bicycle
businesses, their family history, and their association with schoolmate, poet and author, Paul
Laurence Dunbar. At the turn of the century, the neighborhood now known as the Wright-Dunbar
Village was a vibrant community. This is the neighborhood in which the Wright brothers lived and
worked. This is the neighborhood in which they started their printing business, entered into the bicycle
business and became involved with the mystery of flight. FREE
The Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center
Exhibits here focus on the Wright brothers' development of the world's first practical airplane at
Huffman Prairie in 1904 and 1905, their flying school starting in 1910, and the development and
accomplishments of Dayton’s Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Explore the exhibits, small gift shop,
theater or try your hand at the flight simulator. From the Interpretive Center you can drive down to the
actual Huffman Prairie Flying Field and stand on the sacred ground where “the Wrights really learned
to fly!” The flying field is a National Historic Landmark. FREE
Paul Laurence Dunbar House Historic Site
Paul Laurence Dunbar was the nation’s first recognized African-American poet and author, a
classmate of Orville Wright’s and friend of the Wrights. Paul Laurence Dunbar lived in this house in
west Dayton with his mother, Matilda Dunbar, from 1904 until his death in 1906. The home includes
many of his original furnishings, such as his original Remington typewriter and a bicycle given to him
by the Wright brothers. This is the first house museum commemorating an African American and is a
National Historic Landmark. Free public tours of the house and attached museum including a movie
and artifacts are led by interpretive guides. FREE
John W. Berry, Sr. Wright Brothers Aviation Center at Carillon Historical Park and the
original 1905 Wright Flyer III — the only plane to earn the title of National Historic Landmark
The world's first practical airplane, built by the Wright brothers in 1905 and flown at Huffman Prairie
Flying Field, is the centerpiece of the Wright Brothers Aviation Center at Dayton History's Carillon
Historical Park. Orville Wright designed and oversaw the exhibit installation. The Center also
includes a replica Wright Brothers bicycle shop, an original Wright brothers’ Van Cleve bicycle, the
wind tunnel and tools the brothers built and utilized to research and invent successful manned flight,
as well as an object theater, and various displays including the actual camera that took the iconic
photograph capturing the first successful flight over Kitty Hawk. Visitors will marvel and tours provided
by the enthusiastic docents. $
Hawthorn Hill
In 1914, Orville Wright, Katharine Wright, Milton Wright, and servants Charles and Carrie Kayler
Grumbach moved into this large Georgian revival style mansion in Oakwood the first suburb south of
Dayton. Unfortunately, Wilbur Wright passed away from Typhoid Fever prior to the completion of the
mansion. Orville lived at Hawthorn Hill until his death in 1948. Tours to Hawthorn Hill depart from
Carillon Historical Park.
Historic WACO Airfield
The WACO Aircraft Company was the largest manufacturer of civil aircraft in the country in the late 1920's and early 30's
and this museum is dedicated to the plant and the employees that made it great.
Historic WACO Field (1WF)
With the help of the WACO Historical Society (founded in 1978) members and many generous donors and supporters,
Historic WACO Field opened in 1997. The field consists of a 77 acre site and features a 2200 foot runway (2000 feet
usable) south of Troy, Ohio. Historic WACO Field is maintained by WACO volunteers and is constantly receiving
upgrades and improvements, but we are always in need of additional volunteers to assist in the upkeep of the site.
In 1997, the first building to be erected on WACO Field was an historic 1856 barn relocated to the premises in a traditional
barn raising. It was restored thanks to a generous grant provided by the Troy Foundation. Over 300 volunteers from all
over the United States helped rebuild the barn. The barn has received its occupancy permit and has been incorporated
into the active museum buildings.
The second building project on WACO Field was the 7500 sq ft hangar which became home to the WACO Aircraft
Museum, Research Library, Classroom/Conference Room, Gift Shop and Museum Offices. The next addition was a new
Museum Hangar, built by Bruns construction and completed in September 2009 through a generous grant from the Ohio
Cultural Facilities Foundation. This new building is home to vintage WACO aircraft, displays and the history of the WACO
Aircraft Company. A Quonset hut and picnic shelter were added in 2012.
Historic WACO Field also has a radio-controlled aircraft flying field located on site which is home to the WACO
Barnstormers RC Club. We have a separate runway and shelter in place specifically designed to accommodate RC
Aircraft.
WACO Aviation Learning Center
The WACO Historical Society, in addition to preserving aviation's past, is also dedicated and actively works to nurture
aviation's future through its Learning Center programs. The WACO Learning Center conducts programs with schools,
Scout Troops and Civil Air Patrol posts here at the Field and at other local airports.
The Education Director has developed an outreach program designed to foster science, technology, engineering and
math in schools. Our programs demonstrate the principles of flight and engage participants in making and flying hot air
balloons, kites, radio controlled model airplanes, paper rockets, boomerangs and Estes rockets. Many campers have
been able to attend our summer camps through scholarships generously donated by Friends of WACO. Your generous
donation to our scholarship program helps us continue to provide this great learning experience to young campers
throughout the Miami Valley.