“Come see the site of the Wright Brother's first flight”
Wind, sand, and a dream of flight brought Wilbur and Orville Wright to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina where, after four years of scientific experimentation, they achieved the first successful airplane flights on December 17, 1903. With courage and perseverance, these self-taught engineers relied on teamwork and application of the scientific process. What they achieved changed our world forever. Site of the world's first controlled powered flight on December 17, 1903. The Visitor Center features full-scale reproductions of the Wright 1903 Powered Flyer and interpretive presentations. A pavilion boasts an exhibit hall with special exhibits, including a replica of the 1902 Wright Glider and a multipurpose auditorium. The grounds include historical markers of each attempted powered flight, replica camp buildings and a 60-foot granite monument on top of Big Kill Devil Hill (a 90-foot dune) honoring the Wright brothers.
Wonderful memorial. Interesting, beautiful, and insightful. Worth the trip and the experience. Gorgeous setting.
Hailing from California, we have some amazing National Parks, but we’re severely lacking in the National Memorial category. That made it all the more awesome to get our hands on some American history at the Wright Brothers Memorial. Splendid and serene is a good way to describe this place. Big, expansive spaces crowned by a hill showcasing a beautiful art deco sculpture. There’s also a quaint (albeit dated) museum with a replica of the Wright Flyer, their huts on the sand, and some great artifacts from the Wrights’ workshop. Nearby, markers show how far the Wrights flew during their time on the Outer Banks.
A few key things when you visit. The price is a little steep, but it’s a National Memorial—get over it. It’s really windy there, so bring a kite. There’s a cool bronze statute of the Wrights’ flight on the back side of the hill, so don’t forget to check that out. And it is totally worth hiking to the top of the hill. The views are really great from up there and the sculpture/monument is something to behold, especially if you’re into art deco.
I didn't know what to expect, but totally worth visiting. Was very interesting learning about what drove them to go for a dream.
Great stop! Plan at least an hour to make your way through the exhibits and walk the outdoor sites. The museum is really great for all ages. * Hint* you can park close to the VC (exhibits and outdoor markers) and then drive closer to the monument if you aren’t up for the walk.
Just amazing to think of the history here. NPS does a fantastic job at educating and sharing the knowledge. Staff and volunteers super friendly and informative.
Besides being a historic location, the displays are very interesting and educational. There is an admission fee ($10 / person; but the staff actually gave us a Senior Pass for reduced rate without us even requesting it), but we were not disappointed.
Very interesting and got a great picture with grandson. Got there late so just a drive through picture opportunity. For us that is all we wanted.
It is worth the drive to Outer Banks of North Carolina. Once you pay the entrance fee of $10 each person, the exhibits and tour is free. It was very informative and I have a new appreciation for the efforts and contribution to aviation history by Orville and Wilbur Wright. There is a small gift shop.
This is a pretty cool spot to visit, regardless of whether you're an aviation nerd or just want to check out some history. There are detailed models of their work at the visitor center. They also have a re-creation of the brothers trying their experiment from the actual spot where they launched. The monument at the top of the hill has a heck of a view too. And like any other national park/monument, military gets in free, so big plus there :)
This was an amazing historical monument to view. Open and very informative. Active military get in free.
Excellent
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Wright Brothers National Memorial
Hours
- Sun - Sat: 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
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