Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park
Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park was established to honor the lives and achievements of poet and author Paul Laurence Dunbar and aviation pioneers Wilbur and Orville Wright. Through perseverance and dedication Orville, Wilbur and Paul were able to overcome obstacles in their lives and leave their respective marks on history. Start your visit at one of our locations today.
About 1 hours from Cincinnati and 1.5 hours from Columbus by car.
Fees & passes
Free. No entrance fee here.
There is no entrance fee to visit National Park Service managed portions of Dayton Aviation National Historical Park. However, some of our area partners charge fees for visiting.
Hours
| Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center | Varies by day ▾
|
| Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center | Varies by day ▾
|
| Paul Laurence Dunbar House Hours | Varies by day ▾
|
Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center, Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow |
|
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day | Closed |
Paul Laurence Dunbar House Hours: hours by date. Standard hours apply on every date not listed.
| Dates | Hours |
|---|---|
| Standard hoursNow |
|
| Nov 26, 2026Thanksgiving Day Closure | Closed |
| Dec 25, 2026Christmas Day Closure | Closed |
| Jan 1, 2027New Year's Day Closure | Closed |
When to go
December draws the most visits here and January the fewest, averaged over 2021 to 2025.
Visitor centers
- Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center ↗Passport stamp
The Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center is located just west of downtown Dayton on South Williams Street, directly south of Third Street. Interpretive displays, interactive exhibits and the park introductory film are all available at the WDIC.
- Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center ↗Passport stamp
Located on an active U.S. Air Force base (Wright Patterson AFB), the Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center provides visitors with a closer look at the aviation side of the Wright Brothers story.
- Paul Laurence Dunbar House Visitor CenterPassport stamp
Visitor center and museum focusing on the life and achievements of internationally acclaimed poet and author Paul Laurence Dunbar.
No campgrounds, no webcams or events in Park Service data. What is here comes from the official page. The rest lives there.
Checked nightly. Modules appear as soon as the Park Service publishes the data.
Explore
Things to do
- Tour the Wright Cycle Shop20-45 Minutes
The 4th bike shop that the Wright Brothers operated is a fixture of Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. Come see the bike shop where the Wrights fixed bicycles and refined their mechanical ingenuity to develop the world's first…
Opens on the Park Service site - Ranger Guided Tours of Dayton's National Park30-60 Minutes
The park offers ranger guided tours during the summer months, typically from Memorial Day through Labor Day, at one or both of the visitor centers.
Opens on the Park Service site - Exploring Huffman Prairie Flying Field10-60 Minutes
Visit the site where aviation history was born, Huffman Prairie Flying Field. Visitors can explore the area and view a replica hangar that is similar to the one which the Wrights used to house their airplanes.
Opens on the Park Service site
Films
National Park Service productions, public domain.
News
- Free Sept. 17 event combines flood protection, aviation history, ancient geology and recreation ↗2026-09-04
The Miami Conservancy District and the National Park Service present a special tour of Huffman Dam with a Wright "B" Flyover.
Map
Interactive map by the National Park Service
Historic landmarks nearby
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Ohio guidebooks
We earn a small commission if you buy through these links. It does not change what we list.
Titles come from Open Library's catalog, matched by subject.
Reference
Weather & climate
The park lies in a humid continental zone with a generally temperate climate. Winters are mildly cold with average temperatures around 39 degrees (F). Summers are hot and humid with an average temperature around 74 degrees (F). Average annual total rainfall is just above 41". Snowfall in the winter is generally light with an average total snowfall of about 25".
Questions people ask
Does Dayton Aviation Heritage charge an entrance fee?
No. Dayton Aviation Heritage is free to enter.
Source: National Park Service
What are the hours at Dayton Aviation Heritage?
Standard hours are 9:00AM - 4:00PM on Sunday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and it is closed on Monday and Tuesday. Dated exceptions are listed under Hours.
Source: National Park Service
How busy is Dayton Aviation Heritage?
79,760 recreation visits in 2025, number 233 of 387 units that report visitation.
Source: Most visited parks
Is there cell service at Dayton Aviation Heritage?
At the park's reference point, FCC coverage maps show Verizon 5G, AT&T 5G, and T-Mobile 5G. Coverage inside the park varies by location.
Source: FCC Broadband Map
When was Dayton Aviation Heritage established?
1992.
Source: Wikipedia
What is the weather like at Dayton Aviation Heritage?
The park lies in a humid continental zone with a generally temperate climate. Winters are mildly cold with average temperatures around 39 degrees (F).
Source: Weather & climate
Follow this park
- Alerts feed (RSS)
- Every active Park Service alert for this unit, one item each, rebuilt with the nightly data refresh.
- Add dates to your calendar (.ics file)
- Fee-free entrance days that apply here and each published hours exception, as all-day events.
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