The story of how man learned to fly is one of the greatest ever told. It is not only an American story, but one that is shared by all humanity. The Wright brothers of Dayton, Ohio, changed the world forever when they took us from wheels to wings on that blustery December day in 1903 on the shores of Kill Devil Hills in North Carolina. Following Wilbur Wright’s flight demonstrations in Europe in 1908, the brothers quickly became the world’s first global celebrities.

Now, that story and good name form the essence of The Wright Brothers brand, which carries forward the brothers’ legacy. The effort is led by The Wright Brothers USA dedicated to things Wright, on behalf of The Wright Brothers Family Foundation, also based in Dayton, Ohio, the home of the Wright brothers and site of the invention of the first airplane.

The Wright Cycle Company
Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center
Aviation Trail Visitor Center and Museum
16 South Williams Street
Dayton, OH 45402 U.S.A.
937 225 7705

The fourth bicycle shop operated by the Wrights is the only building remaining as testament to the bicycle business. It is also in this shop in which the Wrights’ passive interest in flying turned to active research and development. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990.

Wilbur and Orville started their careers as printers and operated their second print shop, outside the home, here as Wright & Wright Job Printers. In this location, the Wrights edited and published newspapers for the West Side patrons. The Dayton Tattler, written by Paul Laurence Dunbar, was also printed at this location. Designated as part of the West Third Street National Register Historic District in 1988.

Gate 16A, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Dayton, OH 45433 U.S.A.
937 425 0008

On this 84-acre patch of rough pasture outside Dayton, the Wright brothers learned to control and maneuver their powered machine and taught themselves to fly during 1904 and 1905. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990. The Flying Field is located on an active military installation and subject to unannounced closure. Visitors are urged to call 937-425-0008 for field closures.

2380 Memorial Road, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Dayton, OH 45433 U.S.A.
937 425 0008

Exhibits 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 accomplishments of Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.

2380 Memorial Road, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base
Dayton, OH 45433 U.S.A.

Adjacent to the Interpretive Center, the Wright Memorial on Wright Brothers Hill is a 27-acre designed landscape honoring Dayton’s native sons. The monument, a 17-foot pink granite obelisk, was dedicated on August 19, 1940, Orville’s 69th birthday.

1000 Carillon Boulevard
Dayton, OH 45409 U.S.A.
937 293 2841; toll-free 877 BE HISTORY

The world’s first practical airplane, the 1905 Wright Flyer III, built by the Wright brothers and flown at Huffman Prairie, is the centerpiece exhibit. Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1990 and a Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark in 2003.

1000 Carillon Boulevard
Dayton, OH 45409 U.S.A.
937 293 2841; toll-free 877 BE HISTORY
(Tour starts at Carillon Historical Park.)

Due to an exciting partnership between Dayton History and The Wright Family Foundation, Hawthorn Hill, the Oakwood mansion that Orville Wright called home for nearly 35 years, is available for tours. This joint venture marks the first time that the structure is accessible on a regular basis for members of the general public.

The building itself has had a long and colorful history of hosting distinguished visitors. Charles A. Lindbergh, internationally acclaimed for his 1927 solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean, was invited to visit in June of that year on his return flight home to St. Louis. During his visit with Orville, throngs of people gathered on the lawns of the house, hoping for an impromptu view of this newest American hero. The unruly crowd dispersed only after Lindbergh and Orville appeared together on the front portico balcony for a few short minutes. President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and former Ohio Governor James Middleton Cox stopped at Hawthorn Hill to pick up Orville for a joint visit to Wright Field. More recent visitors include President Ronald Reagan and professional golfer Arnold Palmer.

Even after Orville’s death in 1948, the mansion continued to welcome individuals from across the country and around the world. When efforts to find an individual to purchase the home failed, the executors of Orville’s estate listed the property on the real estate market. The National Cash Register Company, at the direction of executives Colonel Edward Deeds and Stanley Allyn, decided to purchase the property on the very day that the ‘For Sale’ sign was placed in the yard. NCR not only meticulously cared for the home but also preserved many of its original furnishings during the nearly 60 years of service as a NCR corporate guest house. The company returned the property to the Wright family in 2006.

1000 Carillon Boulevard
Dayton, OH 45409 U.S.A.
937 293 2841; toll-free 877 BE HISTORY

Carillon Historical Park celebrates how Dayton, Ohio, changed the world. The Gem City is home to the airplane, the automobile self-starter, the cash register, the first internationally acclaimed African American poet, the National Football League’s inaugural game, and so much more. By the turn of the 20th century, Dayton had more patents, per capita, than any U.S. city, and one-sixth of the nation’s corporate executives had spent a portion of their career at legendary Dayton company National Cash Register (NCR).

Dayton’s extraordinary history has undoubtedly impacted billions of lives. With a hand-carved carousel, 4-D theatre, trains, slides, living history experiences, thousands of artifacts, extensive educational programming, and so much more, Carillon Historical Park brings Dayton’s past to life in a way that is fun for the whole family!

Mailing address:
PO Box 414, Wright Brothers Station
Dayton, OH 45409 U.S.A.
937 443 0165

Home of the Wright brothers…and the Birthplace of Aviation! In November 2004, Congress recognized the Dayton region as the National Aviation Heritage Area, in honor of the region’s leadership in our nation’s aviation history. The National Aviation Heritage Area provides visitors with an opportunity to experience several significant sites associated with aviation, all within a short distance from each other.
It began with the Wright brothers’ invention of the airplane in the back of their cycle shop on Dayton’s west side in 1903. They later perfected their flying machine on the testing grounds of Huffman Prairie Flying Field, just east of Dayton. Huffman is considered sacred ground by aviation aficionados the world over; meanwhile, the original 1905 Flyer, widely considered the world’s most significant airplane still in existence, is on display at Carillon Historical Park in Dayton.

142 South Main Street
Germantown, OH 45327-1330 U.S.A.
937 223 7500

VMA forms long-term relationships with product and service organizations that embrace the benefits of brand building. Their multi-disciplined approached maximizes the total brand experience utilizing strategic marketing, graphic design, digital design and industrial design core competencies resulting in integrated, effective design solutions. VMA provides design and marketing services to The Wright Brothers brand.

170 Varick Street
Suite 1002
New York, NY
10013
+ 212 777 6200

Greenlight is part of the Branded Entertainment Network, whose mission is to connect global brands to consumers through the power of popular entertainment. Greenlight is the media licensor of The Wright Brothers brand.

All images throughout the website are courtesy of:

AGI Studios (contemporary)
Library of Congress (historical);
National Archives and Records Administration (historical);
NCR Archives at Dayton History (historical);
Andy Snow (contemporary);
Werlegig Imaging (contemporary); and
Special Collections and Archives, Wright State University (historical).