Wright Brothers National Museum, Dayton (must see)

The John W. Berry, Sr. Wright Brothers National Museum boasts the largest collection of Wright artifacts globally, including the 1905 Wright Flyer III. This aircraft, the only one designated as a National Historic Landmark, was the first practical flying machine and what the Wright brothers considered their most significant creation.

Orville Wright's last major project, before his death on January 30, 1948, was preserving the 1905 Wright Flyer III for Carillon Historical Park. Although Orville passed away before Carillon Park opened in 1950, he contributed to the design of Wright Hall, the building where the 1905 Wright Flyer III is displayed.

Next to Wright Hall is Carillon Historical Park’s Wright bicycle shop, a replica of Wilbur and Orville’s fifth and final store at 1127 W. Third St. in West Dayton. In 1936, with Orville's approval, Henry Ford purchased the original building, and in 1938, it was relocated to Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Carillon Park’s bicycle shop replicates the appearance of the Wright brothers’ store from mid-October to mid-December 1901.