The Wright Brothers National Memorial Park is one of the grandboys favorite places to visit. I don’t think it is because this is the birth place of global flight. I suspect that is so because most of it is outdoors with plenty of space to run.
Wear comfortable clothing and walking shoes. Bring lots of water!
*Clicking on a photo will give you a closer look!
Wilbur and Orville Wright tested their flight theories in Dayton, Ohio.
Why did the Wright Brothers choose Kill Devil Hills in Kitty Hawk, Outer Banks of North Carolina?
“We came down here for wind and sand, and we have got them.” – Orville Wright to his sister, 1900
They also sought privacy here.
These boulders are the markers of the take-off and landing spots of the first four successful and sustained powered flights.
We pass by the camp on our way out to the markers.
Built on the location where Wilbur and Orville lived while experimenting in the Outer Banks, the reconstructed hangar and living quarters offer a glimpse of what camp life was like for the Wrights in 1903.
The replica monorail is the launch point.
The boulders are terminating points.
Now that we’ve walked all of the way out to the last flight marker, we are going to make that walk up Big Kill Devil Hill to the monument.
See it? Way yonder, beyond the camp? Aren’t you glad that you wore walking shoes and brought water!
Big Kill Devil Hill was a massive sand dune where the Wright Brothers conducted many flight experiments.
Can you imagine trudging uphill through deep, soft sand carrying your heavy glider?
This 60′ granite monument, dedicated in 1932, commemorates the Wright Brothers and their world changing achievements.
The view from the monument at the top of Big Kill Devil Hill.
Yes, you walked all of that.
Yes, you have to walk back.
But before you do, walk that path at the back of the monument.
It leads you to several sculptures.
Pictured below is Johnny Moore, a sixteen year old Outer Banks hunting and fishing guide; Adam Etheridge, a member of the US Life Saving Service at Kill Devil Hills, who cared for the camp buildings, and W. C. Brinkley, a lumberman from Manteo who happened to be at the Life Saving Service station when the Wright Brothers signaled for assistance with the Flyer.
Willis Dough, also a member of the US Life Saving Service at Kill Devil Hills, witnessed and assisted the Wright Brothers in 1908, their last time together.
John T. Daniels took the famous photo of the brothers first flight. He was a member of the US Life Saving Service at Kill Devil Hills, too.
If you are interested in aviation history, this is definitely a must-see stop for your bucket list!
See the world around you!
LC's Cottage 
Hi Laura! How cool. I never knew they had a museum for the Wright brothers – I guess I never thought about it. Just thinking about trying to fly in that plane and how far aviation has come is amazing. I’m enjoying the heck out of your trip! {{Hugs}} ~smile~ Roseanne
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Thanks Roseanne. It is nice to know that what I have seen on this road trip is of interest to others! I know I learned a lot! 🙂
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Ah, so you made it to OBX! A few years ago, pre-Pandemic, hubby and I drove OBX on the off-season (it was crowded even then!). Didn’t tour the Wright Brothers extensively, but hiked around the area a lot. BTW: our favorite thing to do was drive the bridges – felt very weird being level with the bay/ocean! And my favorite area was Pea Island – did you guys per chance spend any time there, too?
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I was in OBX last October…went on a retreat with my daughter and had a blast. Hurricane Ian was hitting the coast, so there was some wind, rain and flooding. I had a great time! I visited Pea Island then…too late for bird watching, most had moved on…but still enjoyed it (the turtles were still there, and not many bugs to be had). We stayed at a wonderful house in Avon and I was on the beach every day. We also drove to the lighthouses and explored other places. Except for a wonderful bakery, it was an uncrowded visit. 🙂
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Last time I was there the only thing in the park was the monument on top of the hill–obviously I need to visit again!
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Bring your walking shoes! 🙂
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You actually don’t have to walk all that way. 😉 There are places to park much closer to the monuments. There are spaces at the bottom of the hill and right next to the statues where you can park after visiting the museum.
Great pictures! It was a wonderful visit!
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Well…I do suppose it all depends upon where you parked originally, and if you moved the car, or walked to the distant monuments. In my case, the exercise was great for me! Thank you for taking us to the park! 🙂
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