A nicely designed and maintained National Park honoring the first flights that took place at this location in 1903.
Located in the coastal city of Kill Devil Hills North Carolina is the Wright Brothers National Memorial that commemorates the historic first flights that took place at this location on December 17th, 1903. It is a large and well designed park with wonderful facilities, resources, and rangers to support your visit. Even if already familiar with the story of the Wright Brothers, and most people are, this national park is still worth a visit and should be near the top on your lists of things to see in this area.
The Wright Brothers National Memorial is located at 1000 North Croatan Highway in Kill Devil Hills North Carolina. It is conveniently just off highway 12 a few miles south of highway 158 or a few miles north of highway 64. A pass is required to enter the memorial and these are purchased as you enter the facility. At the time of this episode in mid 2016, the fee for adults aged 16 and older was $7 per person. Children 15 and younger are free. They also accept various national park and federal recreational land passes.
You could also fly into the memorial for a truly unique pilgrimage to the birthplace of aviation via the onsite First Flight Airport that puts you within walking distance of the memorial. However you arrive at the Wright Brothers National Memorial you will find plenty of parking, restroom facilities, picnic tables, and exhibits to support your visit.
There is a lot to see at the Wright Brothers Memorial and you should allocate plenty of time to see it all. You can start at the visitor center which is home to a wonderful museum that features models and life-size replicas of the 1903 flyer and the 1902 glider that was used by the Wright Brothers. The museum also has a number of the actual tools used by the Wright brothers, a portion of the engine used in the first flight, and reproductions of other items and tools used during their experiments that ultimately led to the wonder of flight. There is also a gift store present in the visitors center.
From the visitors center it is walking distance to the field where the actual first flights took place. Along with replicas of the hanger and living quarters that were used by the Wright Brothers, you can view and walk along the actual routes used on the four flights that took place on December 17th 1903. Small monuments and well placed signs make is easy to understand and visualize everything that took place on that historical date.
From the visitors center area you can either walk or drive to the massive memorial tower atop Kill Devil Hill. The road circles the tower and has a number of parking areas to easily reach the tower via numerous paved pathways leading to the summit. The road also provides easy access to the full size sculpture that was donated to the park by the state of North Carolina in 2003 during the centennial of flight celebrations.
The memorial tower is a 60ft tall granite monument that was dedicated in 1932 commemorating the achievement of the Wright Brothers. It is a beautiful site that provides stunning views of the park as well as the entire area. It is definitely worth the walk and is a perfect spot to just sit back, relax on one of the stone benches, and take in the history and significance that this spot has played in all of our lives.
The Wright Brothers National Memorial is a great spot to visit and one we are certain you will want to see.