Wright Brothers National Memorial Tours

Wright Brothers National Memorial featuring a memorial
A true testament to the origins of aviation history, this monument is also a visually impressive and inspiring feature of the North Carolina landscape.

If you’ve read about the first plane taking off near Kitty Hawk, visit the Wright Brothers National Memorial where this epochal moment occurred. Stand in the trail of history and see where Orville and Wilbur Wright flew their first four test flights between 1900 and 1903. 

The Wright Brothers were two bicycle mechanics originally from Dayton, Ohio. In Dayton they completed the majority of their research and planning before relocating to Kill Devil Hills to set up camp. The rather flat plains, heavy winds and seclusion of this area made it an excellent place for their initial flights. Appreciate the perseverance and ingenuity that these two brothers displayed in inventing a marvel of human achievement, the airplane. 

Be sure to see the visitor center for the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Here learn about the lives of Orville and Wilbur Wright, their many groundbreaking experiments and the seminal four flights that changed the world. Take a walk along the exact flight path used by the Wright Brothers’ first test aircrafts. 

Tour the reconstructed 1903 buildings where the Wright Brothers camped during their stays. Visit the Wright Brothers Monument and take a picture under the giant monolith. Get a close look at an artistic brass rendering of the aircraft that made the historic flight on December 17, 1903. 

Entrance to the memorial requires a fee. To get here, drive 77 miles (120 kilometers) south from the city of Norfolk, Virginia or 144 miles (232 kilometers) east from Rocky Mount, North Carolina. Spend the night in the town of Kill Devil Hills or in any of the towns located along the coastline. 

The memorial is located on North Carolina’s Outer Banks coastline. Enjoy the scenic drive up the coast as you travel to the narrow stretch of land that leads to the Wright Brothers National Memorial. Treat yourself at the end of your day of sightseeing by looking out over a beautiful nearby harbor as the sun sets. 

Reviews of Wright Brothers National Memorial

4.6
Top Destination
5 - Excellent
221
" "5 - Excellent 64.43148688046647%
4 - Good
101
" "4 - Good 29.44606413994169%
3 - Okay
17
" "3 - Okay 4.956268221574344%
2 - Disappointing
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" "2 - Disappointing 0.8746355685131195%
1 - Terrible
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" "1 - Terrible 0.2915451895043732%

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler
Jan 27, 2020

Beautiful views

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler
Jan 24, 2020

It was great area with beautiful view

5/5 - Excellent

Verified traveler
Aug 10, 2019

There are no benches on the way up to the top of the hill.

2/5 - Disappointing

Verified traveler
Aug 6, 2019

We went to the outer banks 10 year ago, we love history so we stopped to the wright brothers memorial and everything went great, and was very pleased with the visit. You could take pictures of the plane with no problem.There was signs saying 'NO CLIMBING ON THE PLANE" However, this year, 2019, when we visited the outer banks, I wanted to take my son,6 years old, to see the replica of the first plane ever flown, because he likes history too. BUT you couldn't even see the plane for all the kids on it playing around. Nor could I get a good picture of my son with the plane. I'm sorry, but I didn't go there to see and get pictures of other peoples kids. History is not a jungle gym for kids to play on, and when my mother asked a staff member about the signs, He said "we encourage kids to play on it." UMMMM NOOOOO. History is not meant for this. You go to learn about it, not to let your kids run loose and destroy it. Because their are people out here that still respect history. HIGHLY DISAPPOINTED

3/5 - Okay

Verified traveler
Dec 31, 2018

Closed due to gov shutdown but accessible

5/5 - Excellent

John
Nov 2, 2018

Jeanettes Pier, Oregon Inlet, beach

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