The Wright Cycle Company Complex
The Wright Cycle Company Complex
4.5
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
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- jeff77664Downingtown, Pennsylvania570 contributionsUnique Place to See History StuffWorth a visit if in area. The main museum has 2 floors. There is a 30 minute movie to see around the Wright brothers. 2nd floor has parachute museum. You can go into a first floor bicycle shop next door if a ranger is in the building. Spent about 50 minutes here including watching the movie.Visited May 2023Written July 3, 2023
- Michael AIncline Village, Nevada389 contributionsA well preserved historical siteThis is not the place where the brothers built their airplanes,but it is the site of their commercial bicycle shop which gave them the springboard to build the airplanes. The rangers were nice and the tour of the shop held hourly in the middle of the day was quite good. The exhibits inside the adjacent building were well done and very informative.Visited July 2023Written August 1, 2023
- ms julieDobson, North Carolina87 contributionsTinkeringKnew the half story of the beach first in flight but this park explains the brothers growing up and how they got to the beach. The day to day tinkering and testing for years. The print shop and the bicycle shop and the family. Bonus parachute Museum.Visited September 2023Traveled as a coupleWritten September 19, 2023
These reviews are the subjective opinion of Tripadvisor members and not of TripAdvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews.
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Tia B
Morgantown, WV309 contributions
Oct 2022
This complex features the Wright Brothers museum, their Bicylce shop and a section of the museum dedicated to Paul Dunbar an African American poet who was also from Dayton. There is a couple parking lots , mural across the street , food options and shoping nearby. Great place to visit if you like history!
Written October 15, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Michael A
Incline Village, NV389 contributions
Jul 2023
This is not the place where the brothers built their airplanes,but it is the site of their commercial bicycle shop which gave them the springboard to build the airplanes.
The rangers were nice and the tour of the shop held hourly in the middle of the day was quite good. The exhibits inside the adjacent building were well done and very informative.
The rangers were nice and the tour of the shop held hourly in the middle of the day was quite good. The exhibits inside the adjacent building were well done and very informative.
Written August 2, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Brad
Winchester, KY501 contributions
Jun 2021
If you're near the Dayton area, this is a must-see. Tour the former bike shop of the Wright brothers and see where they designed and built the first aircraft. Bonus points, you can walk only a few hundred yards away and see the site of their former house (the actual building was bought by Henry Ford and hauled off to Michigan). The original floorplan is still laid out though, so you can stand in the place of their living room, where the brothers set around a table and dreamed up mankind's first steps off of the Earth.
Written June 23, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kelly Cathcart
Valparaiso, IN1,232 contributions
Apr 2022
We thought you could go inside, you can't. You can go into the interpretation center and learn some Wright Brothers history. The displays are nice and informative. You can grab up a aviation trail map and don't miss out on earning a bear.
Written April 24, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ms julie
Dobson, NC87 contributions
Sep 2023 • Couples
Knew the half story of the beach first in flight but this park explains the brothers growing up and how they got to the beach. The day to day tinkering and testing for years. The print shop and the bicycle shop and the family. Bonus parachute Museum.
Written September 19, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AMoneySavingMindset
Cincinnati, OH44 contributions
Aug 2015 • Family
The Wright Cycle Company was the main reason we went to Dayton. I was kind of disappointed. It's neat to see and only takes 15-20 minutes to check out.
I had thought this was where their airplane was first made, but it is not. That was in the next building they moved to on Third Street, which was sold to Henry Ford and moved to his Greenfield Village (Michigan).
Per the ranger, the Wright Bros. were conceptualizing the idea of flying while they were operating in this building.
It's a neat piece of history, but I enjoyed the next door Interpretative Center better and the best place to visit in Dayton is the Carillon Historical Park (where they have a replica Wright Cycle Co bldg. and the ACTUAL Wright Flyer III).
I had thought this was where their airplane was first made, but it is not. That was in the next building they moved to on Third Street, which was sold to Henry Ford and moved to his Greenfield Village (Michigan).
Per the ranger, the Wright Bros. were conceptualizing the idea of flying while they were operating in this building.
It's a neat piece of history, but I enjoyed the next door Interpretative Center better and the best place to visit in Dayton is the Carillon Historical Park (where they have a replica Wright Cycle Co bldg. and the ACTUAL Wright Flyer III).
Written August 3, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
jrbeebe
Dayton, OH32 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
What a surprise! This has been on my list of things to see for 5 years. Imagine my surprise when I am introduced to a modern, organized, 3-story building on South Williams Street which features the life and times of the Wright brothers (including their 3rd bike shop/aircraft invention workshop). The Paul Lawrence Dunbar displays were moving; I didn't realize he only lived 33 years. Wonderful poetry. The biggest takeaway, though, was the dramatic social and political effects of popularizing the bicycle! It could very well have led to the 19th Amendment 10 years later. The guides were well-informed and very friendly.
Written July 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Beatlemaniacs
Olney, MD71 contributions
Jul 2015 • Family
We'd visited the Wright Bros. flight memorial at Kitty Hawk, but now we know the full story, thanks to this museum.
I feel like their hometown Dayton is truly the birthplace of aviation.
The National Park personnel were excellent, well informed and professional.
The museum is top class, and well worth the time. The film tells the WHOLE story.
The Wright Brothers are true American heroes.
Plan on spending enough time to learn about another Dayton hero, the talented Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Dayton, Ohio is an underrated national treasure.
I feel like their hometown Dayton is truly the birthplace of aviation.
The National Park personnel were excellent, well informed and professional.
The museum is top class, and well worth the time. The film tells the WHOLE story.
The Wright Brothers are true American heroes.
Plan on spending enough time to learn about another Dayton hero, the talented Paul Laurence Dunbar.
Dayton, Ohio is an underrated national treasure.
Written July 1, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
hjk1962
De Soto, MO484 contributions
Apr 2015 • Family
I took my 2 boys here while my wife was at a convention. We had studied the Wright Brothers prior to coming as part of their schooling, so it was really fun to bring that history to life. The Bicycle shop has been restored and was really nice and interesting. The museum was very nice and the boys both got their Jr Ranger badges. The ranger was very patient, and went out of his way to accommodate us and to engage the boys with his passion about the Wright Brothers and their accomplishments. We had a great time and highly recommend this historical site.
Written April 13, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Tedf
Canberra, Australia35 contributions
Oct 2012 • Solo
While most aviation avicionados would know that the Wright Brothers were bicycle makers by trade, many other people wouldn't. The Wright Cycle Company Complex serves to educate the public as to the Wright's many talents, as well as telling the tale of the pioneering days of powered, controlled flight.
Being able to walk through their original cycle shop is quite absorbing, while the nearby interpretive centre goes into more detail as to how they developed their early aircraft. As others have said, parking is available right out front, and it's a fun way to spend an hour or two.
Dayton itself is something of a patchwork of areas that have seen better days - the area where the cycle shop is located could be said to be in one of those areas - but it's still well-worth a look. If you're in Dayton to mainly check out the stupendous USAF Museum, I'd highly recommend a quick stop at the Wright Brothers Cycle Company - it'll certainly give you a tremendous perspective on the advances that've been made in a relatively short timeframe...
Being able to walk through their original cycle shop is quite absorbing, while the nearby interpretive centre goes into more detail as to how they developed their early aircraft. As others have said, parking is available right out front, and it's a fun way to spend an hour or two.
Dayton itself is something of a patchwork of areas that have seen better days - the area where the cycle shop is located could be said to be in one of those areas - but it's still well-worth a look. If you're in Dayton to mainly check out the stupendous USAF Museum, I'd highly recommend a quick stop at the Wright Brothers Cycle Company - it'll certainly give you a tremendous perspective on the advances that've been made in a relatively short timeframe...
Written September 26, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
christinajans
United States5 contributions
Is this site open on Good Friday?
lorenk672
McGregor, TX82 contributions
It is operated by the National Park Service. Normal hours are 9-5 M-F. Good Friday is not a national holiday so it is scheduled to be open.
christinajans
United States5 contributions
How long is the usual visit to this museum?
Teresa B
Union, OH297 contributions
The video is about 15 minutes, and it is EXCELLENT. You can do the remainder in less than an hour, or take a couple of hours if you are interested in the details. The Cyclery Shop is about 10-15 minutes, it is next door.
78traveler
NJ63 contributions
I’m a little confused- is this location and the carillon historic park connected or adjacent to one another? Some of the photos and exhibits looks similar. Can someone clarify for me. Thanks!
Teresa B
Union, OH297 contributions
Although some of the Wright buildings are in Michigan, the shop in Dayton is the actual one they had businesses in before the first flight. There are some of the actual machining tools there, also. It has original bikes. And Orville helped with the plane restoration, as I believe it was done after Wilbur died. Orville was the one with the mostache.
Eileen A
Lehigh Acres, FL5 contributions
Where is an RV park that would be convenient to this?
Dorvaljr1
Leesburg, FL122 contributions
Nearby motels ? Cost for Wright CoCplex ?
Skeney57
Sydney, Australia21,999 contributions
Mick,
Didn't stay near there but the Wright Cycle Co. is part of the Interpretive Centre and entry is free but donations to the NPS are kindly accepted ! Easy way to spend a great hour or so ! Enjoy,
Skeney.
GDJJJ
Stewartstown, PA3 contributions
Best places to stay while at the Air Force Museum. I am retired Air Force. Can I stay on the base?
Teresa B
Union, OH297 contributions
We stayed on base, at a facility for retired military. There is also the Hope Hotel just outside the base, that the base uses for its guests
cecustard
Franklin, PA146 contributions
Hi, planning to spend a couple days in Dayton,have seen the big a.f.b. how much time for this attraction? Also any others nearby.Thanks
connieohanlon
Oviedo, FL37 contributions
P.S. AFB opened a new hangar on June 8th. It has a shuttle trainer, the Valkyrie, & other planes
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Claim your listingThe Wright Cycle Company Complex - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)
Frequently Asked Questions about The Wright Cycle Company Complex
- The Wright Cycle Company Complex is open:
- Sun - Sat 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
- Hotels near The Wright Cycle Company Complex:
- (1.69 mi) Marriott at the University of Dayton
- (0.11 mi) Historic Cottage near Original Wright Brothers Site - 3BR - 2.5BA
- (9.45 mi) Hope Hotel and Richard C. Holbrooke Conference Center
- (1.44 mi) Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Dayton
- (6.15 mi) Drury Inn & Suites Dayton North
- Restaurants near The Wright Cycle Company Complex:
- (0.02 mi) West Social Tap & Table
- (1.50 mi) The Foundry
- (1.81 mi) Dewey's Pizza
- (1.39 mi) Thai Nine
- (1.40 mi) Salar Restaurant and Lounge