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.
