Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park was established to preserve the heritage of the Wright brothers, aviation, and Paul Laurence Dunbar through the creation and development of partnerships. As a partnership park, each of the five management partners has a significant responsibility for the management and operation of the four units that comprise the park.
Carillon Historical Park
Carillon Historical Park's mission is to celebrate and preserve the history of the Miami Valley and illustrate how it leads to the future. The Park is a 65-acre outdoor museum with 23 exhibit buildings, and is the site of the 57-bell Deeds Carillon, Ohio's largest. The highlight of the collections is the 1905 Wright Flyer III, the world's first practical airplane, and a National Historic Landmark. The airplane and John W. Berry, Sr. Wright Brothers Aviation Center are units of Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.
Ohio Historical Society
The Ohio Historical Society is a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1885 "…to promote a knowledge of archaeology and history, especially in Ohio." The society exists to interpret, preserve, collect, and make available evidence of the past, and to provide leadership on furthering knowledge, understanding, and appreciation of the prehistory and history of Ohio and of the broader cultural and natural environments of which Ohio is a part. One of the sites operated by the Ohio Historical Society is the Paul Laurence Dunbar State Memorial, a unit of Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.
Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, located 8 miles northeast of Dayton, is the headquarters for vast, worldwide logistics systems and is the foremost research and development center in the Air Force. Its primary mission today is to develop, acquire, and sustain the world's best aerospace systems. Huffman Prairie Flying Field, a unit of Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, is located within the heart of the base, adjacent to the active runways. The Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center and the Wright Memorial are also located on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Aviation Trail, Inc.
Aviation Trail, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation formed in 1981 to preserve and promote the Dayton/Miami Valley area's unique aviation heritage and to stimulate the economic development by encouraging tourism. The Aviation Trail is a self-guided tour highlighting over 45 sites in the region related to aviation history. The Aviation Trail Visitor Center and Museum is located adjacent to the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center.
Dayton
Aviation Heritage Foundation, Inc The Dayton Aviation Heritage Commission came
to an end on 31 December 2003 in accordance with the
federal legislation that created the Commission in 1992.
As part of the legislation, the Commission was mandated
with creating a permanent follow-on organization (Aviation
Heritage Foundation, Inc) to preserve and promote the
legacy of the Wright brothers, and the work of Paul
Laurence Dunbar. The Foundation is a private, not for
profit corporation that seeks to make Dayton and the
surrounding region, the global center of aviation heritage
activities based on the historical, cultural and scientific
resources associated with Ohio, as the Birthplace of
Aviation and to promote the invention and development
of powered flight by Orville and Wilbur Wright, along
with the literary and cultural contributions of Paul
Laurence Dunbar.
On April 13, 1926, Orville and Katharine Wright are present
at the gound-breaking ceremonies for Wright Air Field in Dayton.
Frederick B. Patterson, president of the National Cash Register
Company pulls the lever to begin excavation.
