News Release

Dayton’s National Park Celebrates 30 Years in the Miami Valley

News Release Date: October 13, 2022

Contact: Ryan Qualls, 937-225-7705

Although the National Park Service (NPS) is over 100 years old, Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park commemorates its 30th anniversary this fall. On October 16, 1996, Congress passed legislation to create a national park site here in Dayton, Ohio, but how did it all begin? In the 1980s, a group of committed citizens in Dayton, Ohio, decided that the aviation history of their city was worth preserving and designation as a unit of the National Park Service was the best way to protect this history and bring economic benefit to Dayton. Their efforts were successful, and on October 16, 1992, Public Law 102-419 established Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. The goal was to create a partnership-driven park to tell the story of Dayton’s inventive genius.

Whether visitors explore the Paul Laurence Dunbar House to learn about the great poet and author or discover the print shop where Orville and Wilbur made the news before ever making the headlines, inspiration is just around the next corner. Visitors to the park step back in time, and leave with a better understanding of what Dayton means to the world. Over 1.5 million people have visited the park since it began keeping records in 1996! This would not be possible without the efforts of countless staff, volunteers, partners and public supporters that have given their time and energy over the years. This effort, just like the community that supported Orville, Wilbur and Paul to greatness, deserves to be remembered.

We are proud to announce today that a new administrative history of the park is available, in partnership with the Organization of American Historians and the National Park Service. Park Historian, Edward Roach, notes "the park is pleased to release the excellent work of Dr Susan Ferentinos, with the assistance of Dr Hannah Craddock Mossman, on the history of Dayton's national park. Over the course of several years, Dr Ferentinos undertook research in a variety of repositories and spoke with dozens of people connected with the creation of the park in the 1980s and 1990s, as well as individuals significant in its development as a national resource in commemorating the legacies of Wilbur and Orville Wright and Paul Laurence Dunbar. Dr Ferentinos' work will be an important resource for the greater park community as the site enters its second thirty years.” For more information on how to receive a digital copy of the administrative history, or to learn about commemorative events at the park this fall, please visit www.nps.gov/daav, or email us at [e-mail].