Wright Brothers National Memorial

Wind is an everyday occurrence on the Outer Banks, and can range from gentle southwest breezes to strong northeast storm winds. Local weather changes rapidly and can be very unpredictable. Summer days are usually warm and humid, and are often broken by fast-moving but severe thunderstorms. Winter temperatures are usually cool, though the wind can make them bitterly cold. Spring and Fall days can vary a great deal between these two extremes. Mosquitoes can be a significant problem throughout the warm weather months. Clothing should be seasonal, but have extra gear available for wind and rain.

$4.00 (16 years & older)

Visit the Wright Brothers Visitor Center, where the Wright brothers’ story is told through exhibits. A full-scale reproductions of the 1902 glider and the 1903 flying machine is on display. Additional exhibits, movies and educational programs are available in the Centennial Pavilion.

Climb Big Kill Devil Hill for a breath taking view of the area from sound to sea. Atop the Hill, stands the 60ft. Pylon - the site the Wilbur and Orville used for their glider experiments.

Stand on the same spot where the brothers made their first flights. A large granite boulder marks the spot where the first plane left the ground.

Visit the park via plane and land at the 3,000 ft. First Flight Airstrip. Spend a day visiting the place where flight started.

Cape Hatteras National Seashore begins roughly 10 miles south of the memorial. Stretching southward for 70 miles these narrow, sandy islands provide a wide variety of recreational opportunities.

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site located on Roanoke Island about 17 miles southwest of the Memorial may be reached via US 64-264. This is the site of England's unsuccessful first attempt to colonize the North American continent. Sir Walter Raleigh's settlement disappeared shortly after its establishment and is know as the Lost Colony.

The Visitors Center includes:

• Exhibits on the Wright brothers’ background and the development of their gliders as well as the 1903 Flyer
• The crankcase of the original 1903 Flyer
• A flyable 2003 replica of the 1903 Flyer
• The Wright Brothers Bookstore operated by Eastern National.
• The Paul E. Garber First Flight Shrine - established in 1966 by the First Flight Society, the shrine honors individuals and groups that have achieved significant firsts in the development of aviation.

The Centennial Pavilion

Built in 2003, the pavilion exhibit hall houses exhibits dealing with the Outer Banks at the turn-of-the-century, the evolution of aviation, the challenges of flight and the development of the 2003 replica, and NASA-sponsored space exhibits as well as a Gift Shop. Children's programs, special events and films are presented in the multi- purpose auditorium.

Living Quarters and Hangar

A two minute stroll from the visitor center and reconstructed at the original locations, the living quarters is furnished with items similar to those that the Wrights used from 1900 to 1903. The hangar replicates the building where the Wrights stored their 1903 Flyer.

Flight Line

Located just west of the reconstructed camp buildings, a large granite boulder commemorates the take-off point for the first successful powered, controlled-flights by the Wright brothers. Four smaller stone markers chart the path of the flights.