Airplane Inventors Orville and Wilbur Wright lived in Dayton and did many of their early flight experiments just outside town. The Wright Brothers’ experiment site at Huffman Prairie Flying Field is preserved as part of the Dayton Aviation Museum National Historical Park, which also includes interpretive centers about the Wrights, and prominent African-American writer Paul Laurence Dunbar.

This innovative museum that celebrates the peace movement is a converted three-storey Victorian mansion. Permanent exhibits explore the Golden Rule, Nobel Peace Prize Laureates, the United Nations, and the horrors of modern war. Special exhibits focus on humanistic subjects such as world hunger, environmental issues, nonviolent conflict resolution, and freedom from oppression.

Wonderful sounds and aromas typify the atmosphere of this block-long farmers market. It's a great place to find local fruits and vegetables, fresh flowers, and locally baked bread and pastries. On Saturday afternoons, local musicians play in the sunny court area. Merchants sell everything from local artisan wares to rare imported crafts and spices.

Continuing the theme, this museum showcases the history of US military aviation, including examples of nearly every significant model of US airplane ever to fly. Some of the historical aircraft on display include the Bockscar, which dropped the atomic bomb on Nagasaki in World War II, and the aircraft that served as Air Force One the day US President John F Kennedy was assassinated. You will need to bring US Government-issued ID or a passport to visit the presidential and experimental aircraft displays.

In the heart of downtown Dayton, RiverScape Park is both an oasis of tranquility and center of activity. In the summer months, rent a pedal boat or HydroBike for a ride down the Great Miami River. Take a bicycle or skates through more than 60 miles of recreational trails beginning here and crossing Montgomery County. Interpretive displays celebrate Dayton’s many famous inventors, scientists, and artists. It’s not just the Wright Brothers. Or if you’d just like to kick back and relax, the park’s beautiful landscaped gardens, hanging baskets, tropical plants, reflecting pools, and the 800-foot-wide Five Rivers Fountain of Lights provide a lush backdrop for the quieter moments.

First built in 1841 when the town of Dayton outgrew its original cemetery, this rural-garden cemetery now provides a unique cultural and botanical experience in the heart of the city. More than 3,000 trees and other native Midwestern woody plants dot the Arboretum’s 200 acres of rolling hills. Woodland’s Lookout Point is the highest point in the city providing breathtaking views. The Wright Brothers are buried here, and thousands flock to pay homage at their gravesites every year.