Park admission is free on Saturday to see the two-year, $5 million visitor center renovation at the Wright Brothers National Memorial.
The visitor center at the Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kitty Hawk reopens Saturday, October 20, after two years of renovations. The park opens at 9 a.m. and a grand reopening ceremony with speeches by National Park Service leaders and a ribbon-cutting begins at 9:30.
Dare County 4th graders and their families will be the first allowed in to experience the visitor center’s brand-new, interactive exhibits. Orville and Wilbur Wright’s achievement of the first powered flight on December 17, 1903 is part of the 4th grade curriculum.
Additional visitors will also be allowed to enjoy the visitor center’s exhibits about aviation and historic preservation, and STEAM-based activities (science, technology, engineering, arts and math).
- See our page about the Wright Brothers National Memorial and what there is to see and do at the 26-acre site.
A reproduction of the 1903 Wright Flyer (below) that made history at the site will also be on exhibit in the new Flight Room, which also has a new 16-screen video wall.
Outside the visitor center, in addition to the grounds, monument and additional stationary exhibits, organizations like the Civil Air Patrol and Elizabeth City State University will present educational programs, interactive activities, and aircraft displays on the First Flight Airstrip tarmac. Each hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., a guided interpreted walk to the actual site of the Wright brothers’ first powered flights will be offered.
See a schedule of Saturday’s activities here.
According to The News & Observer, the site of the Wright brothers’ flight was initially set aside as a national monument in 1927, and the next year a granite marker (below) was placed at the approximate takeoff site. In 1932, a 60-foot-high pylon was erected atop Kill Devil Hill to commemorate the brothers and their achievement. The visitor center was added at the site in 1960.
Renovation of the 9,900-square-foot center cost between $5 million and $6 million, the newspaper says.
Usual admission to the Wright Brothers National Memorial is $10 for ages 16 and older and free for younger people.
Visit Our Sister Site
Carolina Music Festivals, a calendar and guide to music festivals in North Carolina.
Clayton NC Web Design