WRIGHT BROTHERS NATIONAL MEMORIAL

Kill Devil Hills, N.C.
NPS Website; Local Website

WHAT IS IT?
Site where Orville and Wilbur Wright commandeered the first mechanically powered flight on December 17, 1903.

BEAUTY (6/10)
The Wright Bros. NMEM is a wide swath of open space, a sharp contrast to the densely packed commercial and residential buildings of Bodie Island that surround it. So, hold onto your hats. The open space sustains the constant high winds that made the Outer Banks a desirable location to would-be flyers.

The Memorial land is defined by its lack of buildings rather than the monuments honoring the Wrights. The most notable item that takes up the negative space is an active airstrip, built in 1963. It must be a thrill to fly a plane where flight began. A second mock airstrip is utilized as a pedestrian walkway that leads from reconstructed Wright Bros. camp buildings for a ¼ mile up to the top of the now-stabilized Kill Devil Hill.

On top of the hill stands a bold 60-foot high gray granite Art Deco monument honoring the intrepid brothers. The monument’s face is emblazoned with only the flyers’ names, while its triangular sides suggest the Icarus story, the design a fusion of soaring wings and a shining sun. The monument has a desire to reach higher.

HISTORICAL INTEREST (6/10)
We are sorry, but we bought the argument sold at the Dayton Aviation Heritage NHP in Ohio. That Park’s hypothesis was that the Wright Bros. did all their work in Dayton, even the test flights. The famed “First Flight” at Kitty Hawk only lasted 12 seconds, could not be controlled and was, for the most part, an unsuccessful training ground because the winds did not cooperate. The Dayton Airfields were where the real First Flight occurred.
That said, in our collective historical imagination Kitty Hawk means Flight. The Wrights’ Outer Banks Memorial stands as a testament to mankind’s dreams.

CROWDS (6/10)
A visit to the Wright Bros. NMEM is an essential part of any Outer Banks, NC vacation and is perpetually crowded, especially in the summer months. Just think about all those cars you have seen with the OBX sticker. They have all been to this Park Site.

EASE OF USE/ACCESS (3/5)
The Wright Bros. NMEM is located on U.S. Route 158 in Kill Devil Hills, NC between Mile Markers 7 and 8. If you are here, you are on an Outer Banks vacation. The nearest major city is Norfolk, VA about 80 miles to the north along NC and VA Route 168. If you thought a multilane thoroughfare led to the Outer Banks, you would be wrong.

CONCESSIONS/BOOKSTORE (3/5)
The store book selection leans more toward the coffee table set than in-depth historical examinations. However, we must love any bookstore that carries multiple jigsaw puzzles and model planes.

COSTS (3/5)
Entry runs $3 per person, free with the National Parks Pass.

RANGER/GUIDE TO TOURIST RATIO (4/5)
The Site offers a wide array of Ranger-led activities that include at least six daily flight-related talks. In addition, there is a daily weather permitting family-related activity that includes either flying kites or launching paper airplanes. We visited the Park twice and kept hitting the tail end of Ranger talks. Sometimes our timing is off.

TOURS/CLASSES (4/10)
The Park’s educational emphasis lies in its Ranger talks, which we kept missing. The VC hosts an ersatz Aviation Hall of Fame consisting primarily of aviators’ portraits. This same room holds a full-scale replica of the Wright’s 1903 flyer. Two separate buildings hold the temporary First Flight Centennial Exhibit. The Centennial Exhibit’s promise to be interactive and interesting falls well short of both goals. There was no intro film.

FUN (5/10)
Our fun was limited because of the sub-par Museum and our cynical mindset. Do not repeat our silliness. Here are retrospective suggestions of what we should have done:
* Brought a kite and flown it using the same winds that propelled the Wrights;
* Walked the miniscule distances of the “First Four Flights”; they are marked with small granite monuments;
* Fully examined the Wright’s camp buildings;
* Walked the entire length from the Visitor Center to the top of Kill Devil Hill and dared to dream as big as the Wrights;
* Climbed into the pilot’s seat of the full-scale model 1903 flying machine located at the base of Kill Devil Hill;
* Budgeted plenty of time and attended a Ranger talk;
* Focused our minds and not thought of all the other cool things to do in the Outer Banks.

Our biggest mistake was that we never stopped comparing the Site to the educational experiences found at the Dayton Aviation NHP, the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and the U.S. Space Center in Huntsville.

The Wright Bros. NMEM is not about explaining science or retelling the invention of flight narrative. It is about honoring the two men who traveled here during a windy December and made their dream come true. It is an intro-level course taught to countless eager visitors every year.

WOULD WE RECOMMEND? (7/10)
If you are in the Outer Banks, you have to come here. The Kitty Hawk Site is an American icon.

TOTAL 47/80

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