Kitty Hawk: How To Visit The Wright Brothers Monument with Kids

The Wright Brothers National Memorial North Carolina is a National Park Site on the east coast of North Carolina which commemorates the first motorized flight. In an area with lots of 200 to 400 year old areas to discover on road trips, this site was refreshing. While still more than a hundred years ago, I feel like we could relate to Orville and Wilbur Wright better. We love flying, so airplanes are something easier to dive into. This is a great “physical” site as you get to see the models and run the tracks and climb up to the monument. It’s not just another history lesson in disguise. Well, it is. But it’s a fun one!

Wright Brothers’ Monument FAQ
Who Were the Wright Brothers?
What Can I See at Kitty Hawk?
Mom Tips
Learn About The Wright Brothers
Deep Dives at Home
Where Should We Go Next?

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Wright Brothers’ Monument FAQ

Where is the Wright Brothers’ Monument?

Kitty Hawk is the name of the coastal town in the Outer Banks of North Carolina which is close to Kill Devil Hills; 2 hours southeast of Williamsburg, 1 hour 20 min east of Norfolk, Virginia

Does It Cost Money to Visit the Wright Brothers Memorial?

Cost: Adult $10, Kids free up to age 15 – You pay at the entrance booth to enter the park. You are able to buy a year pass here to all national parks if desired.

How Long Will I Spend at Kitty Hawk?

Time: 2-3 hours
Hours of Operation: Sunday to Saturday, 9AM to 5PM

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Who Were the Wright Brothers?

Orville and Wilbur Wright were brothers from a large family who grew up in Dayton, Ohio. While working at a bicycle shop while growing up, they became interested in flight and combined their experience working with bicycles to learn to construct and maneuver their glider.

While they were not the first people to ever fly, they were the first to create a motor propelled flying machine which flew four times on December 17, 1903. The quote on the Wright Brothers’ monument states “conceived by Genius, achieved by Dauntless Resolution and Unconquerable Faith.” Their determination, ingenuity, and tireless tinkering should inspire inventors young and old.

When the Wright Brothers’ made multiple trips to Kitty Hawk from 1900 to 1903, Kitty Hawk was only a tiny town famous for its constant wind. The brothers needed the wind for lift for their glider. The land was covered in sand dunes which provided height from which they could glide. This collection of sand dunes was named Kill Devil Hills. Repeatedly, these famous brothers and their assistants launched more than 1000 times from the dunes.

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What Can I See at Kitty Hawk?

Is the Wright Brothers Memorial Worth Visiting? Yes! If you have history lovers or little inventors, this real-life history spot in North Carolina is a must-see. See their workshop. See the original planes. Measure out the distances of their first flights. Visit Kitty Hawk and meet the Wright Brothers.

Visitor Center at the Wright Brothers Monument

Covering the history of flight before Orville and Wilbur Wright, the museum gives a good background of the Wright family and their stages of developing their fliers. Next to the full size replica of their motorized plane are miniature models of their different flyer versions for comparison. Take an opportunity to learn the different terms involved in flight here while seeing what part of the plane controls each direction.

The Wright Brothers Monument

You can drive down the road to the monument or walk from the VC, but either way, you have to climb the stairs to the top to see the monument. Don’t forget to look at ground level on the opposite side from the VC to see the statue.

Even though the dunes have eroded and shifted over the years, you can still feel and see what they would have experienced. Today, the monument stands atop the largest dune which has been stabilized; there are no current sand dunes at the monument.

Statue

This is a full-size replica of the famous 1903 picture which shows the Wright brothers, their assistants, and the photographer capturing the photo. This is a statue that allows touching and climbing. Get up there with the Wright brother and hang on.

Reconstructed 1903 Camp Buildings

At this workshop and hangar replica, you can peek inside to examine the living conditions and see the determination of these famous brothers.

Flight Plaques

These four markers measure the distance of their flight trials. See if you can run faster than the original flight.

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Mom Tips for Visiting the Wright Brothers

• This is a popular site that gets crowded. Go earlier in the day or during the week for fewer people. The crowd was the worst part of this memorial visit.
• Head to the plane statue before the crowds hit, so your kids can climb up and lay down next to Orville for a perfect picture without other people nearby.
• The only bathroom is connected to the outside of the visitor center.  Go before you get in line, so you don’t lose your place or have to leave the visitor’s center altogether.
• It’s very windy throughout and most brisk on top of the hill at the monument; bring your jacket.
• It’s a long, paved path to the monument. Prepare the family for some walking or bring your stroller for the little ones.

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How is the Junior Ranger Badge at the Wright Brothers Memorial?

Completion of the packet involves quite a few stations throughout the Visitor Center, examining the replica, running at the time stations outside, and looking at carvings at the monument. While some Junior Ranger packets at other parks seem either silly or too complex, this one was good because it talked them through the mechanics of flight and how it works into the gliders. Lots of hands-on thinking. I truly feel the kids learned a lot through this program here with a good amount of hands on experience.

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Learn About The Wright Brothers

Before heading out on a family road trip, the kids and I will read books about the people and places we will be visiting. When they’re already “met” a historical person, visiting their home and important places allows them to remember the story. They already have “pegs” on which to add extra information.

Check out the Wright Brothers Airplane museum online. Here you will find a fully-online museum dedicated to the Wright Brothers with a very large collection of information covering the history of aviation and airplanes.

Don’t overlook all the info on the Wright Brothers National Memorial website for virtual lessons.

Kid Books about the Wright Brothers

There are so many beautiful picture books about Orville and Wilbur Wright! One of my kids became so interested in the brothers, that he wrote a further essay about it for our Classical Conversations homeschool group.

• First Flight: The Story of Tom Tate and the Wright Brothers by George Shea– This was a good book for introduction as it is easily read and revolves around the real-life story of a boy who helped with the Wrights. You will learn more about him and his father at the museum.
• The Story of the Wright Brothers by Annette Whipple – This is a great simple chapter book for upper elementary readers.
• The Wright Brothers’ First Flight by Thomas Kingsley Troupe – Super-fun illustrations will lead you through this fact-filled story!
• Touching the Sky: The Flying Adventures of Wilbur and Orville Wright by Louise Borden and Trish Marx
• First to Fly: How Wilbur and Orville Wright Invented the Airplane by Peter Rusby

Interested? Read “5 New Ways to Use Picture Books with Kids of All Ages“. You’re never too old for a beautiful book!

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Deep Dives at Home

• How did they get their planes to Kitty Hawk from Ohio?
• Why Kitty Hawk? Can you think of any other places you’ve been that might be your choice to try to fly?
• Who were some other famous pilots to come later?
• What did they study to prepare them for their plane success? 
• How are modern planes controlled similarly or differently than the Wright’s plane?
• What are the directions of flight: yaw, pitch, and roll
• Do people still use gliders today?
• What do Neil Armstrong and the Wrights have connecting them?
• How to telegraphs like those they used send a message home?
• Could you get along with your brother well enough to accomplish such a feat?!

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Where Should We Go Next?

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site – Only 30 minutes from Kitty Hawk in Manteo, North Carolina. This is where mystery of the Lost Colony of Roanoke begins. Visit the Visitor Center, see the play in non-pandemic times, visit the Underground Railroad site, and learn about its role in the Civil War.

Jockey’s Ridge State Park in Nags Head – Go visit the tallest active sand dune area in the eastern US. Read about how it is naturally still shifting and even getting too close to houses.

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in DC – Go see the original 1903 Wright flyer and learn even more about the Wright Brothers. Updated in 2022, go check out the updated museum. (And read “6 Practical Tips to Make Your DC Trip Easier”.)

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historic Park – Go visit the Wright Brothers hometown and original bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio. It’s on my list!

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