Wright Brothers National Memorial at Kitty Hawk
Mock up of the Wright Brothers Flyer
During the Summer of 2020, in the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic, we decided to take a road trip through the Southeast. One of the most unique stops along the way was the Wright Brothers Memorial at Kitty Hawk (actually Kill Devil Hills). Since most of the points of interest were outside, the only thing we missed out on was the visitors center. We parked near the visitors center and walked the entire site, but it’s easy enough to drive around if needed.
The Wright Brothers
The landing markers from the first four flights.
On the path to the monument
The first stop along the way is a recreation of the huts used during the Wright Brothers three years performing experiments at Kitty Hawk. The next stop is the landing strip, marked by four monuments, one for each of the landing spots for the Wright Brothers flyer in December of 1903. The walk from here to the monument is level at first, and then an incline to the top.
The monument base allows you to see the entire surrounding area, behind it is a mock up of the flier and the attendees of the first powered flight.
It’s a small but incredibly significant site. It takes no more than an hour to traverse the entire site and the visitors center didn’t look very big, so once that’s open, it likely won’t add much more. If you’re ever in the Outer Banks, swing by and check it out.