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    Carillon Historical Park

    4.7 (70 reviews)
    Closed 9:30 am - 5:00 pm

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    Inside train
    Sebastian

    Very fun the functional 4-4-0 steam locomotive that you can ride was extremely fun and the part about the great flood of 1913 had a house and realistic noises and complete history of Dayton Ohio

    Replica of The Wright Brothers workshop with A Wright Wind Tunnel replica
    Dave A.

    THE WRIGHT BROTHERS ARE REMARKABLE!!! How would you know that the Wright Brothers NATIONAL MUSEUM is here at the Carillon Historical Park in Dayton, Ohio?!?! It's not really part of the Google Search. When you enter the gates of the park, the only sign we saw was for the Carillon Brewing Co. lol! You got to have really done your research to have a clue it exists here. I thought going to The Smithsonian or Kitty Hawk, NC would be where something like this would be located but I was completely wrong! Dayton, OH is where the Wright Brothers grew up and did all their calculations and designs to be the first persons to achieve flight! There's also The Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park that has one of earlier Bicycle Shops the Wright Brothers operated, but THEE ACTUAL BICYCLE SHOP building where all the flight magic happened was actually bought by Henry Ford, in 1936, including the dirt it sat on, and transported to Dearborn, MI and reconstructed at the Greenfield Village as part of the Henry Ford Museum. DOH! The Carillon Historical Park, which opened in 1950, has a replica of that transported building on its grounds. Details of the Wright Brothers' lives are chronicled here. Lots of Wright artifacts are here, including an original Wright Bicycle, The Van Cleve, on display inside. The original Wright Wind Tunnel does not exist anymore, but there is a replica of the one they created located in the workshop. The short film presented is a great watch, and really demonstrates the genius the Wrights had! The exhibits help expand on what the short film introduces. Much more informative compared to the exhibit at the Smithsonian in Washington D.C. The most fabulous thing here, though, is The ACTUAL 1905 WRIGHT FLYER III! The only plane to have the designation, "NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK." It is considered the FIRST practical flying machine, as it was able to achieve sustained flight for minutes (39 minutes of continuous flight) and maneuverable, flying in a circular pattern. In comparison, the Wright Flyer I, which is on display at the Smithsonian, flew for flights of 3, 12, 12, 15, and 59 seconds, in a straight path, is known to be the first craft to achieve flight. The Wright Flyer III is housed in The Wright Hall, which Orville Wright contributed to its design! Sooo... AWESOME!!! VERY EASY RECOMMENDATION! We left with even more respect for The Wright Brothers, after our visit here. I LOVE when that happens! IMHO, They (whoever that may be) REALLY NEED TO GIVE The Wright Brothers some kind of G.O.A.T. props here, ESPECIALLY at the entrance! Definitely worth the time and effort to visit! Enjoy! :)

    Chris B.

    I've visited Dayton quite a few times and stayed across the way at the Marriott, and I've always seen the lush green grass and the belltower that stands in the middle. Prior to my most recent trip, my curiosity of what was beyond the belltower never grew strong enough...so glad it did this time around. The entire grounds are very well-kept and the old-style buildings are immaculate. I came mostly to see the Wright Brothers museum which is inside the Historical Park, so ticket entry is required. Upon entering, the History of Dayton slowly unfolds as you walk into a building with a large mural and a Wright Brothers Aircraft hanging just above. From vintage cash registers to vintage, retired trains. This venue has a large variety of exhibits for all ages that tells the story of the history of Dayton. And what a rich history it has! I was initially drawn to the Wright Brother's Museum but since it was in the middle of the park, it forced me to walk along the paths which allowed me to venture a bit and see the other exhibits. There are volunteers/staff in each building and they are very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable. They can provide a guided tour if you're so inclined. I was on a bit of a tight schedule unfortunately so I didnt get to sit and enjoy the cafe on-site. For the next time I'm in Dayton, I know where to enjoy an afternoon stroll.

    Cash registers exhibit
    Aubrie H.

    Wonderful place to visit for a dose of Ohio History. Inside there are exhibits on cash registers as well as famous people from Ohio. Some displays are interactive and there are shows to visit as well which talk about historic events and people from Dayton. Once you head outside there is a large village which highlight different time periods, a train ride and buildings dedicated to Wright Brothers history. Definitely visit the top of the tower for great views. So much information and fun for the whole family.

    Katie R.

    We stumbled upon this park, not really knowing what to expect, but it was such an amazing experience! I had no idea so many things were created in Dayton, Ohio, but we have this area to thank for Freon, pop tops (or soda tabs for some of you), the airplane (of course) the receipt, Cheez-Its, the Soap Box Derby, and the cash register. One of the best parts of this museum is that it feels like you're back in the olden days. It's an open-air museum, so you walk from building to building in whichever order you want. It's incredibly well designed and beautiful. There are train rides offered for an extra fee. The one we went on is for anyone and was about 20 minutes and was $5. There is also an indoor carousel that features all of the inventions of Dayton interspersed with the horses, which is $1. You can also get a "Ride All Day" wristband for $12. Admission for adults is $14, while kids are $10, unless they're 2 and under, in which case, they're free. It's definitely a great way to spend your day if you're in the area.

    Fun mural
    Marissa C.

    This is an extremely impressive park! There is something for everyone to enjoy here. "Historical Park" seemed very accurate - it seems like if it had anything to do with Dayton history, it was there! The visitor's center has some exhibits inside, along with a very fun carousel you can ride on (tip - there is a machine to get tokens from that accepts $1, 5, or 10 bills right next to it, or you can purchase the tokens at the front desk with other forms of payment). You can then head out into the village, where there is a wide variety of historical buildings, including a gas station, a one room schoolhouse, several homes, and more. Folks in costume were around to chat with - the schoolteacher was especially friendly and great with kids, and there were some folks who were cooking spring stew who talked to us about the ingredients and how to make it in some of the homes. I especially enjoyed the print shop, where they actually make a variety of note cards and items for purchase. There is also a building dedicated to the 1913 flood, which we coincidentally found ourselves visiting on the 100th anniversary of the flood so they were sure to call our attention to that building when we purchased the tickets. The exhibit was very good and thorough. The transportation building was very neat - there's everything from a stagecoach and covered wagon to a variety of trolleys and train cars, and out back they were running rides on a little train (the big train isn't ready yet). The Wright Brothers National Museum is home to the 1905 Wright Flyer III, provided by Orville Wright himself, who had input on the exhibit hall. Sections were reminiscent of some of things you can see in other parts of the aviation heritage area, like the replica cycle shop, but it's worth going into see the artifacts and the flyer even if you've been to most of the other Wright Brother sites in the area. There is an impressive clocktower that you can climb - we skipped on this visit because of the high winds, but would love to do in the future. There are also a covered bridge, another style of bridge, and a canal lock to walk across/through. We're also interested to do some more with the moraine area in the future, but they currently have nesting eagles so part of the area was taped off! It was amazing to see the eagles flying overhead and perching above in the trees. Staff is very friendly! There are plenty of clean restrooms available, a museum shop, two restaurants on site (Culp's Cafe and Carillon Brewing Company), and a good paved parking lot near the visitor's center. We easily spent a day here and plan to return again!

    Melitta S.

    What a wonderful place to visit!! So much historical sites at a beautiful venue! Dayton is such a place of innovation and we (meaning my family and I) had no idea (we're from NC so we believed we were the birthplace of aviation) It was a fabulous day and I highly recommend it. All the people working were knowledgeable and helpful. Thoroughly enjoyed this journey through time

    Amanda A.

    We went for the first time a few weeks ago and had a good visit. We spent most of our time inside the main museum and then a few of the buildings. We also did climb the clocktower. As someone who didn't grow up in Dayton this gave me a lot of information about the history of Dayton. For my kids who are growing up here this was such an educational experience for them. These were some of their favorite things: - All the old cashier registers from NCR. -The carousel building. -The Women in War building. -The old car building. -The Dayton Flood Building. -The Transportation Building. -The Wright Brothers Building. -The clocktower. It was pretty cold so we went in and out fairly quickly to the different buildings, but the grounds were still pretty. They are doing a lot of updates to it including adding a bigger train so lots of construction going on. The buildings itself were really nice and well done. The Dayton Flood and Wright Brothers were my favorite areas. Seeing the eagles was a nice surprise too. Also the clocktower gave such a great view of Dayton. I'm excited to visit again in the summer and see what else they have in store.

    The last time I saw this prototype of Smokey the Bear it was at an estate sale. I couldnt afford it but so happy it ended up here.
    Libby V.

    This is such a Gem in the city...so full of history and interesting facts. We are members, and no matter how often you go, you find things you haven't seen before! This last visit I was so happy to see the prototype of Smokey the Bear. The last time I saw it was at the estate sale of the artist who developed him, and trust me....I couldn't afford him! It's so appropriate he's here. Along with the Wright Brothers Museum, antique cars and machines developed here, the old Deeds barn, and so much more. It takes multiple visits. The first time I brought Amaya she got blisters on her feet! There are snacks in the gift shop, Culps Café and a Brewery that features historic brews and German Food. Oh so good. And a roaring fireplace! The Bell Towers magically transform in the most beautiful Christmas tree. And the entire park is decorated and open in the evenings during the holiday season. Roasted chestnuts round out the experience. So dress warm and head on over. You'll be so glad you did. Tell them I sent you!

    Deeds Carillon, Dayton OH
    Bruce K.

    This 151-foot tower houses 57 bells and was completed in 1942. Refurbished in 1988 which converted it from electrical to a traditional mechanical carillon, it is the centerpiece of the Carillon Historical Park. It is the largest carillon in Ohio. There is some parking here and the carillon is handicapped accessible from one end. There is also some spots where you can sit and wait for the bells to ring on the quarter hour. I stayed for 8pm and other than four idiots who showed up at 2 minutes before the hour and started talking, it was perfect. [Review 11308 overall, 1085 of 2019.]

    Caroline M.

    This historical park was a good way to spend an afternoon. The volunteers really go out of their way to interact with the visitors. I met a lot of really nice people, especially the woman outside the movie. I'm sorry I didn't get her name. I was looking forward to seeing the Wright Brothers plane. Very cool. The surprise for me was the transportation building with the trains, etc. I loved being able to walk onto the train. As mentioned in a review I read, they really need to add some kind of water by the tower/transportation building. We were dehydrated with no relief until we got all the way back to the beginning. The cafe was closed. It was a weekday, but I'm not sure if this was COVID-19 related. Also the military discount of $3 for only the active member felt cheap to me compared to other places we have visited in the Dayton area.

    May C.

    This is a must visit museum. Adults are $10 and kids are $7. This site houses a lot of relocated historical homes from the area, and some really cool trains and historical automobiles also. The place is well kept, and very inviting. It is one of the few museum or things you can do till about 9 oclock pm. I highly recommend the winter visit to this place. They steing up the carollion park tower to a tree shape, and they put up christmas lights all around. Every house is open in the evening, and the bakery has demo of them making gingerbread cookies. The printing house will show uou how a cool old printer words, and print a xmas card with uour name! Get to the train building during the holidays and you can pitatop for a beverage and popcorn, while you wait for a ride on the small train ourdoors ($1 a person and worth a dollar for sure!). This year they added a small christmastown train also!

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    Really enjoyed learning more about Dayton's rich history. The Wright Brothers exhibit is a Must See.

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    Really enjoyed the Christmas walk lots of things to see and of course buy. Very picturesque

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    Ask the Community - Carillon Historical Park

    Review Highlights - Carillon Historical Park

    There are several historical sites including a one-room schoolhouse, the oldest house in Dayton, and a replica of Orville & Wilbur's bike shop.

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    Let's start with the Staff If you want to go through the…read moremost stressful wedding planning this is your place! Let's start with my first ever walk through. We got there on time and the venue coordinator rushed us the whole time! When we told her we weren't having alcohol at the wedding she said "well that's odd" (meanwhile you have to purchase all alcohol thru the venue "$$$ hungry place" ) I also explained how I would like to rearrange some things regarding the layout and was told it wasn't going to add any additional cost... I received the contract to book and they added a fee at the last minute. I reached back out and they literally made a fee of something they told me during my walkthrough was going to be free. Not good communication on this fee and no apology on giving false information. I wish I could tell you that being discriminated against regarding alcohol was the worst but it's not. (The reasoning for our wedding not having this was due to religious reasons which was on my file) Please read on. The owner The owner is honestly a horrible person. She would reach out to me with an attitude everytime there was issue but then also said the issues never happened. My coordinator never handled any of the questions I ever had. The last phone call I had with the owner (meanwhile this was our 45 day out call) she started with "So are you wanting to cancel because I don't think we're a good fit for you" first thing out of her mouth plus this was told to a bride 45 DAYS before her wedding?! The biggest day of her life!? Not only that I explained how I just been hurt by so many situations from the staff here (all upper management) and how all of this could be easily moved on if I just had an apology she replied "well that's not going to happen so anything else" Plus she even said how she was thinking of canceling my wedding and wouldn't confirm if she would or not. After my phone call I wanted to get this in writing so I emailed her. (Disclaimer : With this location if it's regarding anything important, make sure you have it on email because anything else said during tours or phone calls they will not respect or act like they heard it) on the image below, you can clearly see how she's not even willing to give me an apology or confirm that she's not canceling my wedding 40 days out. Everything that was true stated by staff that I voiced to the owner was responded by saying "that didn't happen move on" "my staff wouldn't say that they're trained better" always disregard anything I said. You will never feel heard here. Unfortunately after only a couple months booked with them I realized every phone call and in person interaction needed to be recorded. I have proof of all of this. Unfortunately google will not let you put voice memo in the review. Our last meeting / walk thru During the 45 day out meeting the owner brought in the building manager and the venue coordinator including herself and her non staff husband. She would not speak to me and just look at her husband to answer. After the meeting we had our final walk thru and she was talking awful about me to the building manager. Then just left. After we were finished with our walk thru getting everything ready the building manager came up to me and my family and apologized and said "I don't know why Ashley (the owner) said you guys were an escalation you seem like great people. (Again I have this recorded) The good. I was assigned to a new venue coordinator who actually respected me. She told me she was not going to let the owner cancel the wedding and explained how that would literally be the worse thing someone could ever do to a bride. Helped me work seating charts back and forth. Katie was the only person who gave me peace of mind. Email from the owner below with no apologies or explanation of why she acted the way she did. Why I still booked I've got a lot of questions about why did I still book but if you live in the Dayton area you know there's not much to pick from to stay in budget. Don't get me wrong it's a beautiful location it's just the staff. Until I thought The venue was disgusting. See photos below. I had a bridesmaid go there before anyone to take picture so we could have before and after just in case if they kept our security deposit. The stairs were filled with dirt. The white walls had black marks on them. The bathrooms were not cleaned. The toilets were disgusting! Hair all over the floors. Trash not taken out. Let's just say I was only there for an hour before my feet were completely black on the bottom. There's even cobwebs in almost every single corner of the venue. AGAIN SO MUCH DUST. Just look at my feet completely black from one hour in the bridal suite. I hope this helps a future bride to save tears during a season that's supposed to be exciting not heart breaking time filled with stress due to the staff. I hope you can feel safe going to a 45 days out meeting and know that you're being heard. Most importantly I have you hav

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    Carillon Historical Park - museums - Updated May 2026

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