Feels really dated and run-down here, so this place is due for a face lift. The area is not as well manicured as I would expect for an AFB. I checked out the DFAC briefly but it felt really dim and sad in there so I left. I would be interested in checking out the other amenities at this base. Security forces at the entrance seem standard. read more

This Museum had it all. The history of Aviation and space. The beginning of space travel too. Great place if you have children who are wanting to be be engineers or pilots or love Aircraft. It is a National Museum and free and it will take about 4 to 5 hours to see it all. There is nothing to compare to this place exceptional Museum except the Smithsonian. read more

See all

City within a city. Really...hospital, restaurants, chapels, even a Mayor ... in the form of a Base Commander. Want to grocery shop, see a movie or play a round of golf. This is your base. Ohio's largest single site employer. What would Dayton be without it? And what a mission, or should I say missions being accomplished here. Logistics, research and development, education, base management, foreign military sales, security, and even home of a Major Air Force Command - AFMC. And the official National Museum of the USAF. And all this just scratches the surface. And as a cherry on the sunday, it's one of the top rated AFB's in the world. How lucky we are to have it. read more

It takes a few days to see everything. They have wheelchair and scooters for mobility challenged. They have some fun hands on exhibits also

"Dying for Freedom isn't the worst thing that can happen. Being forgotten is," said Georgie Carter-Krell, Mother of Posthumous Medal of Honor Recipient Pfc. Bruce W. Carter, USMC- Florida. The Medal of Honor is the United States of America's highest and most prestigious personal military decoration that may be awarded to recognize U.S. military Service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of Valor. We just returned after ten days at Dayton, Ohio where we took all of our grandchildren to visit relatives, friends and military history. Our children paid for it all as an early xmas present to us and their children. One of the highlights was our three-day, yes, three days, visit to the brand new Gold Star Families Memorial Monument at our always beloved National Museum of the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. This Review is only for the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument and the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force there. Donated by the Hershel "Woody" Williams Congressional Medal of Honor Education Foundation, Inc., the Gold Star Families Memorial Monument features the traditional shape of a saluting soldier's outline in a representative missing space between two of the granite pieces. Being a Gold Star family member is an Honor no one wants. That's because a Gold Star Family is a family member(s) of a fallen Service member who died while Serving in a time of conflict. The last Sunday of each September is Gold Star Family's Day. A Gold Star Family can display a Gold Star Service Flag for Service members who were killed or died, while Serving in the Armed Forces, from causes other than dishonorable. The number of gold stars on the flag corresponds with the number of individuals who were killed or died. A gold star is placed over the blue star on a Blue Star Service Flag so that the blue forms a border and creates the Gold Star Service Flag. The U.S. Department of Defense issues these flags as well as Gold Star lapel pins to immediate family members of a fallen Service member of the military. These pins are worn by spouses, parents, and children of Service members killed in the line of Duty and contain a gold star on a purple circular background. This Gold Star Families Memorial Monument was reverently created as part of the mission of the Hershel "Woody" Williams Congressional Medal of Honor Education Foundation, Inc., which was established to honor Gold Star Families by building monuments designed by Williams throughout America, scholarships to Gold Star Children, sponsoring outreach programs and events, and educating communities about Gold Star Families and the sacrifice they have endured. Founder Woody Williams enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps during WWII and served in the Battle of Iwo Jima for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. I forever recognize, honor, respect, and grieve at the sacrifice that all Gold Star Family members make when a husband, wife, father, mother, brother, sister, son, daughter, niece, nephew, uncle, aunt, girlfriend, boyfriend, classmate, friend, or other loved one dies in military Service to America. A Gold Star Families Memorial Monument is scheduled to be a part of the brand new long overdue desperately needed Northern Nevada State Veterans Home in Sparks, Nevada. The monument is to be located at the entryway so it is the first thing everyone sees upon arrival. The National Museum of the U.S. Air Force is the world's oldest and largest military aviation museum. With free admission and parking, the museum boasts some 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles and thousands of artifacts amid more than 19 acres of indoor exhibit space. Each year some one million visitors from around the world visit the museum that brings history to life and connects the Wright brothers' legacy with today's stealth and precision technology. Numerous U.S. Air Force aircraft are also on loan here from throughout the world through the USAF Heritage Program. All that is why it took us three days to see everything at the monument and the museum. read more

This is definitely the most confusing base I have ever been to. I swear I get lost there every single time I go. I guess it has to be big to accommodate everything this base is responsible for and all of the employees who do it but, boy is it confusing. They have all of the amenities of other bases and more. The commissary, exchange (not a great one), restaurants, hospital, multiple gyms...you name it they got it. One of the most frustrating things is that if you ask a guard at the gate for directions 9 times out of 10 they can't help. They are usually willing to try by pulling out their trusty map but, there have been times that they have been equally confused by the map. Make sure you know where you are going before you get there. Do not rely on your GPS because it is not accurate on base. Note that not all of the gates are open. Make sure you know which gate you are going to and make sure it is open before you go. Good luck navigating this base. You will need it! read more

this place is awwsome benn here a lot of times i love watching planes love this place thanks agin

First of all, this place is HUGE. I've been on many a military installation and never had the kind of issues finding places like on WPAFB. If you don't know the area, you will get lost. I lived here for a couple years before joining the Air Force and still get lost. It seems like they're always doing some kind of construction that alters how I would normally get somewhere. That aside, you have everything you need here. I've been able to find almost everything I would immediately need at the BX/Commissary and they have a real Class Six store, instead of a gas station that happens to sell booze. WPAFB has a REAL hospital, not a clinic that has to send you somewhere else when something is really wrong. Last time I checked, they had three gyms and one has a Smoothie King inside (Wright Field Fitness Center). They even have their own Starbucks -- not some random cafe that serves Starbucks coffee. Overall, you guys stationed here have it better than those at certain other bases (*cough* Scott *cough*) read more

Wright-Patterson is my 3rd assignment with the Air Force and in that time I've been able to visit a dozen different bases around the nation. Wright-Patt is one of the worst Air Force installations I been to, I am honestly really surprised this base hosts a 4-star level command. With everything from the aging fitness centers to the dramatically unimpressive commissary and BX this base is doing it wrong. The base's confusing lay-out is a byproduct of the fact that it was originally two different bases (Wright Field and Patterson Field) that were merged. I work on Area A so I rarely make it over to Area B, I'm sure the opposite it true for folks who work on Area B. Area A can be really confusing to get around, with different 'clusters' of buildings divided by base housing and the massive golf course. Recently the base took over a stretch of public road in order to consolidate some gates. The result of that is it now takes longer to get to the BX and commissary and there are longer waits at all the gates. That is why I very rarely make the trek out there. The commissary does ok dry goods like cereal and pasta but an awful selection of produce. The little I save doesn't justify the drive out and I'd still end up going to Kroger for produce and meat. The fitness center on Area A, the Dodge gym, leaves a lot to be desired. It's tiny, cramped and usually overcrowded. It has a no-free weights. For stuff like that you must go to the gym on Area B, which is nice but has no air conditioning! Please note this is just a review of the base, NOT the local area or Ohio. I realize this base is doing the best it can with reduced budgets. But how do other bases (that don't house 4-star level commands) provided so much superior services? read more

This review is specifically for the Wright Patt Club Sunday Brunch. Having been affiliated with the Air Force since 1973 in some capacity, I have had the opportunity to sample several Sunday Brunches at various locations. On this occasion we went for Mother's Day. The ambiance was nice but not nice enough to encourage a higher standard of dress for the clientele. Many were dressed in blue jeans and sweats. The food was good but the available selection was nothing exceptional. The price at other locations we have been to included champagne and other spirits, Wright-Patt's does not. There is an extra charge. I think for the future, as long as we live in the Dayton area, if I am inclined to partake in a true Sunday brunch experience, I may seek out some other place even if the price is higher. read more

Outstanding exhibit all around. I would give this place 5 stars. But you all need to update with some modern craft and fix some of your interactive exhibits and lower the prices! And the kitchen staff upstairs who serve the food are ridiculous! But I'm here to review the base. Not it's restaurant. All around 4 stars read more

We drove around Wright-Patterson AFB quite a bit. The base is one of the larger ones that I've been to. The lodging facilities were nice and the employees were friendly to talk to. We didn't stay here but we did stop in to talk to an employee. We also went to the Shoppette and the BX. The BX had a huge selection in every department. I was rather impressed. However, the set-up is typical and if you are familiar with a BX or PX, then you generally know what to expect. I did see a barber shop, beauty salon, GNC, Starbuck's, Post Office and more! read more

The only problem I've ever had is I got stuck driving behind one of those golf course lawn mowers, but that's a pretty big first world problem, so I can't knock you for that. read more

Without saying anything about what is on this base, I will say this is the best base we have ever been assigned to, and we've been all over the world and have been in the service for enough decades to say we've been around the block a few times! This is a wonderful place to work and otherwise do what we military folks and families want or need to do on a base. I appreciate the friendly attitudes all around, highly indicative of the fact that others are happy here too. When a base is inadequate, you can tell in the attitudes and morale of it's people. Lots of smiles here! To speak of the area, it is absolutely diverse. It is beautiful year round, in my opinion! There is plenty to do, many family friendly events to search out and discover especially around the holidays, and many large and small towns to visit if you get bored of staying in one area for any length of time, like me! About an hour in any direction will find you somewhere new and fun, ripe for exploring. North there is Columbus, South there is Cinci, North-East there is Springfield and scattered everywhere in between are adorable little towns each with their own wonderful charm, history, or something neat to offer. Clifton Mill is here, about 20 minutes from base nestled in the woods by a surprise ancient glacier gorge with rapids and gorgeous nearby hiking trails that wind around Clifton Gorge overlooking the powerful humbling rapids below! It is a beautiful place to escape the ordinary, check my reviews for pictures! You'll also find such gems as Young's Dairy Farm (and many others scattered willy nilly) the most beautiful outdoor shooting range I have ever seen in my life, and a wonderful hands on children's museum that offers military discounts on annual passes that also get you into attractions nationwide! For the foodie, this place is paradise! For the history buff, check out the most amazing museum I have ever seen, the US Air Force Museum! It's amazing and it's completely free! You won't believe it! The Wright Brother's craft is here, and seeing it is just, humbling to say the least. The locals, just as with the people local to the base, are indicatively happy to live here, many of whom end up sticking around after "growing up" here to start families of their own instead of running as fast as they can as far as they can, as is the case with my hometown in Eastern Washington! That says a lot. This is one of those bases where you think at first how unlucky you must be to have been assigned to it, only to pull an "about face" upon arriving and realizing how terribly, terribly wrong you were! If you have received orders to Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, may I be the first to offer you a big warm congratulations! read more

I'm retired USAF and have visited or lived on a number of DoD installations throughout my career. WPAFB has a lot of great history; however, it has become such a disappointment to experience. There is so much wasted green space, all of the fitness facilities are sub-par, and the BX and Commissary are so small and non-competitive with the surrounding market. Lastly, what the base Civil Engineers have done to base entrances and State Route 444 is a major disappointment and just an eyesore. If not for the Wright-Patt Medical Center, I simply would avoid the base at all costs. I highly recommend base leadership look at bases such as Joint Base Lewis-McChord and Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst for great examples of MWR, Commissary and BX facilities; and, do what it takes to inspire people to want to go to the base for fitness and shopping. Right now, it's just sad! read more

The officers club is nice and the people here at the Wright patt team annual awards banquet are having social hour and then the big ceremony then a awsome dinner. read more

I am TDY here, and there is not a whole lot to do here on base. I have been to the club on base to eat which is good by the way. Other than that, from what I've been told you have to drive about an hour for anything to do. read more