Wright Brothers National Memorial

The Wright Brothers National Memorial commemorates the first controlled, powered flights by Orville and Wilbur Wright on December 17, 1903, and is administered by the U.S. National Park Service. The site preserves the takeoff area and flight paths used on the Outer Banks.

Key features include a 60-foot granite monument on Kill Devil Hill, markers showing the locations and lengths of the original flights, and a visitor centre with exhibits and a full-scale reproduction of the 1903 Wright Flyer. The landscape preserves the sandy takeoff dunes and provides walking trails along the original flight line.

The Wright brothers conducted four successful powered flights from this site in December 1903; the memorial was established to honor their achievement and the monument was erected in the early 20th century as a national commemorative site. The National Park Service manages the site and interprets the events and technology of the flights.

The memorial is located on Bodie Island in the Outer Banks near Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina, a few miles south of Kitty Hawk and within the greater Nags Head/Kill Devil Hills area.

• Monument height and viewpoint: The granite monument at the site is 60 feet tall and sits atop the memorial hill, providing panoramic views over the Outer Banks and the historic flight grounds.
• Flight markers and visitor centre: Markers along the flight line indicate the distances and locations of the Wright brothers' four 1903 flights; a visitor centre displays a full-scale reproduction of the 1903 Flyer and interpretive exhibits.