Dayton is the birthplace of aviation — Orville and Wilbur Wright built and tested their aircraft here, and the city has never stopped reminding visitors of that fact. The National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum, with over 350 aircraft and missiles on display across four enormous hangars. It is free to enter and easily worth a full day.
The Wright Brothers' legacy is everywhere: their original bicycle shop, Huffman Prairie where they refined their flying techniques, and the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park tie the story together. Paul Laurence Dunbar, the pioneering African American poet, also grew up here — his home is part of the same national park.
Downtown Dayton sits on the Great Miami River and has seen significant revitalization. The Oregon District is the main entertainment neighbourhood, with restaurants, bars, and shops in restored 19th-century buildings. The Dayton Art Institute houses a respectable collection in a handsome Italian Renaissance-style building overlooking the river.
The city is a regional hub in southwestern Ohio, about an hour north of Cincinnati and an hour west of Columbus.