Carillon Historical Park
Carillon Historical Park
5
Historic Sites • Children's Museums • History Museums
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9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Monday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Saturday
9:30 AM - 5:00 PM
Sunday
12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
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About
Carillon Historical Park inspires generations by connecting them with the unique people, places, and events that changed Dayton and the world. With more than 30 museum exhibits onsite, Carillon Historical Park showcases Dayton’s rich heritage of creativity, invention, and milestones in innovation that changed the nation and the world! The park houses the John W. Berry, Sr. Wright Brothers National Museum featuring the original 1905 Wright Flyer III, an impressive collection of NCR cash registers, the Carousel of Dayton Innovation, Gem City Letterpress (NEW!), and so much more!
Suggested duration
More than 3 hours
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  • Margaret
    Dayton, Ohio33 contributions
    Great for history buffs!
    This is an absolute must-do in Dayton. Despite having lived in SW Ohio for years, I never fully appreciated the richness of Dayton’s until I visited this park. Carillon is reminiscent of Henry Ford’s Greenfield Village in Michigan, but with an emphasis on Dayton history. There are a number of museums, exhibits, and historical buildings to explore. My favorite part of the park is the Wright Brothers museum, which houses the actual Wright Flyer III. There are also a couple of dining options on-site. I haven’t eaten at the brewery yet, but I’ve heard great things! I was so enamored by this park during my first visit in December that I became a Dayton History subscriber. Suffice it to say, I will be back soon and often!
    Visited January 2020
    Traveled as a couple
    Written January 17, 2020
  • Dewayne P
    Elizabethtown, Kentucky1,832 contributions
    Old buildings and the Wright Brother's 1905 plane
    This was a neat place to visit, probably my favorite stop in Dayton. There is plenty of free parking and a nominal, $12 fee for adults to enter. They have exhibits inside the main visitor's center to include an old carousel and countless cash registers. Outside are a number of buildings from the later 18th Century to the 19th Century, replicas, originals, period interpreters performing tasks such as woodwork and of course the Wright Brother's original 1905 plan housed in Wright Hall. I took a docent led tour from John - who was phenomenal by the way - who brought me on a journey from their early life all the way through post-death, talked about the various artifacts in the museum, and provided some humor along the way. Worth going to see.
    Visited May 2022
    Written May 23, 2022
  • Lorna B.
    Bechtelsville, Pennsylvania757 contributions
    a fun place to explore
    We visited here recently and enjoyed our time very much. As history buffs, we found lots of interesting things to see throughout the complex. Heritage Hall contained exhibits about items invented or manufactured in Dayton, OH, or nearby. The collection of cash registers (an item invented here) was truly impressive; they were works of art! Included here was an enjoyable 20-minute-long animatronic presentation about Dayton’s innovators and a very unusual carousel. Outdoors, there are various buildings and structures spread out on their grounds, including historic houses, a church, a school, a covered bridge, etc.; some buildings had docents inside and others contained exhibits. The transportation barn contained a nice collection of historic vehicles such as a coach, Conestoga wagon, steam engine, passenger trains, a streetcar, caboose, etc. Another building contained rare and antique bicycles, all fascinating and fun to see. A highlight for us was the National Park Service’s Wright Brothers National Museum. It displays the original 1905 Wright Flyer III and various exhibits about their accomplishments in the area of aviation. There was another (different) animatronics presentation in this building. Having visited the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center and Wright Cycle Company building that morning (see separate review), we found these additional exhibits a nice supplement; the information presented here was not at all redundant to the other site, so seeing both of these was worth doing. (If you have a NPS pass, tell them at admission and receive a small discount on your Carillon Park ticket.) We did not hear the carillon in play during our visit and did not hear anything about when it can be heard (maybe we missed in while indoors). There was a bit of construction going on here as new exhibits are readied for opening; we were told a train will soon be added to give visitors a ride around the park. We had planned to eat lunch at Culp’s Café, but their website stated it was not open. (I would have rated this site 5 stars but deducted one star for the construction mess and the closed café.) In all, we spent almost four hours here, enjoying the exhibits, the presentations, and the grounds. It was a very enjoyable time and a great site at which to wrap up our spring trip before heading home to eastern PA the following day. There was plentiful free parking and clean bathrooms.
    Visited April 2022
    Written May 6, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
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5.0
976 reviews
Excellent
779
Very good
165
Average
29
Poor
2
Terrible
1

wireless_in_CA
United States4,831 contributions
Aug 2021 • Friends
We spent a couple hours here exploring both the inside and outdoor exhibits.

Until that day, I never realized how much manufacturing and industry was started here in Dayton. From NCR (cash registers), Delco (automotive), Frigidaire (refrigerators and home appliances) to aerospace, bicycles and more. The exhibits were through and detailed. Well designed and informative.

A working indoor carousel was located next to an indoor scale model train setup.

From the historical viewpoints there were a number of buildings relocated here from around d Dayton. A wooden covered bridge, an old clock tower (a climb up the 100+ stairs gave a good view of Dayton and the river), homes, cabins and so forth. Majority of them were open and decorated in the period.

One building contained just bicycles from the many manufacturers that used to be her in Dayton, I.e. Huffy, that I rode around as a youngster. Another building documented the effects and impacts of the the 1913 flood that destroyed a good part of Dayton. Trolley, trains and a bus were housed in a larger building and a docent was quite helpful in explaining the history of each before we were allowed to walk inside. A first class train coach was polished wood and quite plush for the day.

The 1905 Wright Flyer III was housed in its own museum building and amazingly restored from at least 80% of the recovered materials from storage in Kitty Hawk. Definitely worth seeing even if it’s not the first one that took flight. Other parts of the museum covered the Wright Brothers early days as printer and bicycle manufacturers. Guides here were helpful and gave good insight and details.

The Carillion Tower in front of the park is functioning but unfortunately we never heard it play during our visit.

Admission was reasonable for all that you get to see.
Written August 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

LV-from-Cincy
Mason, OH105 contributions
Oct 2020 • Couples
A combo park and historical museum. Tickets are required for entry to the museum. It's a great stroll through historical buildings with period pieces arranged by theme. The best one is the building devoted to the Wright Brothers which has a part of the first of the planes they built. Also, don't forget to climb the tower for a good view.
Written November 2, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

David S
Saint Louis, MO318 contributions
Aug 2021 • Couples
This park is a treasure trove of history about it’s mother city, Dayton. The park runs tours of Hawthorn Hill, the “mansion” owned by Orville Wright. Both brothers Intended to live in the house however Wilbur died prior to the completion of Holmes construction. The docent/guide was excellent and had a deep and personal knowledge of everything Wright.

The home they call a “mansion” holds many pieces of the original furniture. As a guest I wished to see the park have more revenue so they could fund the complete restoration and show the entire home. The tour includes 1st & 2nd floors which appears, based on photographs, to be a very close approximation of the way that the home looked when it was occupied by the Wright family. There is a lower level and 3rd floor that is not open to the public that apparently has finished living spaces. It’s easy to see where the house and the history of the family could be a stand alone attraction.

The park holds more Wright history including one of their bike shops and one of the original planes. The Smithsonian has the 1st one flown at Kitty Hawk.

Additionally, there are several buildings that retrace the business and industrial history of Dayton and include the stories of the people who made this city famous.

There are more buildings under construction which will hold additional displays being built. We got a feeling that goal is to give visitors a similar feeling to what you experience when you visit historic Colonial Williamsburg Virginia. It is easy to see that they could dress people in costume who would be there to regale the stories and tell visitors about the history of Dayton.

If you are in Dayton or anywhere remotely close, and you have any curiosity about the Wright brothers and the history of flight, this park is a must see destination.
Written September 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

pasherry
United States1,023 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
Visited this park on a Sunday. Admission is $12/adult with discounts for seniors and children. The main building was interesting with a vintage cash register exhibit and animatronics informative presentation about the early innovators of the Dayton area. The outside park area with old buildings was a bit of a disappointment as there was construction going on, no open food vendors and no living history demonstrations or train rides as advertised on their website. The place looked deserted and neglected. But the Wright museum building was interesting and the history of the Dayton flood was good. It was sad realizing that manufacturing in the US has declined so much. We walked around for about 2.5 hrs. Maybe it is slower during this time of year, but overall it was disappointing.
Written August 8, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

j_wenner
Cleveland, OH461 contributions
May 2021
On Saturday 5/1, we went to the Carillon Historical Park. We happened to find this treasure by googling places to visit while in the Dayton, Ohio area. This is a great place to visit. It has a museum and various historical buildings that you can walk to on site. The greatest find in this place was the Wright Brothers National Museum! This museum should be the main attraction at this historical park, but it is hardly mentioned at all on their website. The Wright Brothers National Museum tour guide was very knowledgeable! I would recommend this historical park to everyone in the Dayton, Ohio area.
Written May 3, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Janean P
Kettering, OH277 contributions
Aug 2020 • Friends
This is a must-see in the Dayton area, for everyone young and old. This museum is filled with historical artifacts, featuring the first flight Wright flyer, the Wright Bros cycle shop, other historical buildings that have been relocated there, massive amounts of inventions and their inventors all unique to Dayton. The gift shop offers many unique gifts, including purses, etc, made from pop tops.
Written August 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

243DLP
Midland, MI1,026 contributions
May 2021
This is a great place to visit with both indoor and outdoor things to see and do. Unfortunately, we were there on a rainy day and also the park was going through renovations so we didn't get to try the cafe or the brewery. What was open was very interesting and informative. We enjoyed the museum with the exhibits and museum store, and the Wright Brothers National Museum which houses the Wright Flyer III. There are other buildings on the property, but because of the rain, we opted not to visit them this time. There are guides at the buildings to give you more information if you'd like. We will be back in better weather when more things are open.
Written May 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Aaron B
Vandalia47 contributions
Mar 2020
Along with visiting Carillon Park I am a volunteer member of the restoration crew at the park. As such I get to see most of the buildings and attractions of the park. It is well worth the time to come to the park. Much of the history of Dayton, especially as a center of science, engineering, invention and innovation can be seen during a visit. The park has items and exhibits that will interest people of all ages and much more than can be seen in a day so an annual membership which is very cost effective if you are from the Dayton area is recommended.
Written March 13, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Dmarkwind
Kansas City, MO2,677 contributions
Aug 2022 • Couples
It’s no Greenfield Village or Colonial Williamsburg, but this small historic park featuring historic buildings and costumed interpreters is well worth a visit. The best part for us was the John W. Berry Sr. National Wright Brothers Museum, located within the park. We didn’t get her name, but there was a volunteer who spent a lot of time with us telling us stories about the Wright Brothers and answering our questions. It was raining when we came in and there weren’t a lot of other visitors at the time, and we really appreciated talking with her! We also enjoyed climbing the Brethren Tower, and visiting the James F. Dicke Transportation Center, the Dayton Cyclery, and the working 1930s Print Shop. We were a little surprised that the museum portion of the main building (also called the Heritage Center of Dayton Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship) was much more extensive than we expected with a lot of great displays about Dayton history and all the innovations and developments that came out of the city. There's even an indoor merry-go-round you can ride! Wish we had more time to read all the displays. Be sure not to miss the short show featuring animatronic figures or the park’s large gift shop!
Written July 20, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Amusementparkguy
Pataskala, OH1,432 contributions
Nov 2020
A friend and I stopped here to check this place out last weekend. It was an incredible visit. The museum inside showcases many of the businesses and industries that got their start in the Dayton area. The carousel is a unique menagerie in that there are few animals but objects that represent the companies from the Dayton, Ohio, area. How often can you ride a pop can or cash register on a carousel?

There is a nice village outside the the museum area, featuring buildings and relics from the past.

Overall, it gives a great overview of Ohio from yesteryear.
Written November 26, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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Carillon Historical Park (Dayton) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go

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Carillon Historical Park is open:
  • Sun - Sun 12:00 PM - 5:00 PM
  • Mon - Sat 9:30 AM - 5:00 PM


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