Current Products
The Dayton Art Institute
Founded in 1919 as the Dayton Museum of Arts, and originally occupying an impressive mansion downtown, the museum quickly outgrew its first home. Julia Shaw Carnell, a prominent community leader, pledged to construct a new building if the community would then endow and pay for its operations. Mrs. Carnell’s generosity of nearly $2 million created a landmark building atop a hill on the edge of the Great Miami River overlooking downtown Dayton. Designed by prominent museum architect Edward B. Green of Buffalo and completed in 1930, the building was modeled after examples of 16th century Italian Renaissance architecture, Villa d’Este near Rome and Villa Farnese at Caprarola, a pentagon with an interior courtyard. Today, The Dayton Art Institute’s architecturally and historically significant facility is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The museum’s collection spans 5,000 years of art history, including important Oceanic art, Asian art, European art, and American fine and decorative art collections.
The Dayton Art Institute is one of the region’s premier fine arts museums. In addition to exhibiting outstanding special exhibitions and impressive collections of art from throughout the world and a fantastic gift shop, the museum is renowned for education programming that includes an array of offerings and unique special events for diverse audiences.
Retailers for the Dayton Art Institute globe:
Celebrate Local - Easton Columbus
Celebrate Local - Liberty Center Cincinnati
The Dayton Art Institute Museum Store
Heart Mercantile West 5th Street Oregon District
Katie's Hallmark- Imperial Shopping Center, 1032, 674 W National Rd, Vandalia, OH 45377
Katie's Hallmark- Northpark Center, 1025, 8293 Old Troy Pike, Huber Heights, OH 45424
Katie's Hallmark- Northland Plaza, 1368, 2984 Derr Rd, Springfield, OH 45503
Nature~Recreation~Community
Cox Arboretum Observation Tree Tower
Eighty-one steps lead visitors 65’ above the evergreens for panoramic views of the Miami Valley. Initially the vision of Jean Verity Woodhull, the tower and the arboretum grounds are glorious treasures in our community.
John Henry Patterson Monument
Business innovator and founder of National Cash Register (NCR), Patterson created revolutionary corporate training and employee wellness programs. He also led the community recovery effort following the 1913 Dayton flood.
Learn more about Patterson by visiting Dayton History's Carillon Historical Park and the Patterson Homestead.
2nd Street Public Market
This former Baltimore and Ohio Railroad warehouse built in 1911 was saved from demolition and renovated in 2001 in partnership with Five Rivers Metro Parks, Webster Station Development Group, City of Dayton and PNC Bank; now recognized as one of Ohio’s best farmers markets.
Wegerzyn Gardens
A graceful latticework arch is the focal point of the English Garden, which in this case serves as a gateway to the woodland trails and wetland that lie beyond. The arch dates to the 1973 opening of the Wegerzyn Horticultural Center, which in 1995 became Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark, a facility of Five Rivers MetroParks. In addition, there are Federal, Victorian, and Children’s Discovery Gardens, with easy access to the scenic Stillwater River, inviting visitors of all ages to make personal connections to nature.
Canoeing, Kayaking, SUP& Fishing
Years of planning, a challenge grant from the James M. Cox Foundation, private sector companies and community partners, like the Rotary Club of Dayton, helped bring River Run and the greater Dayton waterfront plan to life.
Retailers for the Nature~Recreation~Community globe:
Carillon Park Gift Shop 1000 Carillon Blvd Dayton 45409
Celebrate Local - Easton Columbus
Celebrate Local - Liberty Center Cincinnati
Heart Mercantile West 5th Street Oregon District
Katie's Hallmark- Imperial Shopping Center, 1032, 674 W National Rd, Vandalia, OH 45377
Katie's Hallmark- Northpark Center, 1025, 8293 Old Troy Pike, Huber Heights, OH 45424
Katie's Hallmark- Northland Plaza, 1368, 2984 Derr Rd, Springfield, OH 45503
Lula Bell Boutique - 23 Park Oakwood, OH 45409
Birthplace of Aviation
Dayton, Ohio "Wright City: Right Time"
The Birthplace of Aviation globe highlights six quintessential landmarks along the Wright brothers' journey to flight.
The Wright Cycle Company
Orville and Wilbur Wright began their bicycle repair, rental and sales business, the Wright Cycle Company in the brick building at 22 South Williams Street. They used the profits from the Wright Cycle Co. to finance their aviation experiments. In that same building they designed and constructed their gliders and first airplane, the Wright Flyer. The shop closed in 1909 when they started their aviation company.
Huffman Prairie Flying Field
After their historic first flights at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, the Wrights returned home to look for a suitable flying field. Dayton banker, Torrence Huffman allowed the brothers to use his pasture eight miles northeast of Dayton rent-free. Through a series of unique experiments, the Wright brothers mastered the principles of controlled, powered flight and developed the world’s first practical airplane.Through The Wright Company, the brothers’ aviation business, the Wright brothers continued perfecting their airplane at Huffman Prairie, using it as a testing ground, flying school, and home to their exhibition team. The Wright Company ceased use of the flying field in 1916. Today, Huffman Prairie Flying Field, a National Historic Landmark, is located on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Hawthorn Hill
Hawthorn Hill, a National Historic Landmark and part of the National Aviation Heritage Area, was the post-1914 home of Orville, Milton, and Katharine Wright. Wilbur and Orville Wright intended for it to be their joint home, but Wilbur died in 1912, before the home’s 1914 completion. Though the property now comprises three acres, the mansion originally sat on 17 acres and was named for the 150 hawthorn trees on the property. Orville Wright designed some of the mechanical features of the house, which further reflect his creative genius. For 34 years, this house was the gathering place for the greats and near-greats in the history of American aviation. Dayton History, in cooperation with the Wright Family Foundation, offers scheduled public tours of Hawthorn Hill.
Wright Flyer
The Wrights flew the world’s first powered airplane at Kitty Hawk, NC on 17 Dec 1903. There were subsequent versions created and over the winter of 1904, they built a new aircraft, the Wright Flyer III, which Orville first flew in June 1905. The U.S. Army purchased its first aircraft from the Wright brothers in August 1909 after the brothers demonstrated an airplane that fulfilled all the conditions that had been set out in “Signal Corps Specification 486,” for a “heavier-than-air flying machine.”
Deeds Carillon Bell Tower
The Deeds Carillon bell tower, on the National Register of Historic Places, is located at Dayton History’s Carillon Historical Park, a 65-acre park and museum devoted to the history of Dayton
inventions and technology created by its residents since 1796. The bell tower is showcased in the “Birthplace of Aviation” globe as the icon of the park where visitors today can learn more about the Wright’s lives and accomplishments.
Retailers for the Birthplace in Aviation globe:
Celebrate Local - Easton Columbus
Celebrate Local - Liberty Center Cincinnati
Katie's Hallmark- Imperial Shopping Center, 1032, 674 W National Rd, Vandalia, OH 45377
Katie's Hallmark- Northpark Center, 1025, 8293 Old Troy Pike, Huber Heights, OH 45424
Katie's Hallmark- Northland Plaza, 1368, 2984 Derr Rd, Springfield, OH 45503