Carillon Historical Park is 65-acre open-air history museum that shares the amazing stories of how Dayton changed the world.

Carillon Historical Park celebrates how Dayton, Ohio, changed the world. The Gem City is home to the airplane, the automobile self-starter, the cash register, the first internationally acclaimed African American poet, the National Football League’s inaugural game, and so much more. By the turn of the 20th century, Dayton had more patents, per capita, than any U.S. city, and one-sixth of the nation’s corporate executives had spent a portion of their career at legendary Dayton company National Cash Register (NCR). 

Dayton’s extraordinary history has undoubtedly impacted billions of lives. With a hand-carved carousel, animatronic theater, trains, slides, living-history experiences, thousands of artifacts, extensive educational programming, and more, Carillon Historical Park brings Dayton’s past to life in a way that is fun for the whole family. Here are some highlights:

At 151 feet and with 57 bells, the limestone Deeds Carillon — the Park’s namesake — was designed by Reinhard & Hofmeister, the same architectural firm responsible for Rockefeller Center. It is Ohio’s largest carillon and one of the largest in the nation. The grounds surrounding the carillon and the park’s entry gates were designed by the Olmsted Brothers, the famed landscape architects responsible for Central Park.

The John W. Berry Sr. Wright Brothers National Museum has more Wright artifacts on display than any place in the world, including the 1905 Wright Flyer III — the only airplane designated a National Historic Landmark, the world’s first practical flying machine, and what Orville considered the Wrights’ most important aircraft.

Carillon Brewing Co. offers visitors a glimpse into 1850s-era Dayton through the authentically prepared food and drink of the times. It is the nation’s only fully operational production brewery in a museum and creates a truly unique educational dining experience.

Housed in the Heritage Center of Manufacturing and Entrepreneurship is the beautiful, hand-carved Carousel of Dayton Innovation; an extensive collection of antique NCR cash registers; a 4-D animatronic theatre; and the original Deeds Barn, the storied building where Charles Kettering and the Barn Gang built the automobile self-starter, changing transportation as we know it.

The James F. Dicke Family Transportation Center displays the 1835 B&O #1, John Quincy Adams, the oldest existing American-built locomotive; the gorgeous and opulent 1903 Detroit & Mackinac Passenger Car #100 (built by Dayton company Barney & Smith); an 1843 Conestoga wagon; a 1904 interurban trolley car; a 1923 B&O caboose; and many fascinating transportation artifacts.

The Winsupply Center of Leadership is the newest addition to Carillon Park and features new exhibit galleries; classroom spaces; Culp’s Café, a full-service restaurant and soda fountain serving breakfast and lunch; and the Eichelberger Pavilion, an elegant reception hall with historically inspired design elements that can accommodate up to 700 seated guests.   

In 2005, Carillon Historical Park merged with the Montgomery County Historical Society to create a new umbrella organization known as Dayton History. The private, nonprofit (501c3) organization was established to preserve, share, and celebrate our region’s history. In addition to Carillon Park, the following sites rest under Dayton History’s care:

Carillon Brewing Company: The nation’s only fully operational production brewery in a museum. Est. 2014.

Hawthorn Hill: Orville Wright’s success mansion. Join the ranks of Charles Lindbergh, Henry Ford, and Thomas Edison as visitors to the first pilot’s last home. Est. 1914.

The Paul Laurence Dunbar House Historic Site: Home of the first internationally acclaimed African American poet. Est. 1903.

Patterson Homestead: Originally the home of Colonel Robert Patterson, a Revolutionary War soldier and founder of Lexington, Kentucky, and Cincinnati, Ohio, this storied structure also served as home to Colonel Patterson’s grandson, NCR Founder John H. Patterson. Est. 1816.

The Old Court House: One of the nation's finest examples of Greek Revival architecture, Abraham Lincoln and seven other U.S. presidents campaigned here. Est. 1850.

Memorial Hall: Memorial Hall was conceived as a tribute to local Civil and Spanish-American War veterans. It now functions as Montgomery County’s memorial to area veterans serving in all conflicts. Est. 1910.

The Archive Center: Housing millions of the Dayton region’s artifacts and once managed solely by the Montgomery County Historical Society (est. 1896), the collection at the Archive Center is more than 100 years old.

The Mound Cold War Discovery Center: From 1948-2003, the top-secret, scientific work of Mound Laboratory revolutionized Cold War, Nuclear Age, and Space Race history.