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Short answer: Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills is open seven days a week, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, closed only on December 25, according to the National Park Service. The entrance fee is $10 per person for visitors 16 and over, cashless, with children under 16 free. The NPS hours page was last updated in 2021, so check before you go.
- Daily, closed Dec 25, per NPS9 to 5
- Standard pass, per person$10
- On US Highway 158MP 7.5
- Ages 15 and younger$0
How we checked: The National Park Service’s Wright Brothers National Memorial plan your visit, hours, fees, directions and things to do pages. All read on November 3, 2026. Hours, prices, rules, closures and road status change, so check the named agency or business before you rely on them. Anything we could not read is marked Not confirmed where it appears. The NPS hours and directions pages are dated October 2021, so we mark them as older. General guidance on this page is labelled as general guidance. This is not safety, medical or legal advice; where a safety or legal rule appears, the quoted words are the official source’s own.
What This Trip Is
This is a short stop of an hour or two on a day on the Outer Banks, near Kill Devil Hills, and it pairs naturally with the beaches and lighthouses on our Outer Banks long weekend itinerary. The NPS describes it as the place where “two young brothers from Dayton, Ohio” made “the world’s first controlled, sustained, powered, heavier-than-air flight.” Our Wright Brothers National Memorial place page has more on the history. This page covers the practical side.
What to See
What The NPS Lists at The Memorial
- The groundsReproductions of the brothers’ 1903 camp buildings, and the place where Wilbur and Orville Wright “first took to the air in their 1903 flyer and landed.”
- The monumentYou can climb Big Kill Devil Hill to see the monument commemorating their achievement. How long the climb takes: Not confirmed
- The visitor centerA replica of the 1903 flyer and interactive exhibits that tell the brothers’ story, plus an interpretive program. The NPS also lists a Junior Flight Ranger program and a park store.
- Ranger programsThe NPS says to check its calendar for programs on your day. The calendar page we read had no program times: Not confirmed
What It Costs
The NPS fees page says the park is self-pay: “Please pay or enter your interagency pass information at any of the fee machines in the main parking lot.” The standard pass is $10 and the annual pass is $35. The page says the fee is “charged per-person, NOT per vehicle,” and that “Ages 15 and younger are free of charge.” The same page also says visitors over 16 need a pass, so the age line for a 16-year-old is Not confirmed. The park “does not accept cash,” and a digital America the Beautiful pass can be bought on Recreation.gov ahead of time. Bring a plate number for the machine and keep the receipt on your dashboard.
Getting There
The visitor center address is 1000 North Croatan Highway, Kill Devil Hills, NC 27948, which the NPS places at “mile post 7.5 on U.S. Highway 158.” The directions page says Norfolk International Airport is about 100 miles to the north and Raleigh-Durham about 200 miles to the west. It also says “Public bus transportation is not available in the area,” so plan on a car, a taxi or a plane. First Flight Airstrip at the park has a 3,000-foot runway, with daylight use only and no services.
A Simple Plan
- Arrive in daylight before 5:00 pm.That is the closing time on the NPS page, last updated in 2021.
- Pay at the machine with a card.Cash is not accepted.
- Start in the visitor center,Then walk the grounds to the camp reproductions and the takeoff site.
- Climb Big Kill Devil HillIf the weather suits you.
- Continue southTo the Bodie Island Lighthouse using the Outer Banks long weekend or the Outer Banks and Cape Hatteras trip guide.
What We Could Not Confirm
- Today’s hours and any holiday or weather changes: the hours page says 9:00 am to 5:00 pm but was last updated October 7, 2021. Not confirmed
- Ranger program times and special events: the NPS calendar page showed none. Not confirmed
- Whether the fee applies to 16-year-olds (the NPS page gives two different cut-offs). Not confirmed
- How long a typical visit takes, and how long the climb up Big Kill Devil Hill takes. Not confirmed
- Accessibility details: not on the pages we read. Not confirmed
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does Wright Brothers National Memorial cost?
The NPS lists a $10 standard pass per person, a $35 annual pass, and says ages 15 and younger are free. It does not accept cash.
What time does it close?
The NPS says it is open seven days a week, year-round, 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, closed only on December 25. That page was last updated in 2021.
Where is it?
At mile post 7.5 on US Highway 158 in Kill Devil Hills, at 1000 North Croatan Highway, per the NPS.
Sources
- NPS, Wright Brothers plan your visit, read November 3, 2026 (updated Oct 16, 2024)
- NPS, Operating hours and seasons, read November 3, 2026 (updated Oct 7, 2021)
- NPS, Fees and passes, read November 3, 2026
- NPS, Directions, read November 3, 2026 (updated Oct 7, 2021)
- NPS, Things to do, read November 3, 2026 (updated June 20, 2025)
Read on November 3, 2026. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.
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Cite this page: It's North Carolina, “Wright Brothers National Memorial Visit: Hours, Fees and What to See”, itsnorthcarolina.com/visit/tours-and-day-trips/wright-brothers-national-memorial-visit/ (updated ). By the It's North Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.