Technology and Innovations

When you think about our national parks, you probably picture a grand canyon, geysers, mountains, tall trees, coral reefs, or vast open pieces of land. Did you know that the national park service also has a number of sites dedicated to technology and innovations? There’s about 15 of them.

The name of the Wright Brothers equates to an airplane not the national parks. But, they have a national memorial! You can find the Wright Brothers National Memorial in North Carolina.

On December 17, 1903, Orville and Wilbur Wright made history and achieved their first successful flight after four years of scientific experimentation. They chose this part of North Carolina for the wind, sand, and isolation – all needed to safely and secretly learn how to fly.

At this national park site, you can check out their flight lines, see reconstructed 1903 camps, visit a monument and visitor’s center.

Be an inventor like the Wright Brothers and check out this video by Ranger Amiee to build a simple sled kite. Orville and Wilbur did their early scientific experiments with kites. Click here for the video.

Do your research like the Wright Brothers and check out books about them, click here or here for a children’s book.

Can’t wait to go and check out the Wright Brothers National Memorial sometime soon!