I don't know how travel plans go for your family, but my husband's and my conversations go something like this:
"I have a work trip coming up; do you and the kids want to go?" (my husband)
"Oh, sure," I say, followed by, "Oh, wait. Is there anything for us to do?"
Because there's nothing like the stress of traveling with children only to arrive and the highlight of the week is a free continental breakfast at the hotel.
Luckily I had extra motivation for Dayton, Ohio: my best friend from college moved there, as did a friend of my husband's, so when my husband punted me the idea I was already game to pack up the car.
That is, until I started doing a little online exploring and then I couldn't have been more excited.
Located almost exactly five and a half hours from Murfreesboro, and 30 minutes from Cincinnati, Dayton's claims to fame are found in its incredible invention history, robust art scene, and captivating greenways. Just as striking is the value of the trip. Numerous attractions are free or low-cost, lodging at various pricing is plentiful, making it a fantastic family getaway on any budget.
We stayed in Miamisburg, a suburb of Dayton, placing us about 20 minutes or less from every major attraction Dayton offers. I referred to the Dayton Convention and Visitor's Bureau website to plan our trip and drew primarily from their "Dayton on a Dime" sample itinerary.
Carillon Historical Park
Our first day we headed to Carillon Historical Park, Dayton's primary campus for local history and named for the limestone Deeds Carillon on the property, measuring 151 feet with 57 bells. At 65 acres and some 30 buildings to explore, the park is not exactly something you knock out in a day, but we enjoyed our taste. Cost is $12 per adult (ages 18–59), $10 per senior, $8 per child (3–17), Children under 3 and Dayton History members are FREE.
We entered at the main visitor's center and wound our way past the gift shop to the back of the building which features exhibits and murals off Dayton history. Here is also where the museum houses the eye-catching collection of some 200 of the first cash register boxes manufactured by Dayton's National Cash Register Company, including the "Ritty Dial" invented by James Ritty in 1879.
Exiting through the back, visitors enter the expansive park, which looks like a neighborhood unto itself. Sidewalks guide visitors to each attraction, and wide lawns and picnic tables provide quiet respites. We happened to visit on Homeschool Day, so we had the treat of seeing nearly every building operated by volunteers in period dress who were educating visitors on early homemaking practices, lawn games, education, business, and hand crafts.
As much as I wanted to mosey through every single structure, my children were eager to know what they could climb, so we made our first stop at the James F. Dicke Family Transportation Center which displays the 1835 B&O #1, John Quincy Adams, the oldest existing American-built locomotive. We were also allowed to walk through the gorgeous and opulent 1903 Detroit & Mackinac Passenger Car #100 (built by Dayton company Barney & Smith) as well as an 1843 Conestoga wagon. Aside from a few boundaries, visitors are free to roam the vehicles. Plenty of space, floor to ceiling windows and gracious tour guides helped make that a favorite spot.
My husband is an aviation engineer, so I was thrilled to see the Wright Brother's bicycle shop and see their first wind tunnels. A clever video presentation at the Wright Brothers National Museum accompanied by live action effects provide visitors an overview of the ingenuity the two brothers exercised when building their aircraft. The museum alone could take a few hours, but with the help of kind tour guides we brought the children to the 1905 Wright Flyer III (pictured above) —the nation's first manned aircraft to fly — quickly, and I left with a sharp desire to return when the children are older.
After two hours of exploring we parked ourselves at the Archaeology Adventure Zone where kids can freely play in sandboxes and climb multi-leveled stairs and slides in the shade. At lunch, we stopped in Culp's Café for cold sandwiches and drinks in a 1930s soda fountain ambiance. The park is also famous for the Carillon Brewery, the only brewery in the nation to be housed in a museum and still make beer by period methods. It serves a European-style folk menu with servers dressed in period costume. To be honest the Google reviews aren't great, though locals claimed it to be a must-see. Another attraction on my list for another time.
Five Rivers Parks System
The next day we visited the Children's Discovery Garden at Wegerzyn Gardens with my friend. For two hours we strolled past lush flowers, enchanting garden art, and played in sandboxes and got lost in the music maze. Gardeners helped us find plants and herbs the children would like. My kids loved the rocking chairs by the pond, the large sandboxes in a shaded green space, and the bubbling fountains along the trail. Closed January- February, it's free and open 10 months a year with special exhibits, performances, and events for families. The garden is only one of 18 in the parks system (not to mention conservation areas and regional trails), so, as confirmed by my friend, Dayton is excellent for the outdoors family.
The Green
For the evenings, we ended up visiting The Green twice, a pretty shopping development with local and chain eateries and shops, along with a children's playground, and a splash pad and green space at its center. We happened to catch their live music series, so the kids enjoyed a run with their local peers through the water fountains while my husband and I listened to Johnny Cash covers. We dined at The Pub Beavercreek, an Irish establishment boasting the bold claim to have the best fish and chips in the United States, according to British food authorities The Green King. It was delicious— from the storied fish and chips to their house salads and gouda macaroni and cheese.
Oregon District
My husband and I do have a thing for European pubs, so our pallets took us and our offspring another night to the Oregon district—a neighborhood of staunchly local restaurants, music and art shops, bookstores and curiosities—where we ate at the fabulous Dublin Pub and then crossed the street to walk Oregon's cobbled stones. We took pics at the local murals and tried to capture the swaths of art that wrap the city, from tunnels to buildings.
Just a few blocks away at Riverscape Metro Park we enjoyed an afternoon taking in a breathtaking view of the Great Miami River. We ran down the steps to visit with locals—ducks, geese, and cranes—while the children dropped stones in the clean, cool water. A huge mural celebrating the adventure lifestyle serves as a backdrop of the Great Miami River Trail across the water.
The National Museum of the US Air Force
For our last day we took the morning to dedicate to the National Museum of the US Air Force, the oldest and largest military aviation museum in the world, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. FREE of charge, it encompasses four hangars housing more than 360 aircraft, along with interpretive exhibits, films, and special exhibits. Luckily my husband had been before and knew right where to take our busy preschoolers: the presidential collection and research and development craft where guests are allowed to climb on and walk through. We lunched at the Valkyrie Café (outside food and drink are prohibited), looking over half of one hangar, with the U2 spy plane overhead. We spent nearly three hours exploring the twin-hangar of Cold War aircraft, and we walked a briskly the entire time. I was disappointed to not be able to peruse the adjacent outdoor Memorial Park as well, with its many plaques and beautiful monuments, but it deserved the better part of a morning just to itself.
In a mere five days we scratched the surface of what Dayton offers—not even making it to the Dayton Art Institute or the Boonshoft Museum— and made notes for return trips. For the wealth of history, the family-friendly spaces we found, and the value, it was definitely one of our better family travel experiences.
As we left, my mind kept returning to the tenacious creativity and ingenuity that seemed soaked into the bones of the city. I was happy to take my kids, even as young as they are. There was plenty to amuse them, plenty of activity to keep them busy, and they were introduced, as small as they are, to the very fabric of thinking that make much of our modern life possible.
What to Do:
Carillon Historical Park daytonhistory.org
National Museum of the US Airforce nationalmuseum.af.mil
Oregon District facebook.com/oregondistrict
The Greene thegreene.com
Five Rivers Metroparks System metroparks.org
Dayton Art Institute (CVB recommended) daytonartinstitute.org
Where to Eat:
Dublin Pub Dubpub.com
The Pub Beavercreek Experiencethepub.com
Troll Pub (CVB recommended) trollpub.com
Spaghetti Warehouse (CVB recommended) meatballs.com
Marion's Piazza (CVB recommended) marionspiazza.com
More Ideas:
Dayton Convention and Visitors Bureau daytoncvb.com
Laura Beth Payne is a writer mama of two living in Murfreesboro with her husband Nathan. Follow @murfreesboromama on Facebook and Instagram for more family fun in and around the city.
