What Is Dayton, Ohio Known For?
Want to know what Dayton, Ohio is known for? We’ve got you covered with all it’s claims to fame!
Dayton is Ohio’s 6th largest city and was founded over 225 years ago (April 1, 1796).
In that time, the Gem City has contributed greatly to innovation, advancement in technology, and history as we know it.
Most recently, Dayton is in the path of totality for the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, which is not to be missed!
Today I’m sharing the things Dayton, Ohio is most known for historically and what it’s known for today, including popular historic and tourist spots.
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What Is Dayton, Ohio Known For?
Historically, Dayton, Ohio’s 2 biggest claims to fame are that it is the birthplace of aviation and the home of the invention of the first “incorruptible” cash register.
In the sports world, Dayton also has some notoriety for being the birthplace of the NFL and for hosting the First Four games for March Madness for many years
Additionally, there are a handful of notable celebrities that have called Dayton home.
Let’s break down each one.
1. The Birthplace of Aviation
The Wright Brothers (Orville and Wilbur) called Dayton home for much of their lives and that is where they did all of their research and development of the first successful, sustained powered flight.
They only went to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina to actually fly the plane since the wind was much more suitable there.
Today, you can learn more about the Wright Brothers impact on aviation at several places around Dayton.
✈️ Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park
First, there’s the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park, which is made up of a handful of historical landmarks and parks.
One of which is Carillon Historical Park, which houses the world’s first practical airplane, the 1905 Wright Flyer III.
Another place is the Wright Cycle Shop, which is one of the bicycle shops the Wright Brothers owned and operated before getting into aviation.
Additionally, you can visit the Huffman Prairie Flying Field where they conducted several test flights.
Lastly, there are also a couple interpretive centers that are part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park – the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center and the Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center.
✈️ National Museum of the United States Air Force
Another place that isn’t specific to the Wright Brothers, but has a ton of history of aviation is the Air Force Museum.
It’s completely free to visit and they also have special exhibits from time to time.
Each hangar is dedicated to different wars and eras of the US Air Force and has a handful of planes you can go inside.
It even includes a section on space travel.
2. The World’s First Incorruptible Cash Register
There is another great invention that is one of the main things Dayton, Ohio is most known for.
The world’s first “incorruptible” cash register was invented by James Ritty in 1879 as a way to keep money from being stolen out of cash drawers by employees.
Then, in 1884, John Patterson bought the patents from James Ritty and created the National Cash Register Company, or NCR.
From then on, most iterations and advancements that have happened with cash registers and processing systems have come through NCR.
They hold a crazy amount of technology patents!
If you’ve ever seen a vintage cash register from before, let’s say the WWII era, then you’ve seen their plaque on every cash register that reads “National Cash Register Company – Dayton, Ohio”.
We’ve seen them in the most random places like in a restaurant outside of Carlsbad Caverns National Park and in historic western towns like Virginia City, Nevada and Tombstone, Arizona.
If you go to Carillon Park in Dayton you can see a huge collection of them.
3. The Birthplace of the NFL
The very first game of what is now the NFL was played in Dayton, Ohio on October 3, 1920 at Triangle Park.
At the time, the NFL was made up of 14 teams and this game in particular was played between the Dayton Triangles and the Columbus Panhandles.
The Dayton Triangles won 14-0.
For the NFL’s 100th Anniversary, they commemorated Dayton as a place of significance by deciding to fund a new turf field at Triangle Park, but it was determined some historical Native American remains are in the area, so that project was scrapped.
4. March Madness First Four
Every year for awhile now and presumably for many years to come, Dayton has been home to the First Four games for March Madness, kicking off one of the biggest sporting events of the year.
It’s played at the University of Dayton arena over the course of a few days.
I remember as a kid being able to go in to open practices to watch different teams play and get autographs from some of the players.
5. Celebrities from Dayton, Ohio
We have a post on famous people from Dayton that goes a bit more in-depth on this topic, but just as a little summary, here are some notable celebrities from Dayton, Ohio.
Nancy Cartwright – a voice actress, famously known for portraying Bart Simpson (The Simpson, Chuckie (Rugrats), and Rufus (Kim Possible), with voice work in other shows and movies like Animaniacs, Fat Albert, Goof Troop, The Little Mermaid, and more.
Allison Janney – an actress, known for movies like 1994’s Miracle on 34th Street, 10 Things I Hate About You, American Beauty, Finding Nemo (Peach voice), Hairspray, Juno, The Help, and more.
Martin Sheen – actor and father of Charlie Sheen and Emilio Estevez, known for movies and shows like Badlands, Apocalypse Now, Gettysburg, Catch Me If You Can, The West Wing, The Way, and more.
Rob Lowe – actor, known for movies and shows like St. Elmo’s Fire, Wayne’s World, Tommy Boy, Austin Powers franchise, The West Wing, Parks & Recreation, and more.
Fun Things To Do In Dayton, Ohio
Below are some of our favorite things to do in Dayton throughout each season.
✅ Best Things To Do in Dayton In Winter
While the Winter weather can severely limit your options, there is still plenty to do in Dayton during the Winter.
There are many indoor activities and there are some seasonal events you don’t want to miss, especially holiday lights.
✅ Best Things To Do in Dayton In Spring
Springtime is a fun time to explore a variety of parks around Dayton.
Flowers are blooming, everything is green again, and there are plenty of Easter activities.
✅ Best Things To Do in Dayton In Summer
Summer is a great time to explore Dayton because pretty much everything that’s seasonal is open.
The weather is great, all the outdoor activities are open, and there are a ton of festivals.
✅ Best Things To Do in Dayton in Fall
Fall is festival season in Dayton, Ohio.
From Oktoberfest celebrations to harvest festivals and my personal favorite, the Italian Festival, there is a festival for just about anything in the Fall in Dayton.
✅ Best Day Trips From Dayton, Ohio
There are so many things to do within an hour or two drive from Dayton.
Caverns, ancient Indian mounds, wine tasting, a theme park, and more await on your day trip from Dayton.
Where To Eat In Dayton, Ohio
Dayton, Ohio is home to some hugely popular local chains and mom and pop shops with national notoriety.
We also have all the major national chains here too, so there is a seemingly endless number of restaurants here.
Here are some of our favorites.
✔️ Romantic Restaurants in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton has a handful of steakhouses that have been around for decades that are perfect for date nights, anniversaries, birthdays, and more.
✔️ Best Italian Restaurants in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton has had a recent resurgence in modern Italian restaurants that specialize in a variety of regions throughout Italy.
You won’t find Olive Garden on this list!
✔️ Best Mexican Restaurants in Dayton, Ohio
Dayton has a couple local chains that are a must try.
JP was born and raised in Southern California and even he enjoys these restaurants, so you know they’re legit.
✔️ Best Restaurants in Dayton, Ohio
These are the best overall restaurants in Dayton that fit any budget and palette.
If you’ve never been to the area, I recommend Skyline Chili.
Conclusion: What Is Dayton, Ohio Known For?
If you’ve been wondering what Dayton, Ohio is known for, now you know!
We’re the birthplace of aviation and we have more patents per capita than any other city in the US.
Dayton has always made great contributions to history, the advancement of technology, and even popular culture and sports.
