3 Best Places To See in Dayton, OH

“The National Museum of the United States Air Force features over 360 aircraft and missiles on display in 19 acres of indoor exhibition space. There are various departments involved with the museum collection, including Collection Management, Research, and Restoration Division. While the Research Division oversees the museum's constantly growing document and image collection, the Collection Management Division is responsible for the museum system's sizeable aircraft and artifact collection. This division also ensures accountability for all historic U.S. Air Force property. The museum's galleries present military aviation history, feature more than 360 aerospace vehicles and missiles on display, many rare and one-of-a-kind, along with thousands of historical items and powerful sensory exhibits that bring history to life and connect the Wright brothers' legacy with today's stealth and precision technology. Here, admission is free.”

“Boonshoft Museum of Discovery offers visitors of all ages hands-on learning opportunities, living biology lessons, special exhibitions, and more. The museum is accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, affiliated with the Association of Children's Museums, and is a governing member of the Association of Science-Technology Centers. The museum maintains a collection of live animals from Ohio and other countries in addition to a sizable natural history collection as part of its presentations. Boonshoft Museum of Discovery and its sibling organization, SunWatch Indian Village, a museum of the area's Fort Ancient Native Americans from the 12th century, are both run by the Dayton Society of Natural History. Educational outreach extends to the community by providing in-school programming and special on-site programs. Admission is free for children 2 and under and DSNH members.”

“The Dayton Art Institute was a resident of the grand Kemper, which was demolished in 1945. The museum was formerly a small art collection and an art school. The museum offers a full range of programming in addition to exhibiting its collection and special exhibitions. The name was changed to the Dayton Art Institute in 1927 to better represent the institution's expanding significance. The collection at the Dayton Art Institute includes more than 27,000 pieces that span 5,000 years of artistic history. The museum has approximately 1,000 pieces from the collection on display at any given time in the galleries of the Dayton Art Institute. The Dayton Art Institute also houses galleries for outdoor sculpture, African art, ancient art, Oceanic art, ancient American art, and photography and glass.”