Wright Brothers Day 2026: Thursday, Dec. 17, and a Fee-Free Day at Kill Devil Hills

Wright Brothers Day is Thursday, Dec. 17, 2026, and the National Park Service (NPS) says fees are waived that day at Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina. The date is set by federal law, and the day marks the first powered flights of 1903. Below are the four flights in seconds and feet, the dates through 2031, where to mark the day and a free one-page sheet.

Why is Dec. 17 Wright Brothers Day?

Federal law says “December 17 is Wright Brothers Day,” and asks the President to issue a proclamation each year, according to 36 U.S. Code section 143 (Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute). In 2024, the proclamation was Proclamation 10874, dated Dec. 16, 2024. In 2025, the White House issued a “Message on Wright Brothers Day” on Dec. 17, 2025, not a proclamation. It said, “Today our Nation celebrates the heroic moment America took to the skies when Orville and Wilbur Wright launched the first controlled, machine-powered aircraft on December 17, 1903.” Nothing has been issued for 2026 yet.

The law makes the day an observance. We found no source that makes it a day off.

How long were the four flights of Dec. 17, 1903?

NPS says the brothers “made four successful sustained powered flights the morning of December 17, 1903.” The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says the first flight reached a top speed of 6.8 miles per hour and that Orville completed it. NASA adds that the brothers took turns piloting the three other flights that day.

Flight	Time	Distance
1	12 seconds	120 feet
2	12 seconds	175 feet
3	15 seconds	200 feet
4	59 seconds	852 feet

Source: NPS, “Four Powered Flights,” updated June 24, 2025.

Is Wright Brothers National Memorial free on Dec. 17?

Yes. The park’s fees page, updated June 5, 2026, says: “December 17: Fees are waived at this park only, marking the anniversary of the Wright brothers’ ‘first flight.’” Fees are charged per person 16 years or older, not per vehicle. The park is at 1401 National Park Drive, Manteo, North Carolina. The page lists one other fee-free day, Aug. 19.

The park’s hours page, which is dated 2021, lists Christmas Day as its closed day, so check the park’s hours page before you go. For the other fee-free days this year, see National Parks free days.

What is planned at the memorial in 2026?

The 2026 anniversary program, which would be the 123rd (our count from 1903), is not yet announced. In 2025, NPS said Wright Brothers National Memorial hosted the 122nd anniversary event on Dec. 17 at 8:30 a.m., with the first flight time marked at 10:35 a.m. Those are 2025 times. Check the park’s news page for 2026.

Where can you mark the first flight on Dec. 17?

Place	What the source says	Cost
Wright Brothers National Memorial, North Carolina	Fees waived Dec. 17 (NPS, 2026 fees page)	Fee-free that day
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Washington	Gallery 107 holds “the original 1903 Wright Flyer”; open 10 am to 5:30 pm, every day except Dec. 25	Admission is free; free timed-entry passes required

The museum’s gallery is “The Wright Brothers & The Invention of the Aerial Age.” Plan around the closure on Christmas Day and put both visits on the December 2026 printable calendar. Another December date with a presidential observance is Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day on Dec. 7.

What weekday is Wright Brothers Day through 2031?

The date is fixed at Dec. 17. The weekdays are our calculation.

Year	Date	Weekday
2026	Dec. 17	Thursday
2027	Dec. 17	Friday
2028	Dec. 17	Sunday
2029	Dec. 17	Monday
2030	Dec. 17	Tuesday
2031	Dec. 17	Wednesday

What does the free Wright Brothers Day sheet include?

The one-page sheet lists the date, the fee-free memorial, the four flights in seconds and feet, tick boxes for what to check before you go and the addresses above. It also lists Wright Brothers Day 2027. Sources are NPS, NASA and the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.