Local Attractions

Harrison Township is fortunate to be located in close proximity to many great recreational and cultural opportunities for our residents as well as guests of the township to enjoy. Some of these opportunities are as close as a few minutes and most are no further than a few miles away. Many of the following are attractions which are nationally recognized tourist attractions in addition to being some of our resident's local favorites. Please take a few moments to review the following destinations and begin making plans to start visiting some of these local attractions in the very near future.

Outdoors & Recreation

Aullwood Audubon Center & Farm

Aullwood is an environmental education, sustainable agriculture and Audubon Center of the National Audubon Society. Aullwood Audubon includes a nature center (Marie S. Aull Education Center), educational farm and farm discovery center (Aullwood Farm and Charity A. Krueger Farm Discovery Center). Its goal is to promote the protection of birds, other wildlife and the habitats on which they depend. Aullwood offers both children and adults the opportunity to experience and appreciate the world through experience-based education. Aullwood consists of two major locations, Aullwood Nature Center and Aullwood Farm, along with eight miles of walking trails running through its beautiful 200-acre nature sanctuary. Aullwood Nature Center is located at 1000 Aullwood Road in Dayton and Aullwood Farm is located at 9101 Frederick Pike in Dayton.

Five Rivers Metro Parks & Riverscape

Five Rivers MetroParks is a public park system consisting of conservatories and outdoor recreation and education facilities that serve the Dayton area. Five Rivers MetroParks comprises more than 15,400 acres and 25 facilities with a number of amenities and features including hiking trails, a mountain bike area, horse bridle trails, a disc golf course, a whitewater feature and a large butterfly house. Five Rivers MetroParks provides year-round recreation, education and conservation opportunities to the Greater Dayton community. Wegerzyn Gardens MetroPark sits along the Stillwater River on the edge of Harrison Township.

Great Miami River Recreation Trail

While president of the Huffy Corporation, Horace Huffman was co-founder and first president of the Dayton Cycling Club in 1961. Four years later, he formed and led the Greater Dayton Bikeway Committee. Now known as the Miami Valley Regional Bicycle Council, the committee drafted one of the nation's first regional bikeway plans, which was adopted by the area's planning commission in 1973. A key part of that plan was a trail along the Great Miami River. Huffman had gotten the idea around 1965 when he saw how Sacramento, California had struggled to acquire land for a path along the American River. He realized that Dayton had an ideal location for a bike way since the Miami Conservancy District already owned the land along the Great Miami River. The initial 8.2 miles of bike way were dedicated at Dayton's First River Festival in 1976. Now the Horace M. Huffman, Jr. Great Miami River Recreation Trail has grown to 37 miles.

Dayton Dragons

Watch a minor league baseball game in one of the best minor league parks in the nation, Day Air Ballpark. Located downtown Dayton at 220 North Patterson Boulevard, Day Air Ballpark was voted one of the best locations to take a family in the Miami Valley region. The park opened its inaugural season in April 2000. The Dayton Dragons are the High-A Central affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. In 2011, the Dragons broke the all-time professional sports record for most consecutive sellouts by selling out the stadium for the 815th consecutive game, breaking the record formerly held by the Portland Trail Blazers of the NBA.

Historical Parks/Museums

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park

Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park invites you to explore its four sites - the Wright Cycle Company complex, the Wright Brothers Aviation Center at Dayton History at Carillon Park, the Huffman Prairie Flying Field and Interpretive Center on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base and the Paul Laurence Dunbar House. The Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park is located at 16 South Williams Street in Dayton.
 

National Museum of the U.S. Air Force

Known as a national tourist attraction, the Air Force Museum and IMAX Theatre is a local jewel for school children on field trips, families on weekend outings and the recreational aircraft enthusiast interested in studying and learning about the history of the United States Air Force.

Carillon Historical Park, Hawthorn Hill, Patterson Homestead, Paul Laurence Dunbar House

Experience Dayton's rich heritage of creativity and invention at Carillon Historical Park! Enjoy their beautiful 65-acre campus with 25 special exhibit buildings and structures ready for you to explore. See the actual 1905 Wright Flyer III, Dayton-made cash registers, vintage automobiles, train cars and bicycles, a 1930s print shop and the largest carillon in Ohio.

SunWatch Indian Village & Archaeological Park

The Mission of SunWatch Indian Village/Archaeological Park is to protect, preserve and research the cultural remains of the SunWatch National Historic Landmark archaeological site and to serve as a visitor and educational center for archaeology, Native American culture, and heritage stewardship as they relate to the site.

Science & the Arts

Boonshoft Museum of Discovery

The mission of the Boonshoft Museum of Discovery is to be the premier regional provider of interactive science learning experiences which enrich the lives of children and adults, enhance the quality of life in our community, and promote a broad understanding of the world.

Benjamin & Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center

The Benjamin and Marian Schuster Performing Arts Center represents yet another jewel in the crown of our nation's Performing Arts Centers. The Schuster Center educates and enriches lives by providing a world-class facility for the best in local, national and international performing artists. Dayton Opera and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra call the Schuster Center home and it also showcases the latest Broadway blockbusters. Additionally, a variety of local performing arts treasures, such as the Dayton Ballet, will also make use of the facilities.

Victoria Theatre

Victoria Theatre Association, located in the historic Victoria Theatre at 138 North Main Street in downtown Dayton, is one of Dayton's premier not-for-profit arts organizations. They present more than 300 performances for all ages each year, operate and maintain three vital arts facilities for the benefit of the community and the arts organizations that use them, and further serve the community with a thriving catering business in the heart of downtown Dayton

Fraze Pavilion

Fraze Pavilion is southwestern Ohio’s premiere neighborhood outdoor entertainment venue, where it celebrates “Summer’s Best Live Music Under the Stars” ever since Marvin Hamlisch christened the 4300-seat amphitheater in 1991. Located in Kettering at 695 Lincoln Park Boulevard, the Fraze Pavilion is named after Ermal Fraze, late resident of Kettering and inventor of the pop-top beverage can. 

Rose Music Center at The Heights

The Stuart & Mimi Rose Music Center at The Heights is a 4,200 seat fully covered outdoor amphitheatre located in Huber Heights, adjacent to Interstate 70 just north of Dayton. The Heights opened in 2015 and is a 800-acre destination retail, dining and entertainment district. The music venue is owned by The City of Huber Heights and managed by MEMI- Music and Event Management, Inc.

Dayton Art Institute

The Dayton Art Institute is committed to enriching lives and serving the community by creating meaningful experiences with art. 2010 marks the 91sth anniversary of The Dayton Art Institute, one of the nation's finest mid-sized art museums. Founded in 1919 as the Dayton Museum of Arts, the museum also operated a traditional art school. Its founding patrons included prominent leaders such as Orville Wright and the Patterson Brothers, founders of NCR.