Paul Laurence Dunbar, one of America's greatest poets, spent almost his entire life in Ohio. He published hundreds of poems, as well as novels, short stories and song lyrics. He’s considered one of the most important figures in African American and American history, in the company of Frederick Douglass, Booker T. Washington and his Dayton neighbors, Orville and Wilbur Wright. The turn-of-the-20th-century house exhibits Dunbar's literary treasures, many of his personal items and his family's furnishings. A project completed in 2003 returned the Dunbar house to its appearance at the time when Paul and his mother, Matilda, lived there. Paul lived in the house from 1904 until he died in 1906; his mother lived there from 1904 until she died in 1934. An on-site visitor center features panels telling the story of Paul's life and times.

Address: The Paul Laurence Dunbar Visitor’s Center is located at 219 North Paul Laurence Dunbar Street in Dayton. You’ll want to start your visit here. The actual Dunbar House is right next door, but you’ll need to have a staff member with you for a tour.

How much time: I would plan about 60–90 minutes at the Dunbar House. At the Visitor’s Center, you’ll be able to watch an 18-minute movie about Dunbar’s life and times and check out the exhibits. Talk to one of the staff members at the front desk to arrange for a tour of the actual Dunbar House.

My favorites: I loved the tour of the Dunbar house. The home is set up to look like it did when Paul and his mother Matilda were living there. Climbing the narrow steps to the second floor, seeing Paul’s room and his desk, and learning that Paul had a little room at the back of the property that he would escape to when there were too many people in the house really brought his story to life.

Truda's Tips: The Dunbar House doesn’t have its own parking lot, but there’s plenty of street parking around the site.

The Dunbar House is managed locally by the National Park Service. It’s part of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. You can learn more about all the sites that are part of the park by visiting their website.

The Ohio History Connection strives to meet ADA requirements for handicapped accessibility. However, historic structures like the Dunbar House provide challenges that make it difficult to provide complete access to all visitors. Please call the site with specific questions and concerns before visiting.

Kid Friendly? For Elementary-School Aged Kids and Older: The Dunbar House tour would be a great way to let kids see what it would have been like to live during the early 1900s. However, there are steep stairs that might be hard for little legs to navigate. Additionally, the objects in the house are arranged so that visitors can see how the Dunbars lived, but they are not to be touched. This could be a challenge for very young kids. The visitor center also features games and activities for kids, as well as a typewriter they can try and a station to stamp their Ohio History Connection or National Park passport.

Lunch: Every great road trip includes a great lunch! I’m a Dayton girl, but haven’t lived in the area for many years, so I consulted my high school bestie for a lunch recommendation. She knocked it out of the park with the Canal Street Arcade & Deli. Just a few minutes’ drive from the Dunbar House, the Canal Street Arcade & Deli is exactly the kind of restaurant I love on a road trip. They feature traditional and original deli sandwiches, as well as breakfast sammies, pizza, soups and salads. Looking for gluten free or vegetarian options? They’ve got those too. I got the Cajun turkey sandwich, and my coworkers got a garden salad and a Ham & Cheese sandwich. The bread and other ingredients were very fresh, and everything was made to order.

Besides the food, the main reason for visiting Canal Street Arcade & Deli is the arcade games. The place is jam packed with pinball machines and video games. It was like stepping back in time to the 1980s. It would be easy to spend a couple of hours playing games and eating a meal here. I would highly recommend checking it out when you’re in the area.

For more information: To learn more about the Paul Laurence Dunbar House, you can visit our website or the National Park Service’s website.

Ohio History Connection members enjoy free general admission at all the historic sites and museums in our network. Visit ohiohistory.org/join for more details!

Looking for more to do on your road trip?

Explore America 250-Ohio’s Creativity Trail! The trail includes more than 100 sites. Learn more here.

Interested in Ohio writers? The Harriet Beecher Stowe House (an Ohio History Connection site) in Cincinnati is just an hour away from the Dunbar House.

Are arts and culture your jam? The National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center (an Ohio History Connection site) and The Dayton Art Institute are both an easy drive from the Dunbar House.

Want to learn more about Black History? Make a day of it by combining your visit to the Dunbar House with stops at the National Afro-American Museum & Cultural Center and the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame.

Looking to learn more about Dayton history? Dayton has some great museums and living history sites. Spend the day exploring Carillon Historical Park, America’s Packard Museum and the rest of the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park.

Curious about aviation and military history? Visit the world-class National Museum of the United States Air Force to connect the Wright Brother’s legacy with today’s precision technology.