Manned flight aviation pioneer Glenn H. Curtiss shared a fascination for bicycles with Wilbur and Orville Wright, and went on to became known as the Fastest Man on Earth and a member of the Aerial Experiment Association — whose other famous members included Alexander Graham Bell and early pilot F.W. Casey Baldwin. Curtiss, regarded as the Father of Naval Aviation, piloted the famed June Bug aerial machine a distance of 5,000 feet and won the Scientific American Trophy for his creation and mechanical feat. He also gained a worldwide reputation when he was awarded the Gordon Bennett Trophy for speed at the First International Aviation Meet in Reims, France in 1909.

The Glenn H. Curtiss Museum is located in Curtiss’ hometown of Hammondsport in New York’s Finger Lakes Region, and contains a fascinating history of flight. It was Curtiss who developed the technology that made seaplanes and flying boats a reality, and the Curtis P-40 became essential aerial fighter equipment during the beginning of WWII. Aircraft and artifacts are part of the permanent exhibition, along with bicycles, motorcycles and other displays connected to both World Wars and other periods of American history. There’s even an aircraft construction and restoration area. The museum is open year-round, with seasonal hours.