2nd & Charles
This is a fairly large bookstore. They offer hundreds of different types of books and magazines and even have an indoor cafe. The employees are very friendly and is always offering their assistance for you. The store generally has several sales going on and even a separate display rack showcasing special books they have for sale. In the center of the store is a sort of lounge where occasionally, authors come and read/discuss their latest works.
Borders
This is a large bookstore. They offer several thousands of books although generally, they do not have any sales. The employees are very helpful and friendly. One thing I do not like about the store is their organization. The racks the books are on are not organized into single straight lines, but instead seem scattered,so it seems like a maze when going through the store. There is a small cafe inside the shop as well. The store is located across the Dayton Mall and offers plenty of parking.
The Dragons Lair Book Store
This comic book store offers toys and comics. The main toys they carry are McFarlane and they carry several comics, ranging from McFarlanes Spawn to X-Men. They also carry a few obscure comics that I have never heard of. The prices are more or less the same as the average comic book store although the prices for rarer comics/toys are of course heavily inflated. The store is located in downtown Dayton, and as such, offers very limited parking. The general atmosphere of the store is dark, so it is probably best to visit the store during the daytime. The employees are very friendly and helpful though.
Air Force Museum Foundation Incorporated
This museum is very educational and informative about the history of the air force and aviation. The main focus of this museum are the various aircrafts and spacecrafts, offering the very first modes of air transportation of the Wright Brothers to the modern day air crafts that are serving the U.S. Government. Throughout the museum, there are video kiosks that offer further information. The museum is located near Wright Patterson Air Force Base. The costs of admissions is free and they offer a gift shop.
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
This is, in my opinion, the single greatest museum in the United States. They offer much information regarding the Holocaust and World War II. Admission is free. The tour of the museum consists of taking an identity of a Jew and experiencing the terror that the Nazi's inflicted upon, from the beginning of the war, to the end. Once you receive your card, you go through the entire museum, starting from the top floor and going down. You get to experience the life of a Jew living in Nazi concentration camps as if you yourself were alive during this time. At the end of the museum, you find out whether you had survived the war or not from reading the last page of your identity card. This museum is very engaging and informative, and I enjoyed every moment of the experience. I would recommend attending this museum for everyone, although one should not bring children as some of the videos displayed are very graphic. Overall, it is my favorite museum of all time.
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum
This museum is very large and consists of two tiers. They offer every information possible about the history of air and space travel and even showcases a few movies that they produced about air and space travel; the movies are similar to those shown on Discovery/TLC. The admission is free and there is a McDonalds located inside the museum. This is an excellent place to take young children to visit.
Tanger Outlets Jeffersonville
This is an outlet located in Jeffersonville, which is a rural town so it might be difficult to actually find it. The stores offered include: Nike, Polo Ralph Lauren, Banana Republic, Sony, and Talbots. A large selection of stores for everybody, from clothing to electronics to toys. The location of a food court though is only on one side of the entire complex, which is a bit of an inconvienice, but scattered throughout are several food kiosks. The parking is typical of that of any outlet, crowded. Overall, this is a good place to look for deals.
Skateworld of Kettering
I have been to this skating rink several times. It is an excellent skating rink, offering generous amount of space and is a good choice to take children to. The rink even offers special parties, such as birthdays and graduations, and the prices are very reasonable.
Today's Man
This is one store I would recommend the young men to stay away from. The store offers several urban brands, such as Sean John, Ecko, and even offers Iceberg. The sizing of these clothes though are horrendous as it seems as the store only carries big and tall sizes. There are constant sales though so it could be possible that the regular sized items sell out quickly. There is usually only 1 or 2 employees working at a time and often times, they do not seem very helpful.
Army & Navy Surplus Store
This store offered so many items, it was rediculous. They offered several North Face equipment including bags, tents, and coats, offered naval and army clothing, weapons and even badges/medals. The service was very friendly but the prices were only MSRP's and they did not have any sales. The location of the store itself is in a poor location as one can miss it easily. The store also offers very limited parking as it is located in downtown Dayton.
