The Glenn Curtiss and June Bug Legacy Monument

The Glenn Curtiss and June Bug Legacy Monument honors aviation pioneer and Miami Springs founder Glenn Curtiss as a symbol of innovation, exploration, and community building. A full-scale bronze figure presents Curtiss in early 20th-century attire, his forward-looking stance reflecting the quiet determination and visionary spirit that shaped his contributions to American history.

Complementing the sculpture, the June Bug Legacy Monument is a walk-through metal structure modeled after the wings of Curtiss’s historic June Bug aircraft. Integrated timelines and biographical elements invite the public to experience Curtiss’s life, ideas, and achievements through an immersive educational journey.

“My research led me to design and create not only in the classical way of a bronze human figure,
but with the hope that the public might FEEL
that space between the wings—
where air moves,
where lift happens,
where the human leaves the ground.”

“To sculpt someone is to fall in love.
It is to want to feel what they felt.”

“Capturing the essence of a soul
is profoundly humbling.

The anticipation feels like that of an aviator
waiting to take flight.

And when it finally happens,
the rush of joy and wonder is overwhelming—
and it feels
as though the whole sky
opens up
before you.”

“Curtiss opened my eyes to the wonder of speed and the skies.
And I haven’t been the same since.
I find myself curiously looking up, unable to keep my mind out of the clouds.”

The Glenn Curtiss and June Bug Legacy Monument

“My research led me to design and create not only in the classical way of a bronze human figure,but with the hope that the public might FEELthat space between the wings—where air moves,where lift happens,where the human leaves the ground.”

“To sculpt someone is to fall in love.It is to want to feel what they felt.”

“Capturing the essence of a soulis profoundly humbling.The anticipation feels like that of an aviatorwaiting to take flight.And when it finally happens,the rush of joy and wonder is overwhelming—and it feelsas though the whole skyopens upbefore you.”

“Curtiss opened my eyes to the wonder of speed and the skies.And I haven’t been the same since.I find myself curiously looking up, unable to keep my mind out of the clouds.”

“My research led me to design and create not only in the classical way of a bronze human figure,
but with the hope that the public might FEEL
that space between the wings—
where air moves,
where lift happens,
where the human leaves the ground.”

“To sculpt someone is to fall in love.
It is to want to feel what they felt.”

“Capturing the essence of a soul
is profoundly humbling.

The anticipation feels like that of an aviator
waiting to take flight.

And when it finally happens,
the rush of joy and wonder is overwhelming—
and it feels
as though the whole sky
opens up
before you.”

“Curtiss opened my eyes to the wonder of speed and the skies.
And I haven’t been the same since.
I find myself curiously looking up, unable to keep my mind out of the clouds.”