First video game, then apps. Now, father and sons take on history tours by golf cart.

A new way to see the area sites – golf cart tours– will showcase Dayton’s past as well as its future.

The company, Touring Carts, is the brainchild of John Meixner of Bellbrook and his sons, Aaron, 15, and Alex, 14.

Meixner, the CEO of Netdemics, a technical support company, and his family take on a project each winter. Last year, they created a video game and the year before the boys became the youngest Google apps certified administrators.

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Credit: Lisa Powell

Credit: Lisa Powell

This year the family decided to create a business. “I thought it was important for the boys and the family to learn how to start a business and not just in theory but by actually doing it,” said Meixner who took his sons to see an accountant and attorney.

“We talked about a lemonade stand and all of the typical things kids start,” said Meixner, “but we wanted to be part of the positive trend that is going on.”

The idea for the Touring Carts business grew from a desire to share Dayton’s rich history and promote the numerous downtown renewal projects.

“Why not show it off?” said Aaron who attends Chaminade Julienne High School and likes to spend time in RiverScape and downtown Dayton.

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Credit: Lisa Powell

Credit: Lisa Powell

“We grew up here and now we are going to school inside Dayton,” said Alex, a student at Holy Angels School. “It’s nice to give back to something that is also growing.”

The family, which has its own golf cart, has been tooling around Bellbrook and enjoying rides with friends for years – so a vehicle for the business was already in hand.

Touring Carts, which will operate a four-seat and an eight-seat golf cart, will offer a pair of tours of the city, each two hours long.

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Credit: Lisa Powell

Credit: Lisa Powell

Meixner will drive the golf carts - the company has permission from the Dayton Police Department to drive on city streets - and his sons, who have been researching area history and current events, will be tour guides.

The golf carts have a top travel speed between 20 and 25 mph and are equipped with seatbelts, headlights, brake lights and turn signals.

Highlights of the "Downtowner" tour include the Dayton Arcade, RiverScape, the Main Street Civil War monument, the Schuster Center, the Dayton Art Institute and the 2nd Street Public Market.

Passengers on the "University Circle" tour will learn about various sites including the University of Dayton, Patterson Homestead, Carillon Historical Park and Woodland Cemetery.

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Credit: Lisa Powell

Credit: Lisa Powell

Tours will cost $25 per person and will be held each Saturday beginning in June. Reservations can be made online.

“There’s a lot of people who live here who don’t know about the history,” Meixner said. “When you know where your roots come from it explains where you are today. That knowledge makes you look at the city differently and makes you want to invest more in it.”

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