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West Virginia State Museum, Charleston, WV
Museums

West Virginia State Museum

A state museum that collects and displays West Virginia history, culture, art, archaeology, paleontology, and geology.

Charleston, WV

About West Virginia State Museum

The West Virginia State Museum, run through the state's culture agency, aims to educate visitors and build pride in the state. Its collections cover history, culture, art, paleontology, archaeology, and geology from all regions of West Virginia, with a focus on its people, land, and industries. Its roots go back to a historical society formed in 1890 in Charleston, and its collections were combined in 1905. The museum moved into its own building in 1976, and it reopened after a renovation in 2009. Admission is free, and the museum offers resources for teachers, homeschoolers, and the public, along with group tour scheduling.

  • #history
  • #culture
  • #art
  • #archaeology
  • #paleontology

What's around here?

The closest stops to West Virginia State Museum, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

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    Clay Center

    Under $25

    A Charleston arts and science complex combining a children's discovery museum, a planetarium, an art museum, and a performance hall.

    1.1 mi awayMore like this

  • Shopping

    Charleston Town Center

    Check prices

    Enclosed shopping and dining mall in downtown Charleston, West Virginia, now largely reduced in tenants.

    1.8 mi awaySwitch it up: Shopping

  • Sports & Outdoors

    Hawks Nest State Park

    No admission fee

    A West Virginia state park in whitewater country with a nature museum, jet boat rides, hiking trails, and a clifftop overlook above the New River.

    30 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors

  • Sightseeing

    Fayette Station Road

    No admission fee

    An 8-mile one-way historic road descending into the New River Gorge, with overlooks and views of the gorge and bridges.

    35 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Outdoor Adventure

    New River Gorge National Park and Preserve

    No admission fee

    Raft, climb and hike along 53 miles of the New River, with overlooks of the New River Gorge Bridge at Canyon Rim.

    35 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors

  • Sightseeing
    Iconic

    New River Gorge Bridge

    No admission fee

    Look out at the steel arch that carries US 19 876 feet above the New River from decks below the Canyon Rim Visitor Center.

    35 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

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