Attractions In Charleston West Virginia – Traveling West Virginia

Charleston, in West Virginia, not South Carolina is the capital city of West Virginia. Like most capital cities, Charleston, does have a lot to offer for visitors. Yes, even those who are visiting just to check out the workings of government may be shocked to see what all the city has to offer. Since Charleston does fly under the radar for a lot of tourist places, it is very difficult to see what the city has to offer. That is why I decided it was time to point out the best attractions in Charleston for you to enjoy.

How Did I Narrow Down The List Of Charleston Attractions

While Charleston is the capital of West Virginia I do know that just seeing all the government features in the city can get boring. That is why I did include some of the items you would want to check out as Charleston is a capital city. At the same time, though, I looked for different attractions that are balanced between the government draw for kids to more along the attractions that the kids and even the entire family would most likely enjoy.

West Virginia State Museum

The West Virginia State Museum is one location that a lot of people have found to be very educational and enjoyable. In fact, it is such a great destination that it is one of the most popular museums in West Virginia. The museum is one that started off without a lot of items in it, but was actually founded with a lot of the items that are inside of the museum being donated. One of the featured items inside of the museum is the telescope that George Washington used when he surveyed West Virginia.

When you look at the West Virginia State Museum you may enjoy the fact that the location is geared towards family interaction. The museum does have a geocache and scavenger hunt for you to enjoy. Some of the exhibits in the West Virginia State Museum are interactive as well. That is definitely going to provide you plenty to do with your entire family and know everyone is learning something about the history of the state of West Virginia.

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Haddad Riverfront Park

Contrary to what a lot of people would think Charleston, West Virginia is a river town. Granted, it does not have the major river for shipping like the Ohio River, but the Kanawha River is definitely one of the best options and with a little bit less traffic on the river is a great river to sit and watch the boats going up and down the river.

Now, what is really impressive is the Haddad Riverfront Park has a concert series that you can attend for free. Granted, it is not going to be big name acts like Jimmy Buffet, Garth Brooks, or Metallica performing, but the acts are good to listen to and are live. Now, what else is great is the park is a favorite draw for a lot of the different food vendors in the area and even food trucks. All of which is going to make it a great place for you to go and check out. No matter what, if you just want to take a stroll along the river Haddad Riverfront Park is one of the best places to go and definitely one of the best Charleston Attractions to enjoy.

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West Virginia Division of Culture and History

The division of Culture and History for West Virginia is a great place to visit and a resource for almost all of the cultural exhibits in the state. However, what a lot of people do not realize is the place has some exhibits you can enjoy on your own at the location. This is a great feature and one that a lot of people tend to overlook. Now, you do need to check the West Virginia Division of Culture and History website fairly often to see what is going on at the time you will be in the area.

Something that you need to take note of is the location is inside of the West Virginia Capital Building. That will definitely help you know more about hours of operation, but also have a chance to check what is going on at the location as well.

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Clay Center

The Clay Center is easily one of the better attractions in Charleston, West Virginia if you are considering a multiple purpose building or destination. The Clay Center is a location that focuses on the performing arts, but also on the science of life as well. I guess the best way to consider for the Clay Center would be along the lines of it being a kids museum, concert hall, and learning center all at once.

Now, if you are looking for a concert the Clay Center has some of the best acoustics for you to use. This is going to make it easier for you to have a great time for a concert. However, if you are at the location a little bit early, then you may like the fact that you can enjoy other parts of the center and not have to sit around completely bored while you are waiting for the concert to start up.

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West Virginia State Capitol

When you are looking at government it can be confusing for some people, but it is definitely an interesting aspect of life that people need to realize has a lot going on. With that being the case, the West Virginia Capitol is one place you need to check out. One thing that you need to do is make sure you arrange some of the tours that you can go on. These tours make it easier for you to go out and enjoy the capitol building, but in some instances are able to get a behind the scenes look as well.

The displays in the capitol building are interesting and going to be focused on the history of West Virginia government. The building in its own right is very impressive with the marble floors that so many people never get a chance to explore. Now, if you get to the West Virginia State Capitol building early enough you do have a chance of getting into the tours and I would highly recommend the tours for a chance to get to enjoy seeing more of the building and what it has to offer.

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Kanawha State Forest

To reach the Kanawha State Forest you may have to take a little bit of a drive. The location is located 7 miles or so from downtown, which the transition from the city to the natural beauty is amazing. Not only that 7 miles is not that far of a drive and one that you will not regret as you get to see so much more than what you would be seeing in the city.

You may be asking yourself why the Kanawha State Forest is one of the best attractions in Charleston when you have to drive 7 miles to reach it? Well, it is simply put because this is 9,300 acres of beautiful nature that you can enjoy. The location has plenty of trails for you to enjoy and it definitely is one that makes it easier for you to connect with what really helps to set West Virginia apart from the other locations you could visit and that is the natural beauty of the state.

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Capital Street Shopping

Walking down a street shopping may not seem like it would be a lot of fun. However, the key thing that you need to realize is Charleston and the Capital Street is definitely one of the better things that you can do. The shopping district may seem like it is going to be more like a walk down maybe Bourbon Street in New Orleans as some people compare it to.

The reason for the different comparisons comes from the fact that the street definitely has some of the best architecture that you can find. What else is nice is the crowds are not overly large for the most part, but the shopping that you are able to do at the shops definitely make it easier for you to enjoy your trip and even have a chance to find some of the things that you need to find while shopping.

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Which Of The Charleston Attractions Is The Best?

As you can tell, I did provide you with a list of quite a few attractions in Charleston. These vary from being able to do some shopping along Capital Street, to seeing where the important decisions are made in West Virginia at the capital building. Now, if you want to connect with nature you have that chance as well with the Kanawha State Forest. Then again, you may want to take a break and sit down and relax at the river park. No matter what, you are sure to love all the attractions in Charleston, West Virginia as they are all great options.