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West Virginia was born in Wheeling. In 1861, delegates met in the city's Custom House to reject Virginia's secession, and two years later Wheeling became the first capital of the new state. That river town confidence still shows in its Victorian rowhouses, cast-iron market halls and the 1849 suspension bridge that once carried the National Road across the Ohio River.
The city of about 27,000 sits in the narrow Northern Panhandle between Ohio and Pennsylvania, and its downtown is compact enough to explore in a day. Centre Market has fed the city since the 1850s, the 1928 Capitol Theatre hosts the long-running Wheeling Jamboree, and the Heritage Trail follows the riverbank past old factories and murals.
On the hills east of downtown, Oglebay Park is one of the largest municipal parks in the country, with a resort, a zoo, a glass museum, gardens and a winter Festival of Lights that draws visitors from several states. Wheeling Island adds a casino and racetrack in the middle of the river.
Completed in 1849, this was the longest suspension bridge in the world when it opened, carrying the National Road from Wheeling to Wheeling Island. It is a National Historic Landmark and now open only to pedestrians and light traffic. Walk across for river views, and see it lit up from the riverbank at night.
The 1859 Custom House where delegates met in 1861 to break from Virginia and set West Virginia on the road to statehood. Restored rooms, a courtroom and exhibits explain the Civil War debates and the state's founding. Admission is free; guided tours give the best sense of the drama of those meetings.
A city-owned park of about 1,700 acres on the hills above Wheeling, with a resort lodge, golf courses, hiking trails, formal gardens, a lake with paddleboats and a ski slope in winter. It feels more like a state park than a city one. Plan most of a day and pick up a map at the lodge.
A compact zoo inside Oglebay Park with red pandas, an Australian walkabout area, a farm section and a planetarium. A miniature train loops through the grounds and is a highlight for young children. It is easy to see in two or three hours, and joint tickets with other park sights save money.
The summer home of Cleveland industrialist Earl W. Oglebay, who left his estate to the city in 1926. Period rooms show how a wealthy family lived in the early 1900s, with furniture, paintings and decorative arts from the Wheeling area. Combine it with the glass museum next door on the same ticket.
A museum in the Oglebay estate's carriage house with thousands of pieces of glass made in Wheeling and the upper Ohio Valley, including fine cut and pressed glass from the 1800s. Look for the huge cut-glass punch bowl, a showstopper. Glassblowing demonstrations happen on some days.
A museum in a Victorian-era schoolhouse in the Elm Grove neighborhood, filled with antique and vintage toys, dolls, games and a large collection of model trains. Operating layouts delight kids, while adults spot the toys of their childhood.
One of the largest holiday light shows in the country, with about six miles of displays along Oglebay Park's roads, from giant animals to lighted gardens. It runs from early November into January. Visitors drive through at their own pace; weeknights are much less crowded than weekends.
A historic market district built around an 1853 cast-iron market house, now filled with delis, cafes, antique shops and seafood counters. The nearby streets have restaurants and bars in old brick buildings. Come at lunchtime, browse the shops and try a fish sandwich, a long local favorite here.
A 1928 theater with an ornate restored auditorium, long the home of the Wheeling Jamboree country music show and of the Wheeling Symphony Orchestra. Touring bands, comedians and Broadway shows fill the calendar. Book a show if you can; the interior is the real attraction and is rarely open otherwise.
A paved rail trail running along the Ohio River and Wheeling Creek, past the suspension bridge, the Heritage Port amphitheater and old industrial sites. It is flat and easy for walking or biking. Rent a bike downtown and ride north along the river for wide views and some of the city's murals.
A casino and hotel on Wheeling Island in the middle of the Ohio River, with slot machines, table games, a sportsbook, restaurants and a showroom for concerts and comedy. The complex also includes a racetrack. Visitors must be 21 to enter the gaming floor; parking is free.
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West Virginia, United States
West Virginia, United States
West Virginia, United States
West Virginia, United States
West Virginia, United States
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