“See” listings
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Heritage Towers Museum and Culture Center
Authentic bronze sculptures, ivory ornaments and other artifacts demonstrate the artistry of ancient African cultures, while other exhibits trace the Africa-to-America experience, including rural African life, slave auctions, the Underground Railroad days and working in West Virginia coal mines. (09/2011)
612 Virginia St E
304-343-3250
heritagetowers.us -
Kanawha Boulevard Walkway
Stroll from downtown to the Governor’s Mansion and the magnificent State Capitol on this park-like riverside path, where the banks burst with daffodil blooms and beautiful great blue herons wade. Watch for a sternwheeler peacefully plying the big waterway. (04/2011)
North bank of the Kanawha River, from the Elk River to Kanawha City Bridge
304-348-6458 -
Old Malden Walking Tour
Larry Rowe has worked hard to preserve Old Malden, once the world’s largest salt producer and boyhood home of Booker T. Washington. The local lawyer’s walking tour takes you to West Virginia’s first black Baptist church, a replica of Washington’s boyhood cabin and the home of physician and salt industrialist John P. Hale. (03/2011)
7 miles southeast of Charleston
304-766-4186
larrylrowe....y-of-Malden -
MOUNTAIN STAGE
In town on a Sunday evening? Be sure to get a ticket for NPR’s acclaimed live-performance radio show. See and hear some of the nation’s fi nest up-and-coming and veteran musicians perform across a wide range of genres. (01/2011)
At Culture Center Theater 1900 Kanawha Blvd E
304-556-4900
mountainstage.org -
SOUTH CHARLESTON MEMORIAL ICE ARENA
Lace up those skates and go for a triple axel (or a few loops), play in the arcade and browse the pro shop. After you’ve worked up an appetite, grab a snack and relax around the fireplace. The family-friendly venue also offers learn-to-skate programs. (12/2010)
RHL Blvd at Shops of Trace Fork
304-744-4423
cityofsouthcharleston.com -
AVAMPATO DISCOVERY MUSEUM
Make music with a laser harp, build your own rollercoaster, explore waterfalls and tornadoes, or test your wellness know-how in an award-winning animatronic game show. Two floors of hands-on science exhibits and the Kidspace play area make for nonstop family-friendly learning and fun. (11/2010)
One Clay Sq
304-561-3570
theclaycent...nts/science -
THE SUNRISE CARRIAGE TRAIL
This path meanders gently past historic monuments and leads up a hill to the Sunrise Mansion, former home of West Virginia Gov. William A. MacCorkle. Amid towering trees, you can almost hear the clatter of his carriage heading to town. The top of the trail affords a broad, beautiful view of Charleston. (10/2010)
Behind Charleston Amtrak Station
304-342-7676
whycharlestonwv.com -
ART, NATURE AND THE AMERICAN CITY
Ninety paintings and drawings by a total of 57 artists from New York’s Spanierman Gallery depict a century of major American art movements. Lose yourself in romantic landscapes and sun-drenched scenes, abstract cityscapes and gritty, urban views. (09/2010)
One Clay Sq
304-561-3570
theclaycenter.org -
THE SWISS VILLAGE OF HELVETIA
Enjoy a stroll through this tiny mountain village, still steeped in the culture of its original Swiss and German settlers. Enjoy bratwurst at the Hütte, then bed down for the night at the historic Beekeeper Inn. (09/2010)
120 miles northeast of Charleston
helvetiawv.com -
COONSKIN PARK
Cradled by a bend in the Elk River, Coonskin is a 1,000-plus-acre summertime playground. Wet a fi shing line or pedal a boat in Herscher Lake, hike the trails, then picnic at the provided shelters, which have barbecue grills. (08/2010)
2000 Coonskin Dr
304-341-8000
kcprc.com/index.htm -
COONSKIN PARK
Cradled by a bend in the Elk River, Coonskin is a 1,000-plus-acre summertime playground. Wet a fi shing line or pedal a boat in Herscher Lake, hike the trails, then picnic at the provided shelters, which have barbecue grills. (08/2010)
2000 Coonskin Dr
304-341-8000
kcprc.com/index.htm -
CRAIK-PATTON HOUSE
A restored 1834 Greek Revival house, this was once the home of both West Virginia’s prominent Craik family and Civil War Col. George S. Patton, grandfather of famous WWII Gen. George S. Patton III. (07/2010)
2809 Kanawha Blvd E
304-925-5341
craik-patton.com
