Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center P.O. Box 7118, Cross Lanes, WV, Located 15 Minutes from Charleston, 304-776-1000, The Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center offers 90,000 square feet of gaming entertainment with 1,800 slots and more than 70 varieties of games; and state-of-the-art simulcast areas. The Tri-State Racetrack & Gaming Center also offers a wide variety of restaurants, including The French Quarter Restaurant and Lounge. more...

Craik-Patton House (circa 1834) 2809 Kanawha Boulevard East; P.O. Box 175, Charleston, WV 25311, Located on the Midland Trail (WV Route 60), 304-925-5341, Known as "Elm Grove" when constructed by the Rev. James Craik, the restored Greek Revival-style Craik-Patton House, adjacent to Daniel Boone Park along the banks of the Kanawha River; is open for tours from April through October. Craik-Patton is host to such special programming as Civil War encampments and exhibitions of frontier living. The house and grounds are available for weddings and other special events.  more...

Morgan's Kitchen Plantation Museum (circa 1846) Route 60 MacCorkle Avenue, St. Albans, WV 25177, Located 10 Miles West, 304-727-2654, Once used as a hospital and a kitchen for both sides during the Civil War, this log kitchen displays an open fireplace, various original jugs and containers, a table setting, spinning wheel, and a bear trap. more... 

West Virginia Governor's Mansion (circa 1925) 1716 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25305, 304-558-4839, 800-CALL-WVA, This 30-room Georgian Revival structure, overlooking the Kanawha River, was designed by Charleston architect Walter F. Martens. The first floor state rooms are open to the public by guided tour. These rooms include the reception hall, living room, library, state dining room, and the ballroom, featuring a mantel acquired from an Irish castle. Reservations are required. more...

West Virginia State Capitol Building 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25311, 304-558-4839, Situated along the Kanawha River, the classical-styled State Capitol was designed by architect Cass Gilbert, who also designed the U.S. Treasury Building and the U.S. Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. With an exterior of buff Indiana limestone, the State Capitol's 293-foot gold dome that tops the structure is five feet higher than the dome of the U.S. Capitol. The entire dome is gilded in 14 karat gold leaf applied to the copper and lead roof. It is presently the tallest building in West Virginia. 

Criel Indian Mound Located in Staunton Park, Probably built between 250 and 150 B.C., the Criel Mound in South Charleston is the largest of approximately 50 conical type mounds of the Adena culture in an area west of Charleston extending to Institute and the second largest Indian burial mound in the state. It was the burial ground for an Indian village located on the site of the city of South Charleston some 2,000 years ago. Today, all the artifacts and skeleton remains are maintained at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

New River Gorge Bridge P.O. Box 202, Lansing, WV, Located on U. S. Route 19, 304-574-2115, 875 feet above the bottom of the New River Gorge, the 1,700-foot New River Gorge Bridge has the second longest single arch steel span in the world and it is the second highest bridge in this country.

West Virginia Veterans Memorial 1900 Kanasha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25314, 304-558-0230, Part of the State Capitol Complex, this two-story oval shaped monument honors more than 10,000 West Virginians who defended the nation in 20th century conflicts. Four limestone monoliths dedicated to World War I and II, Korea, and Vietnam display names of the war dead and ramped walkways over an oval reflecting pool affords easy access to the sanctuary display of their names. more... 

St. Albans Public Library 602 4th Street, St. Albans, WV 25177, Located 10 Miles West, 304-722-4244, The first floor of this library contains an adult collection of books, CDs, DVDs, books-on-tape, magazines, and newspapers while the second floor is exclusively devoted to the children's collection. Two meeting rooms are available. more... 

West Virginia State Archives 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25305, 304-558-0230 Ext. 168, West Virginia State Archives is a historical and genealogical research library that contains such items as maps, manuscripts, state and county records, special collections, yearbooks, Civil War medals, naturalization records, and newspapers. more... 

Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences One Clay Square, Charleston, WV 25301, 304-561-3500, Home to the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, the 240,000 square foot Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences includes the Maier Foundation Performance Hall, an 1,883-seat theater; Walker Theater, a black-box theater; and the state-of-the-art Avampato Discovery Museum which features two floors of interactive science exhibits, an art gallery featuring permanent collections and traveling exhibitions, The ElectricSky™ Theater which presents planetarium shows and large format films, the Douglas V. Reynolds Intermezzo Cafe, and the BB&T Little Shop of Wonders Gift Shop. more...

Heritage Towers 612 Virginia Street East, Charleston, WV 25301, 304-343-3250, 866-401-5181, Heritage Towers "provides a series of exhibits, lectures, concerts, cultural celebrations, festivals and programs designed to preserve the past and strengthen the future." Heritage Towers is closed on Sundays and Mondays.  more...

South Charleston Museum 311 D Street, South Charleston, WV 25303, 304-744-9711, Within walking distance of the Adena/Hopewell Native American burial mound, the South Charleston Museum features changing exhibitions, children's activities, workshops and more. All exhibitions, programming and operations take place inside the historic Art Deco-era LaBelle Theatre, which houses both the museum and the South Charleston Convention & Visitors Bureau. Archives are available by appointment only. The exhibitions are open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. more... 

Train Depot Museum 2029 Benedict Circle, St. Albans, WV 25177, Located 10 Miles West, 304-727-3084, Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, this museum features high ceilings and tall windows making it one of West Virginia's most architecturally detailed depots. The museum is filled with railroad photos, artifacts, and displays. 

West Virginia Cultural Center 1900 Kanawha Boulevard East, Charleston, WV 25305, Located at the Capitol Complex, 304-558-0220, The West Virginia Cultural Center showcases West Virginia's artistic, cultural and historic heritage. The Cultural Center houses the offices of the Commission on the Arts, the State Historic Preservation Office, State Museum, State Archives, and other administrative staff. The Cultural Center is open Monday through Thursday from 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and on Sunday noon to 6:00 p.m. The Archives and History Library is closed on Sunday. more...

New River Gorge National River P.O. Box 246, Glen Jean, WV, 304-465-0508, New River is among the oldest rivers on the continent. The New River Gorge National River includes over 70,000 acres of land along the New River. Visitors enjoy such recreational activities as climbing, mountain biking, hiking, whitewater rafting, camping, horseback riding, and picnicking while at the New River Gorge National River. more...

Cato Park 200 Baker Lane (Administrative Offices), Charleston, WV 25302, Located on the City's West Side, 304-348-6860, Cato Park contains an executive nine-hole, par 3 golf course, a Garrison hiking trail, an Olympic size swimming pool, tennis courts, and several picnic areas. 

Daniel Boone Roadside Park Located East of Charleston on US Route 60, 304-348-6860, A historic area along Kanawha Boulevard East, Daniel Boone Roadside Park offers a boat ramp, picnic area, the Ruffner Log Cabin, and the Craik-Patton House.

Magic Island Located West of Kanawha Boulevard, 304-348-6860, Situated at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers, Magic Island features a walking track, sand volleyball courts, and picnic areas.

Nitro City Park Located on Park Avenue, 304-755-0705, Enjoy picnic shelters, a children's playground, and baseball fields while at this scenic park that also offers swimming opportunities right across the street.

St. Albans Roadside Park Route 60 West, St. Albans, WV 25177, Located 10 Miles West, 304-722-4625, St. Albans Roadside Park features a picnic area, playground, and a boat ramp. Limited camping is available.

Clay Center's Avampato Discovery Museum One Clay Square, Charleston, WV 25301, Located at Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences, 304-561-3500, Explore two floors of interactive science exhibits that are sure to entertain the whole family while at this science museum. The Gizmo Factory is made up of more than 30 exhibits exploring physical science with a particular emphasis on creativity and engineering; sound, light and color; and energy and magnetism. Milton Gardner’s Earth City features hands-on exhibits that explore the story behind West Virginia’s geology with locks and dams, waterfalls, tornados, geysers and more. Offering a unique approach to health science, Health Royale features a larger than life animatronic game show, which allows visitors to play along while testing their knowledge of basic health issues. Kidspace is designed to cater to the needs, cognitive growth and interests of young children. more... 

New River Jetboats One Riverfront Place, Thurmond, WV 25936, 304-469-2525, Exciting seasonal upstream jetboat trips from Hawks Nest State Park to the New River Gorge Bridge are available by this tour boat company. The ride is six miles long and takes approximately 25 to 30 minutes. more...