West Virginia has a rich history with many natural and man-made wonders. Take a look at some of the best tours that our great state has to offer.
- West Virginia State Penitentiary
WikiMedia Commons/Tim Kiser This historic prison is rumored to be haunted. You can take historical tours or ghost tours, or even spend the night ghost hunting.
- Seneca Caverns
TripAdvisor/A TripAdvisor Member This vast cave system started forming 460 million years ago. Tours will resume April 1st.
- Palace of Gold
Palace of Gold The Palace of Gold is a New Vrindaban temple which was rated as one of eight religious wonders to see in the US by CNN. Visitors can tour the building decorated with marble, semi-precious stones, carved teakwood, stained glass, cut crystal, and gold leaf. Find out more about tours by calling (304) 843-1812.
- Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
WikiMedia Commons/TimK This former mental hospital is said to be one of the most haunted places in the country. Several options are available for either haunted or historical tours.
- Whipple Company Store
Whipple Company Store & Appalachian Heritage Educational Museum/Facebook This architectural wonder has a dark history. Visit to learn more about life in a coal town, and the ghosts that may still visit the store. Find out more about the tours here.
- Beckley Exhibition Mine
TripAdvisor/Karen D. Take a trip underground into an old coal mine, and learn about life in an old coal town from former miners. Find out more about the tour here.
- Greenbrier Bunker
Postcard image via Melissa/Flickr This underground bunker in the Greenbrier Resort was built to house Congress in an emergency situation, and was kept secret for decades. Now you can take a tour and find out all about the hidden history.
- Harpers Ferry Ghost Tours
TripAdvisor/rellster Oh Be Joyfull will take you for a tour around Harpers Ferry and tell you the area’s ghost stories. They also offer historical tours during the daytime. Call 304-725-8019 for more information.
- Smoke Hole Caverns
Tripadvisor/Management Guided tours take place 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM every day of the year except Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. Find out more about the tour here.
- Green Bank Telescope
WikiMedia Commons/NRAO/AUI The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope is the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope. The Green Bank telescope has discovered numerous molecular clouds, pulsars, and neutron stars. Call 304-456-2150 for information about tours.
- Lost World Caverns
Flickr/Kevin Bowman You can choose either a tour of the developed cave, or an adventurous wild cave tour, or both! More information about the cave here.
- The Capitol Building
WikiMedia Commons/O Palsson West Virginia’s Capitol was designed by Cass Gilbert, an important architect in the early 20th century. He liked the design so much that he reused parts of it for the US Supreme Court building. Call (304) 558-4839 for tour information. You can also find out about touring the nearby Culture Center and West Virginia State Museum by calling (304) 558-0220.
For more history in West Virginia, take a look at this hidden tunnel that few people people know exists.
WikiMedia Commons/Tim Kiser
This historic prison is rumored to be haunted. You can take historical tours or ghost tours, or even spend the night ghost hunting.
TripAdvisor/A TripAdvisor Member
This vast cave system started forming 460 million years ago. Tours will resume April 1st.
Palace of Gold
The Palace of Gold is a New Vrindaban temple which was rated as one of eight religious wonders to see in the US by CNN. Visitors can tour the building decorated with marble, semi-precious stones, carved teakwood, stained glass, cut crystal, and gold leaf. Find out more about tours by calling (304) 843-1812.
WikiMedia Commons/TimK
This former mental hospital is said to be one of the most haunted places in the country. Several options are available for either haunted or historical tours.
Whipple Company Store & Appalachian Heritage Educational Museum/Facebook
This architectural wonder has a dark history. Visit to learn more about life in a coal town, and the ghosts that may still visit the store. Find out more about the tours here.
TripAdvisor/Karen D.
Take a trip underground into an old coal mine, and learn about life in an old coal town from former miners. Find out more about the tour here.
Postcard image via Melissa/Flickr
This underground bunker in the Greenbrier Resort was built to house Congress in an emergency situation, and was kept secret for decades. Now you can take a tour and find out all about the hidden history.
TripAdvisor/rellster
Oh Be Joyfull will take you for a tour around Harpers Ferry and tell you the area’s ghost stories. They also offer historical tours during the daytime. Call 304-725-8019 for more information.
Tripadvisor/Management
Guided tours take place 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM every day of the year except Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. Find out more about the tour here.
WikiMedia Commons/NRAO/AUI
The Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope is the world’s largest fully steerable radio telescope. The Green Bank telescope has discovered numerous molecular clouds, pulsars, and neutron stars. Call 304-456-2150 for information about tours.
Flickr/Kevin Bowman
You can choose either a tour of the developed cave, or an adventurous wild cave tour, or both! More information about the cave here.
WikiMedia Commons/O Palsson
West Virginia’s Capitol was designed by Cass Gilbert, an important architect in the early 20th century. He liked the design so much that he reused parts of it for the US Supreme Court building. Call (304) 558-4839 for tour information. You can also find out about touring the nearby Culture Center and West Virginia State Museum by calling (304) 558-0220.
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