The 10 Best Budget-friendly Things to do in Charleston, West Virginia (WV)

June 29, 2021 Rosalyn Ihle

Once a frontier town and home to Daniel Boone, today Charleston is the historic, sophisticated capital of West Virginia and home to a variety of exciting cultural and recreational attractions. The State Capitol, with its gleaming 23-karat gold dome and classic 20th-century architecture, is truly a sight to see. Most of the city's major landmarks are located right around the Capitol, making it easy to see everything. Wander around the meticulously landscaped grounds to view statues of historic figures like Stonewall Jackson and Abraham Lincoln. History and culture buffs will want to spend some time at the Cultural Center, which includes a state museum, reference and archive libraries, a theater and plays host to special events throughout the year. For those who prefer outdoor endeavors, more than a hundred miles of spectacular scenery await you on the Midland Trail scenic highway, also known as U.S. Route 60. Hop off at any point to do some antiquing, biking or hiking. The Kanahwa Forest offers more than 9,000 acres of exploration and recreation just south of town. Shopping, interesting attractions and plenty of outdoor fun make Charleston an ideal getaway.
Restaurants in Charleston

1. Culture Center

1900 Kanawha Blvd E Capitol Complex, Charleston, WV 25305-0009 +1 304-558-0220 http://www.wvculture.org/agency/cultcenter.html
Excellent
83%
Good
17%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 120 reviews

Culture Center

Complex that houses a variety of interesting tourist sites such as the State Museum, reference libraries, and a live-performance theater.

Reviewed By sheliadscott - Charleston, United States

I went to visit The Culture Center in Charleston to do my family research and I found a lot of interesting facts about WV. My visit turned into a tour because I was fascinated by the deep culture that is hidden in WV.

2. West Virginia Veterans Memorial

Greenbrier Street, Charleston, WV http://www.wvculture.org/history/wvmemory/wvvets.html
Excellent
78%
Good
21%
Satisfactory
1%
Poor
0%
Terrible
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 107 reviews

West Virginia Veterans Memorial

Site where sculptor Joe Mullins' work is displayed.

Reviewed By JenniferandAlan - Easton, United States

Every May my husband and I visit West Virginia to put flowers on a friend's grave in Princeton. We always visit the state capital and the veterans memorial on its grounds. The memorial is beautiful with the statues of soldiers and sailors of WWl, WWll, Korean War and Viet Nam wars. The memorial is tear wrenching--all those names all those lives lost. I believe the pool represents all our tears. Thank you for remembering.

3. West Virginia State Museum

1900 Kanawha Blvd E Capitol Complex, Charleston, WV 25305-0009 +1 304-558-0162 http://www.wvculture.org/museum/State-Museum-Index.html
Excellent
79%
Good
18%
Satisfactory
3%
Poor
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Terrible
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Overall Ratings

5.0 based on 396 reviews

West Virginia State Museum

Located in the Cultural Center, this interesting museum traces the history of West Virginia through a series of exhibits containing everything from an extensive collection of antique hats donated by a local school teacher to the telescope George Washington used to survey lands within the state.

Reviewed By ArwenElf - Rock Hill, United States

Free cultural museum with 26 Discovery Rooms that showcase West Virginia’s geology, prehistoric cultures, exploration and settlement, frontier conflicts and life...statehood, railroad, coal company town, mining,... the Great Depression, Civil Rights movement...transportation, fairs and festivals, cultural state collections and famous West Virginians. Very well done with extensive and interesting displays about West Virginia’s history and culture. Conveniently located next to the capital building.

4. Mountain Stage

Charleston, WV http://mountainstage.org
Excellent
90%
Good
5%
Satisfactory
5%
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5.0 based on 21 reviews

Mountain Stage

For more than 30 years, Mountain Stage with Larry Groce has been the home of live music on public radio. Produced in West Virginia and distributed by NPR, each two hour episode of Mountain Stage can be heard every week on more than 150 stations across America, and around the world via NPR Music and iTunes. Recorded in front of a live audience, Mountain Stage typically features four or five artists, with each artist given roughly the same amount of time to perform, give or take five to ten minutes, unless otherwise stated. The show is recorded live to two track, with as few edits as possible. Mountain Stage features performances from seasoned legends and emerging stars in genres ranging from folk, blues, and country; to indie rock, synth pop, world music, alternative, and beyond. Come see what radio looks like!

5. Mountain State Food Tours

Excellent
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5.0 based on 33 reviews

Mountain State Food Tours

Mountain State Food Tours offers the Taste of Charleston Tour, which is a two-part attraction: it's a guided, progressive dinner featuring some of the top-rated, unique local restaurants in Charleston, with engaging and entertaining history sprinkled in as guests walk at a comfortable pace from one location to the next. There are small plate portions at five food stops over approximately 2.5 hours. Suitable for adventurous eaters of all ages, the entire route is wheelchair accessible. Public tours for up to 16 people are typically offered on Tuesday and Saturday nights. Groups of six or more can also request a custom tour at a date and time that works best for them, for no additional cost. From time to time Mountain State Food Tours offers new routes and themes. As long as guests notify the company in the "comments" section at the time of ticket purchase, restaurants are readily able to accommodate most food restrictions with vegan, vegetarian and gluten-conscious offerings. There is no additional charge and no need to purchase tickets for young children who won't be dining on the tour. Parents are welcome to bring child friendly snacks for them to enjoy.

6. State Capitol

1900 Kanawha Blvd E, Charleston, WV 25305-0009 +1 304-558-2000 http://www.legis.state.wv.us/educational/citizens/guide.cfm
Excellent
60%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
8%
Poor
2%
Terrible
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 513 reviews

State Capitol

Designed by influential architect Cass Gilbert, this grand building, the highest state capitol dome in the United States, is open to the public for tours and features decadent interior details like marble walls a massive crystal chandelier.

Reviewed By JenniferandAlan - Easton, United States

Every May for about the past 10 years we have visited WV and we make sure to always see the capitol building. During the week you can have a guided tour of the inside and it is a good tour. This year we got there around 5PM and just strolled the grounds. The flowers are beautiful. The statuary is amazing, Our favorite is the WV coal miner. We also visit the war memorial each year--WWI, WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War and the list of names. Thank you for remembering.

7. Governor's Mansion

1716 Kanawha Blvd E, Charleston, WV 25305-0008 +1 304-558-3809 http://www.firstlady.wv.gov/tour/Pages/Collections.aspx
Excellent
62%
Good
15%
Satisfactory
24%
Poor
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 34 reviews

Governor's Mansion

Built in 1924, the home of the Governor of West Virginia is a traditional Georgian colonial mansion with a stately, but somewhat homey, feel. Tours are conducted on Thursday and Friday mornings.

8. Capitol Street

Charleston, WV http://www.piesandpints.com
Excellent
52%
Good
29%
Satisfactory
14%
Poor
3%
Terrible
2%
Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 160 reviews

Capitol Street

Capitol Street runs through the historic and scenic shopping and dining area of Charleston.

Reviewed By Flipper1954 - Ellsworth, United States

Shops, cafes, bars....yes, some closed from this covid mess, but still a great place with traffic blocked for only pedistrian traffic. Charming area!

9. Capitol Market

800 Smith St, Charleston, WV 25301-1213 +1 304-344-1905 [email protected] http://www.capitolmarket.net/market-hours
Excellent
62%
Good
30%
Satisfactory
6%
Poor
2%
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4.5 based on 206 reviews

Capitol Market

Imagine a shopping environment with many specialty shops that include a cafe, hot lunch spots, a butcher, a wine shop, a fresh seafood market, a bakery and a fresh cold spot for fresh produce year round and a full scale restaurant for lunch and dinner.Capitol Market offers a vast array of items from Spring plants to fresh produce to Fall pumpkins and holiday trees are what you will see year round throughout the Outdoor Market. As you stroll the outdoor market marveling at the many specialty shops indoors, as well as, the eclectic lunch spots with unique menus to tantalize anyone's appetite. You can also dine at the hottest restaurant in Charleston, Soho's.

Reviewed By 787DeeS - Charleston, United States

This is an amazing attraction in my home town. You can purchase almost everything you need. It offers an outdoor farmers market, and indoor shopping from unique produce items at the Purple Onion, wonderful gifts at the West Virginia Shop, fresh meats at Johnnie’s Meat Market, and you can even have lunch at a few of the local restaurants inside the Market. A must see and visit fir everyone who comes to the city.

10. Big Joe's

10 Capitol St, Charleston, WV 25301-2804 +1 304-346-8051 [email protected] http://bigjoescharlestonwv.com
Excellent
70%
Good
17%
Satisfactory
9%
Poor
4%
Terrible
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Overall Ratings

4.5 based on 23 reviews

Big Joe's

Reviewed By Manskittles - Virginia, United States

Stopped in after the baseball game. We had their signature win dish Buffalo chicken Mac & Cheese and Breakfast burger with homemade potato chips. It was a Tuesday night. So we didn’t expect any crowds. Food was surprisingly delicious. Bartender often checked on us while eating.

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