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Lore and Legend

West Virginia is a land steeped in rich lore and enduring legends that captivate the imagination of visitors and locals alike. From the mysterious Mothman sightings in Point Pleasant to the ghostly tales surrounding the Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum, West Virginia is a treasure trove of Appalachian folklore. Deep in its misty hollows and rugged mountains, stories of supernatural creatures, haunted locations, and mysteries have been passed down through generations. These chilling yet fascinating tales make West Virginia a top destination for paranormal enthusiasts and fans of folklore. Whether exploring ancient Native American myths or Civil War ghost stories, West Virginia’s legends add an eerie charm to its scenic beauty.

Lore and Legend

“Fallout 76” driving record traffic to West Virginia Explorer

June 11, 2018 by Will Reedy

Fallout from the announced release of the “Fallout 76” West Virginia-based video game is driving record traffic to West Virginia Explorer, according to its publisher. The post-apocalyptic game set in West Virginia features many of the landmarks and characters the guide has covered. “Our advertisers should certainly be happy that we’re driving numbers like this,” … Read more

A screenshot from the new game Fallout 76 appears to show a ruined New River Gorge in the background.

Lore and Legend

Fallout 76: Which West Virginia landmarks can you find?

June 11, 2018 by David Sibray

In time for Christmas 2018, Bethesda it will unleash “Fallout 76,” a video game of enormous proportions that appears to be entirely centered in a post-apocalyptic West Virginia set in the 2076. The trailer for the video begins to pay homage to the Mountain State from the state, invoking the state song “Country Roads, Take … Read more

This haunting portrait of "Annie" is spooking visitors at a museum in Moundsville, West Virginia.

Lore and Legend

Reputedly haunted portrait spooking visitors at W.Va. museum

February 14, 2018 by David Sibray

Of more than 400 artifacts collected in this museum of the paranormal in West Virginia’s “city of the dead,” one is attracting more attention than all others, though curators are at a loss to explain why. “You can see why the lost execution-cap from the penitentiary’s electric chair is popular,” says Steve Hummel, referring to … Read more

Flatwoods Monster Illustration in West Virginia

Lore and Legend

New film to investigate W.Va. legend of Flatwoods Monster

January 24, 2018 by David Sibray

A new film aims to tell the true story behind what happened in a rural West Virginia town when a group of locals encountered a monstrous being moments after seeing strange objects in the sky. “The Flatwoods Monster: A Legacy of Fear” is a new documentary from director Seth Breedlove, which will unlock a decades-old … Read more

Telescopes at Green Bank, WV, Pocahontas County, Allegheny Highlands Region

Lore and Legend

West Virginia observatory monitors signals from distant galaxy

September 1, 2017 by David Sibray

Scientists working with the remote National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia, have detected repeating radio signals being emitted from a dwarf galaxy three billion light-years away. Astronomers dedicated to finding signs of intelligent alien life recorded 15 repeating fast radio bursts on August 26, according to an August 30 Newsweek article. The … Read more

Lore and Legend

New podcast series revisits gruesome murder of WVU co-eds

June 5, 2017 by David Sibray

Even after half a century, new information is coming to light regarding the gruesome murders of two hitch-hiking students who disappeared from the campus of West Virginia University in 1970. Morgantown-based Kromatic Media today announced the release of the first three podcasts in the series “Mared and Karen: The WVU Coed Murders,” which explores the kidnapping, murder, … Read more

Lore and Legend

Powell Mountain Goat beloved inhabitant of central West Virginia

May 3, 2017 by David Sibray

Photojournalist Anne Johnson on May 1 stopped on the flank of Powell Mountain in central West Virginia to visit its regionally famous inhabitant — a solitary, free-range goat that for 17 years has called the high-ground home. Johnson, whose 2015 video of an encounter with the white, wary herbivore has picked-up steam on social media, reports … Read more

Lore and Legend

Interest growing in W.Va. haunted places, says Web developer

April 5, 2017 by Ted Fauster

PAX, W.Va. — Interest in West Virginia’s haunted places is growing, says a Web developer whose guide to West Virginia ghosts is now ranked No. 1 for hauntings in the United States. The increasing interest in spooky locales is likely a result of a hunger for the paranormal nationally as well as in-state efforts to … Read more

Old penitentiary at Moundsville, WV, Marshall County, Northern Panhandle Region

Lore and Legend

Introducing the five most haunted places in W.Va.

March 20, 2014 by Ted Fauster

MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — The Travel Channel ranks two West Virginia landmarks among the most haunted in the United States, but ghost hunters know there are many more. The following five, ranked in 2014, are favorites of Jason Burns and Jonathan Moore, among the state’s best-known purveyors of the paranormal. No. 1: Trans-Allegheny Asylum When Virginians … Read more

Lore and Legend

Ghost in the Machine: Moore returns after 14 years

January 23, 2014 by David Sibray

The 2014 relaunch of West Virginia Explorer has been deputied not by a jet-setting newcomer to the industry, but by our publication’s first webmaster. Answering the clarion call for assistance in the relaunch of more than 2,000 pages, Jonathan Moore has returned after 14 years, and I couldn’t be happier. Though a skillful webmaster, he … Read more

Nearly $20 million in upgrades coming to West Virginia state parks

Autumn changes the New River Gorge and gives travelers new reasons to visit

Why West Virginia manages wildlife inside a federal national forest

West Virginia town built as Great Depression experiment wins national honor

Tiny cellular trackers follow endangered bats through New River Gorge

West Virginia’s first fall colors are appearing in these high mountain areas

WVU prepares nuclear workforce as West Virginia weighs role in nation’s nuclear industry

Glenville State establishes College of Business as programs expand beyond campus

West Virginia filmmaker turns state’s history of extraction into monster movie ‘Dark Hollow’

Nearly 40 years later, a cult horror film made in West Virginia is returning to theaters

Despite damaging spring freezes, apple butter will simmer again in Berkeley Springs

Why the sky changes when summer ends in Appalachia

West Virginia archery season opens Sept. 26 for deer, bear, and wild boar

Want your children to spend more time outdoors? Start with yourself, educator says

Rabbit pot pie, venison chili, duck tacos on menu at West Virginia outdoor celebration

West Virginia city eyes 40-mile trail network near New River Gorge

Lore and Legend

“Fallout 76” driving record traffic to West Virginia Explorer

Fallout 76: Which West Virginia landmarks can you find?

Reputedly haunted portrait spooking visitors at W.Va. museum

New film to investigate W.Va. legend of Flatwoods Monster

West Virginia observatory monitors signals from distant galaxy

New podcast series revisits gruesome murder of WVU co-eds

Powell Mountain Goat beloved inhabitant of central West Virginia

Interest growing in W.Va. haunted places, says Web developer

Introducing the five most haunted places in W.Va.

Ghost in the Machine: Moore returns after 14 years