West Virginia culture is a captivating blend of rich Appalachian traditions and vibrant high culture infused with the jazz of surrounding U.S. cities like Pittsburgh and Washington, D.C. The state is renowned for its deep-rooted Appalachian heritage, which is showcased through folk music, storytelling, and traditional crafts such as quilting and woodcarving. Visitors can experience this authentic culture at local festivals and heritage museums throughout the Mountain State. At the same time, West Virginia also embraces high culture, with world-class performances at the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra, acclaimed theater productions at the Greenbrier Valley Theatre, and art exhibitions at the Huntington Museum of Art. This unique mix of mountain traditions and refined artistic offerings makes West Virginia a true cultural gem in the heart of Appalachia.
BURNING SPRINGS, W.Va. — On the night of May 9, 1863, a conflagration lit up the skies along the Little Kanawha River at Burning Springs at the site of the famous Rathbone Well, the first major oil well in West Virginia. As part of a Confederate initiative to injure the Union, Brigadier General William “Grumble” … Read more
POINT PLEASANT, W.Va. — America’s quintessential Atomic Age monster, Mothman continues to attract attention in the Ohio Valley, so much so that more than 30,000 visitors attended the annual Mothman Festival in West Virginia.As much as people might know or suspect about the legendary beast, which made its first recorded appearance in 1966, three critical … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — There is perhaps no more extraordinary place of honor for a statue in West Virginia than in the plaza in front of its state Capitol.And perhaps there is no better statue to raise there than that of Abraham Lincoln, who signed the proclamation that brought the state into being.However, what’s now one … Read more
PINCH, W.Va. — The legend of a now well-publicized West Virginia monster known regionally as the “White Thing” may have first been documented by a folklore student from Kanawha County in the late 1950s.The tale of the mysterious “malevolent” creature, which was alleged to haunt the hills of western West Virginia, appeared to defy standard … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — This weekend, the grounds of the West Virginia Capitol will host the 48th Vandalia Gathering, the state’s annual celebration of West Virginia heritage.Thousands of visitors from around the state and nation attend the event, which is free to the public, features traditional West Virginian music, dance, art, crafts, food, and storytelling.This year, … Read more
SUTTON, W.Va. — Sightings of a bigfoot alleged in the wilderness surrounding Sutton Lake in central West Virginia may have a historical precedent.According to Andrew Smith, executive director of the Braxton County Convention and Visitors Bureau, old news clippings that refer to a “wildman” and more recent stories of an ape-like creature imply that the … Read more
PROCIOUS, W.Va. — The strange name of Twistabout Creek in the mountains of central West Virginia may still be a mystery, says a historian questioning a popular local origin story.Cascading down from Twistabout Ridge to join the Elk River in a particularly scenic stretch, the uniquely named stream has been attracting the attention of kayakers … Read more
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — One enduring West Virginia legend posits that the first person of European descent to visit the land now within the boundaries of the Mountain State was a “lunatic.”The late Jim Comstock, publisher of the celebrated West Virginia Heritage Encyclopedia, briefly mentioned the tale in his work, though little is known of the … Read more
PIPESTEM, W.Va. — Many of the thousands of people named “Farley” in the New River valley region in southern West Virginia trace their lineage back to one early settler, Drewry Farley. He and his wife, Mary Adkins Farley, established their family in an upland pasture overlooking the New River at the summit of what’s known … Read more
CRANY, W.Va. — How did the grave of a soldier from the Shenandoah Valley wind up in one of the most remote and rugged mountain regions in southern West Virginia?According to the legend, as it’s come to be told, a band of marauding Shawnee burned Ralph Stewart’s father at the stake, and so no one … Read more
