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.
MOUNDSVILLE, W.Va. — The iconic LOVE-HATE tattoos that adorn many thuggish fists in the U.S. are tied to one of the most horrific events in West Virginia history and a blockbuster movie based on it.A murderous preacher, a lonely-hearts serial killer, and the infamous state penitentiary at Moundsville all figure into the twisted tale, about … Read more
ANSTED, W.Va. — Historians investigating the history of a landmark tavern in southern West Virginia have uncovered evidence that explorer William Clark, of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, lodged there in the 1820s. While it is known that many famous travelers sought accommodations at the Tyree Tavern, or Halfway House, developers restoring the property as … Read more
BECKLEY, W.Va. — The historical outdoor dramas “Hatfields & McCoys” and “Honey in the Rock” will return to the Cliffside Amphitheater at Grandview this week and run through the end of the month.After a five-year pause, the drama “Honey in the Rock,” the story of the birth of West Virginia, is returning to the stage … Read more
FLATWOODS, W.Va. — In the annals of West Virginia lore, the Flatwoods Monster sighting of September 12, 1952, remains one of the most captivating and controversial reports of an extraterrestrial encounter—or does it?Descriptions of the event have led some to speculate that what a group of young boys encountered one night on the edge of … Read more
SUMMERSVILLE, W.Va. — The tale of the “Ford Ghost” southwest of Summersville, West Virginia, appears several times in local lore. This telling by J.W. Benjamin, published in the W.Va. Heritage Encyclopedia, couches the story in a manner that captures the essence of a good ghost story with the help of Lonnie E. Legge, who might … Read more
THURMOND, W.Va. — Victims of a smallpox pandemic that swept through the New River Gorge in the late 1800s may have been buried in a remote cemetery on what many now call the ‘Island of the Dead.’ Though remote, the island is accessible during low water in the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve. … Read more
PAX, W.Va. — West Virginia is warm enough to welcome family camping at least six months out of the year, and there’s little more exciting about a night under the stars than campfire tales told over roasted marshmallows.As the embers dim, inexplicable sounds come out of the darkness. The crash of a falling branch! Was … Read more
FAIRPLAIN, W.Va. — Carved on a hillside by an eccentric sculptor in the 1950s, a curious rock face near Ripley, West Virginia, is attracting a larger audience than ever, thanks to social media. More travelers than ever are on the hunt for the rock. According to the late historian Mike Ruben, West Virginia’s diminutive Mount … Read more
FAYETTEVILLE, W.Va. — For millions of tourists, Fayette County and its New River Gorge is a destination for healing and rejuvenation—a wonderland of hiking trails and kayaking streams. But a century ago, newspapers across the U.S. had named it “Bloody Fayette,” and with good reason.Coal had been discovered in the county in vast quantities, and … Read more
ELKINS, W.Va. — Lilacs bloom in April and May in West Virginia, which may be a good time to recall one of its best-known ghost stories — that of the tell-tale lilac bush, a story that’s grown into legend, thanks to the late folklorist Ruth Ann Musick. In 1965, Dr. Musick, who taught folklore at … Read more
