West Virginia State Museum

This was a great museum. We have been traveling around to visit all of the state museums and this was one of my favorites.

The displays are really interesting and well done. There is an elevator and large open rooms for those that need accessible areas. I was easily able to navigate it with my electric scooter.

On the first floor there is a one room family/handicap bathroom which was super easy to get in and out of. I wish they had one on each floor. The remaining floor had standard bathrooms with stalls.

There is also a cafe with prepackaged sandwiches and snacks. They also have coffee and coffee drinks. I enjoyed my ham sandwich and these unique potato chips with Indian spices.

Parking was straightforward and easily accessible. I would certainly revisit again.

This is a beautiful museum with a thoughtful presentation of a wide range of artifacts. One needs about two hours to fully relish the selections.
A shop within the building offers a decent assortment of souvenirs.

Was very impressed. We spent quite a lot of time here and still did not get to see everything. The layout adds to the experience. Definitely worth checking out. If you enjoy museums at all plan on at least a half a day. However since it is free you can still stop in if you only have an hour.

Exquisite museum with so much history of our wonderful state! A must visit for all ages! Gift shop as well! all WV items! They will be decorating for Christmas very soon! Thanksgiving weekend!

The highlight of our visit to the Capitol. So much well curated and laid out exhibits, made for a complete and immersive experience - from coal mining, to labor, to music, and much more.

The gift shop is well stocked with quality and many locally sourced items. The museum’s annual quilt show before Labor Day is one of many highlights during the year.

Arguably the most informative stop of the Capitol city. Well worth it.

This is certainly the best museum I have ever been to. The exhibits told a chronological story as you walked through. It was so nicely done. Worth traveling to see.

I've been through my share of museums and then some, and this is one of the most enjoyable museums I've been in! It's a nice all around experience from the floor to the ceiling and the all around sound were great! We got there late, but I really want to go back and see everything again!

While some of the history paints a rosier picture than natives or slaves would, the museum is thorough and extensive. We thought giving ourselves 2 hours was enough time, but we were wrong! Tons of interesting people, artifacts, and history in captivating displays. I learned a ton and would definitely go back to see what I missed when we had to rush out because it was closing time. (Also had an amazing quilt display at the entrance - wow!)

I would give this place 10 stars if I could!! Stopped to visit the capital building first and it was impressive as well. But I really enjoyed the setup of the state museum. They start you back from way in the very beginning of time and work you all the way to the present day. The detail and thought that went i to this is impressive. Unfortunately my time was limited as I had a full day planned. This place is easily 4 hours or more to really take time to read the stuff. Trust me, come here, you'll be impressed. And it's FREE!!

Sadly, the museum was closed. It was not posted anywhere on line. But they are closed Sundays and Mondays. I was redirected to the State Capitol building, which is beautiful and quite different from other State Capitol buildings. Outside the Capitol is a well designed and interesting Veterans Memorial. Everywhere you turn in West Virginia you see Mountains.

Amazing museum, not very crowded, and it felt like it went on forever. So much stuff to see and it is probably the best thing to do in Charleston aside from visit the capitol. The museum covers WV’s entire history.

This museum is a hidden gem! The exhibits were interactive and well themed! I highly recommend!

It's a really nice way to spend an afternoon in Charleston. Not to mention, Free! It was educational, interactive, and just good fun. There's plenty of West Virginia history here to be proud of and pass down for generations to come.

Short version: Loved it!

It’s a great free family-friendly activity that shouldn’t be missed. Although I’d like to see more detail given in some of the exhibition cases, the museums efforts at engagement through creative displays was fun to experience and worthy of praise. I got so immersed I wore myself out and will need to come back on another visit to finish my interesting walk through West Virginia’s history. Thank You West Virginia! …and there’s a gift shop too.

Very well done, we spent at least an hour there

Absolutely awesome museum with a lot of informational exhibits. The set up and layout of the museum is very cool and interesting to see. You could easily spend a couple hours in the museum alone. They also have short videos playing on the West Virginia history. Best of all it’s free admission and worth the visit!

I had the blessing of accompanying my sons on a field trip here. Such a great museum--very engaging and well thought out. Be sure to get a Student's Discovery Guide to complete as you go through the exhibits. The Museum Education Specialist, Nathan, was excellent! You can tell he loves his job and wants to share that love with others. All the other employees were friendly and helpful. Definitely want to return with the rest of my family.

Lots of amazing information and historical artifacts will make this a fun trio for the whole family!
Go on Saturdays because the parking and entry is free

Informative state museum. I stopped on a recent road trip, wanting to learn more about the state. I wasn't disappointed. I would definitely recommend spending an entire day if you want to go thru the museum and read/visit all the exhibits, as well as checking out the capitol next door. I only dedicated a few hours and had other plans later in the day, so I felt rushed.

WOW, West Virginia has such an excellent museum. Wish we have one too in our state. This museum has technologies, interactions and engagement with children. It's free to visit. Much better than expectation. Good job WV!