The 10 Best History Museums in West Virginia, United States

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.

Heritage Towers exhibits were created as a special tribute to a time honored African American tradition nationally celebrated as Black History Month. The theme of the exhibits “From Slavery to Statehood” is a series of galleries unfolding the story of West Virginia’s African American heritage.Our slogan and motto “Every month is Black History Month” is a commitment to preserve and promote diversity in West Virginia and beyond, through art, culture and history of black people.Keep the heritage alive

The Wetzel County Museum is located in historic downtown New Martinsville, West Virginia. The building that houses the museum began as Wells Hardware Company in the 1890s. The museum currently displays an array of exhibits on the history of Wetzel County and features a rotating art gallery.

The Cockayne Farmstead, built in the 1850's, became a world renowned farm producing some of the world's best Merino wool. Today, the house remains virtually unchanged from the turn of the century and is open to the public to tour the house and its original collections of over 3,000 objects. The grounds, which can also be explored, include an ancient Native American mound, gardens, and an outdoor classroom on the native wonders of West Virginia.

The Stirrup Gallery is home to 12 of Davis & Elkins College's private collections- all on display. We have Ice Age Mammal fossils that include the remains of Woolly Mammoth, Mastodon Woolly Rhinoceros skeleton; as well as several other species of megafauna. Other collections contain over 70 firearms dating from the 1600’s through the Civil War. The museum also houses a large a collection of powder horns dating to the 1600’s. Also, stop by and see a collection of Roman Coins from Emperor Trajans reign 1,900 years ago . The museum has over 6,000 Native American artifacts dating back to the Paleo Indians. The collection contains materials from the Americas, which include pottery, basketry, stone tools, a gun from Custer’s Last Stand and much more! Also on display are Colonial American items ranging from medical instruments, weaving tools, irons, swords, and bayonets.

In 1921, ten thousand armed miners marched 50 miles across Southern West Virginia to battle for their rights as working people. The West Virginia Mine Wars Museum tells the story of their fight, and the years of hardships, skirmishes and union organizing leading up to that remarkable moment. The West Virginia Mine Wars are a dramatic and often overlooked chapter of American history. In the early 1900’s in the coalfields of Southern WV, miners faced desperate circumstances. Below ground they withstood some of the worst working conditions in America. Above ground they faced brutal mine guards and an industry mine guard system that controlled the politics and economy of the region. Mountaineer families from the nearby hollows, African Americans from the South, and immigrants from places like Hungary and Italy all came together to fight for the right to unionize and for their basic constitutional rights. Step into the Mine Wars Era and experience the history through the eyes of the workers and their families. This unique museum takes visitors on a journey beginning at the Paint Creek-Cabin Creek strike of 1912-1913, winding through the 1920 Matewan Massacre, and culminating with the 1921 Miners’ March and Battle of Blair Mountain.