Wednesday, December 2, 2009

What To Do In Downtown Charleston, West Virginia

By Leigh Jackson

You might not think about Charleston as a popular destination. After all, the capital of West Virginia isn't a well known tourist destination like New York City. However, this city still has plenty of attractions to offer and it's a popular place to kick back and relax. This welcoming, friendly city has a lot of interesting historical landmarks, museums and more. Let's take a look.

If you're in downtown Charleston, be sure to check out the State Capitol Complex, and see some of the area's rare black squirrels. The capitol was actually designed by the same architect as the US Treasury and Supreme Court in Washington DC, and contains lots of things you might not know. It's a beautiful landmark with lots of historical information to offer. It's also right on the Kanawha River.

The state history museum and the famous statue of Abraham Lincoln are also very popular attractions in Charleston. During the summer, the city offers a wide variety of festivals that visitors will enjoy, and there are plenty of restaurants and shopping options for visitors at every time of the year. While you might not think of West Virginia as a cosmopolitan place, Charleston offers a wide variety of ethnic cuisines to try, from Japanese to Mexican to American. You'll also enjoy the shopping opportunity offered by local arts and crafts stores.

Don't want to spend a lot of money? There are plenty of free things for visitors to do in Charleston. Check out the mid June art Festival. Live on the Levee offers free music on the Kanawha River every Friday evening during the summer season. The Historic East End District offers a great self guided walking tour, as well as a wonderful garden showcase during the month of June.

On the third Thursday of every month, the Charleston Art Walk will take you through area galleries. The state Cultural Center offers plenty of displays about the cultural, historic, and artistic heritage of the state, free to the public, and the nearby Criel Mound is free to visit, and just five minutes from downtown. Architecture and design lovers will enjoy Charleston's Loft Walk, a tour of private residences in downtown that's a lot of fun.

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