DESTINATION

Wheeling

When Virginia seceded from the Union, delegates from the western counties met at Wheeling and set up the “Restored Government of Virginia,” with Wheeling as the capital. After West Virginia was formally admitted to the Union in 1863, Wheeling was the capital until 1870 and again 1875-85.

The 1,010-foot-long Wheeling Suspension Bridge, built in 1849, is one of the world's longest of its kind. Henry Clay, while visiting Wheeling a year after the bridge opened, described it as “a rainbow to behold.”

Wheeling's history as a frontier port where the National Road met the Ohio River is evident in the Old Town section; some of the buildings are open to the public by tour.

From May through August the Wheeling Heritage Port Amphitheater hosts Wheeling's Waterfront Wednesdays where free concerts are featured.

In winter, the city is illuminated with one of the country's largest light shows, Festival of Lights , featuring a 6-mile driving tour through 300 acres.

Visitor Centers

Wheeling Visitors Center 1401 Main St. Wheeling, WV 26003. Phone:(304)233-7709 or (800)828-3097

Shopping

Eight miles west on I-70 in nearby St. Clairsville, Ohio, is Ohio Valley Mall, whose more than 150 stores include Macy's and Sears. North Main Street's North Wheeling Historic District (Old Town) has antique and specialty shops; from I-70 exit 1A go north on Main Street. Wheeling's Historic Centre Market, 2200 Market St., features antique and craft shops in and around the refurbished Centre Market House.