Very nice memorial for the minors that have died mining coal. Lots of free dry camping campsites in…read morethe area.

This park is a great stop. Lots of history of mining and they have an enormous mining bucket that…read moreyou can walk in. Beautiful at sunset.

We loved this tour! It's only $12, and we were treated to a video introduction and then a private…read moretour of the house with tons of information about when it was originally built and also about the latest renovation. Everyone we dealt with was so friendly and knowledgeable. We would love to go back and see it decked out for Christmas!

I've lived in Marietta for 35 years and this was my first visit. Was always thinking I'd do it…read morelater when guests came. Why did I wait! It was so enjoying to hear about the house and its history. It's a great gem for our small historic town.

I wish I could write more about this building but because it's private you can only see the…read moreexterior. However I think it's still worth a stop if you're in the area. It's an absolutely beautiful house with charm, elegance and beautiful design. I can tell you that what you can see from the street is absolute craftsmanship.

I've walked by this mansion several times a week for years and I had no idea this piece of history…read morewas on Yelp. Would ya look at that?! Being that I live so closed, I've looked into its background and it's pretty cool. It's history is long and rather weird, starting way back in 1895 when circus owner Peter Sells asked a well known Columbus architect to build a home for his wife. This architect was Frank Packard and he designed the one-of-a-kind home with gothic, tudor, chateauesque styles mixed with his own personal flare, even adding circus-like touches throughout. Fun fact - This same architect build the Ohio Governor's Mansion, the Jeffrey Mansion, and at least one other in the city. The Sells mansion was on the market for quite some and it started to go a little down hill. However, it was finally purchased in 2020 and I've noticed the new owners are doing what they can to renovate and bring it back to life.

Great experience, staff was very friendly and fun. I would definitely come back ! It was spooky and…read moreeducational.

Easily one of the best tours I've ever taken…read more I knew this would need to be part of our WV itinerary as soon as this place's existence became known to me while I was planning a possible trip. Just the name is enough to grab you but it certainly delivers. The thought of doing a paranormal tour intrigued me but I was also interested in the history. We arrived at 2:20 and were informed the paranormal tour wasn't starting until 4. Did we really want to wait until 4?! The very nice man provided descriptions of all of the tours and the paranormal one just sounded so interesting that it didn't seem like a real debate. We bought tickets and were considering how we would kill time but it turns out, they have a very interesting museum about the place's history on the first floor that someone entertained my ADHD ass until 3:55. It was incredible. As if that couldn't get any better, the tour was absolutely fascinating. We were taken throughout the museum and our guide, Brad, was impressively knowledgeable about the place, answered every question in exquisite detail. The only disappointment was that instead of experiencing anything paranormal, we were just told stories about things other people have experienced. Don't get me wrong, this was captivating but I was hoping to experience something for myself which I did not. An absolute must visit if you are interested in this kind of shit and are anywhere remotely in the vicinity.

I love Covered Bridges and there are several to see in Ohio…read more Today my hubby, Tony Vanoy and I stopped at the Morgan Co., Fairgrounds in Mcconnelsville, Ohio, to attend a Mother's Day Flea Market. It was here we visited the Rosseau Covered Bridge. The bridge was built in 1881. It is closed to vehicle traffic but you are able to walk through the bridge as a entrance to fairgrounds main area. There are some photos on the wall showing old vintage photos of the covered bridge.

Love this place. I take the kids here often during the summer. Beautiful scenery and good place to…read morecool off in the summer heat

I'm a little torn on this review to be honest and it's kind of a hard one to write because the…read morePalace of Gold is definitely beautiful, but overall my experience wasn't the greatest. I visited in winter, which meant no flowers were in bloom in the gardens and the outdoor space was pretty gloomy with the exception of a very cool bug that I found on the steps. The seasons definitely change the atmosphere and I imagine that in spring or summer it feels much more vibrant and alive here. The palace itself is lovely with intricate details and ornate interiors and very much what I expected stylistically. However, it wasn't nearly as grand in scale as I had imagined. It was much smaller than I thought it would be. When you step inside the front lobby area, there are gorgeous stained glass windows and beautiful decor and I really enjoyed the light coming through into that space and being able to take photographs in there. The woman inside asked us on a few occasions if we wanted to take the tour and I wasn't sure until we saw the lobby area. Unfortunately, the biggest disappointment was for me was finding out -- only after paying -- that photography wasn't actually allowed inside. That was tough and had I known I definitely would have made a different decision. Personally, I would have been just as happy taking photos of the exterior and I would have saved myself a lot of money. The tour is a little costly considering that you're just accessing a very small area and although the information was somewhat interesting, I had already read the majority of it beforehand. After the tour I was excited to head over to where they keep the cows, which are considered sacred here, because I had read that guests are sometimes allowed to help feed them. Unfortunately (again) it's only during a specific time of day and there wasn't anyone around that I could talk to, but I was able to see the cows through the fence and they were absolutely adorable. We were advised during the tour that we were welcome to go to the lunch offering near the housing area and we did try to find what the tour guide had described, but there were no clear signs. When we did eventually locate the area where they were serving some food, it felt very uncomfortable, like we had wandered somewhere we weren't meant to be. We definitely didn't feel like we belonged there and left almost immediately. Overall, the palace itself is really beautiful and historically interesting and although I don't subscribe to the beliefs of the people here, I do respect what it represents to them. Between the cost and the no photo surprise and the general feeling of uncertainty throughout our visit, we just spent much of our time here wandering and feeling uncomfortable. The welcome center wasn't very welcoming, the peacock walk had no peacocks and the chanting and yelling of Krishna devotees can be a frightening experience to those new to it. This is worth seeing once, hopefully in a season where it's full of flowers and sunshine and beauty. I just suggest you manage your expectations and definitely make it clear that you are not there to be converted.

I recently learned that you should always be open minded to the suggestions on the billboards on…read morethe highway. We saw a sign mentioning the Palace of Gold on the way to Pittsburgh so we decided to make a detour and check it out. My first impression was how beautiful it was. Most of the building is indeed gold colored so there was no false advertising there. They also do tours of the palace so you can get an in depth look of the palace. The tour guide did an amazing job. What I really enjoyed was how quiet peaceful it was. There was a lot more to do than look at the temple. You could take a walk, visit the temple for worship and just enjoy the Mountain View. Everything was very relaxing. We loved it visit to the Palace of Gold. Such a hidden gem!

Marietta is a charming river town. So why go to a cemetery? Best I can say is it's like a piece of…read morehistory really. And in Marietta, the entire town is rich with history from the Indians and America during the pre- and post-Revolutionary War. You can't throw a stick without hitting a street named after one of Washington's generals, and many soldiers settled here with free land in lieu of pay from General Washington's army. The mound is a big hill built by the Indians. After driving down bumpy cobblestone roads lined with homes that look like Martha Washington might come out onto the porch at any minute, you come upon the Mound Cemetery, nestled among the homes looking quite like it belongs there is the Mound Cemetery, bordered with an ancient looking wrought iron gate that at once says both KEEP OUT and "welcome." Odd that. Climbing the stairs to summit the Mound is part of your initiation to the Marietta culture. The stairs are steep, which adds to the allure. Once atop, the scene is one of history, art, tranquility, and ... Marietta. Other than lounging in the Gun Room at The Lafayette downtown, it doesn't get much more Marietta than this.

I had read something about this but didn't think we'd have time to go; then we ended up parking…read moreright beside it for a basketball game at the college. After the game, just at sunset, we walked back and decided to go in. I've always had a thing for mounds, perhaps starting from visiting Mound City and Serpent Mound as a kid. I wish it had been a bit more light so we could read the tombstones, but there are clearly some pretty old ones here. The cemetery surrounds the mound, and sits in a residential neighborhood with a low fence. You can only enter at two points, which made for a bit of a walk in the cold. We climbed to the top of the mound where there are a few benches and a nice view. It's cool that this (presumably funerary) mound is preserved, and surrounded by, well, an appropriate companion. A nice little cap to our Marietta visit. We'll have to get back sometime.

You can learn about West Virginia history at this free museum. Or you can be like my children and…read morejust glance at the exhibits while trying to find buttons to push and things to touch. Your call! If you did go through the museum purposefully, though, you'd find a lot information about how West Virginia, a Unionist state, separated from Virginia, a Confederate state. There are three floors of Civil War memorabilia, West Virginia things and ... honestly, I think I'm like my children, because I didn't read any of the information either. But I know if you want to learn more about West Virginia, this is the place to do it. I mostly just enjoyed walking around, looking at the old furniture, peeking out of the windows and observing all of the nicely preserved historical objects that the museum has so lovingly displayed for everyone to see. This is a beautiful museum, and there's so much to see and learn about that I'm kind of shocked it was free to visit. There was one woman working there when we visited. It's a quiet little museum, so one person working there seemed right. I could tell that she really wanted us to ask questions -- she had a lot of West Virginia knowledge rattling around in her head. Unfortunately for her, my family was only there to push buttons and touch things and gaze out of the windows, so she retreated back to her desk and let us peruse freely. We had a good time at West Virginia Independence Hall, and stayed maybe 30 minutes. But I could see other people staying an hour or more, especially if you are really into history, and you take your time to absorb all of the information that's available.

OMG This museum is FREE!!! It is full of West Virginia…read moreHistory, artifacts and gems. Parking is in the rear and FREE as well. Easy to locate in downtown area of Wheeling across from the B&O Railroad Building which is now part of the community college. For my birthday I wanted to go here so my hubby Tony, daughter Noel and her boyfriend Adam joined me. Outside on the corner is a hugh statue of Governor Pierpont, the first governor of the new State of West Virginia. Some historical markers, a monument to the civil war, and a cannon. Inside there is 3 levels. Top level is the courtroom, were the convention was held to declare, argue and vote on making a new State and breaking away from Virginia. It was here that West Virginia was born. Second levels there are various rooms stuffed full of historical memorable items. First floor there are some civil war informative displays, an old post office and a riverboat display. In the basement, bathrooms and theatre to watch a 18 minute brief film narrates how this all became about. This was originally the Old Custom House.

We went to Dresden, Ohio looking for the Longaberger Factoryonly to find out it was closed, but we…read morewere able to locate the World's Largest Basket by Longaberger. This basket is also listed on the AmericaRoadside.com website about oddities you can find across America. It was nice and pretty easy to find just a little sad to see how dead and dried up this entire small Ohio town has became...very sad!!! But on the brighter side this Little park was very clean!!!

What a great experience!…read more Ferry tickets have to be purchased at the Museum, which is a short walk from where you board the ferry. You can also purchase a package for the ferry, mansion tour, wagon ride, and museum ($39 as of May 2024). The mansion tour is really excellent. The docents are very knowledgeable. The wagon ride is a must - fun and informative. This is a great day trip!

Located on a small island in the Ohio River, Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park features a…read morerecreated Palladian mansion to explore, horse drawn buggy tour, and back on the mainland an extensive museum to visit. We started our visit at the museum on the mainland which features many artifacts chronicling the history of the local area as well as several belongings of the original owners of the mansion (the Blennerhassetts) who fled to the US from Ireland after the Uncle and Niece duo decided to get married to much scandal. There is a free parking lot available to park in for visitors. The museum covers three floors and We started in the basement of the museum and made our way up. In the basement you'll find an extensive collection of Native American artefacts, as well as a short film about the island and their entangelment with Aaron Burr. The Blennerhassetts and their island home owe their notoriety to when they allowed their estate to become headquarters for Aaron Burr's military expedition to the Southwest back in 1805 which resulted in them all being arrested and tried for treason and sedition. One of the most interesting finds in the museum includes replicas of Aaron Burr's death mask as well as the pistols used by Burr and Hamilton in their infamous duel. After spending over an hour in the museum, we made the short 2 minute drive from the museum to the pier to wait for the riverboat to ferry us to the island. It was a bit of a drizzly overcast day and their was no signage out anywhere indicating where the ferry would be. Your ticket that you purchase to board the ferry will include the pick up times at the dock and on the island. The island itself and the structure on it are a trove of historical gems and natural beauty. Our guide for the house, Scott, was a wealth of knowledge and was very thorough in his stories about the people who made the island famous and the ultimate downfall of the entire Blennerhassett family. This was a highlight of our trip to West Virginia!