Friendly. Informative Interesting. New. Information Good food. Personal touch…read more !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you want to tour Loretta Lynn's original home in Van Lear, Kentucky you must stop by Webb's…read moregrocery, pay a $5 entry fee, and follow the tour guide in your car a mile or so to the home. The young man that runs the store is a distant relative of Loretta Lynn. But for folks in this community this store is one of the only stores within many miles of their home. He has a few Loretta Lynn's souvenirs such as t-shirts and magnets. But there is also canned goods, soda, and water for sale. The store is very old and was a railroad company store when it was originally built. I believe he told me it was around a 125 years old. He has done a great job of keeping this place up as it did not have that old smell that you find in a lot of places. Of course you will also find a ton of Loretta Lynn memorabilia throughout the store as well as other older relics of times past, such as an old Pepsi clock, soda bottles and signs. It was a quaint old store that takes you back to simple yet tough times for many Americans in the late 1800s to early 1900's. I loved it!

Deep down in the Holler of Kentucky is where you will be!…read more We were on the motorcycle and it was raining so the road was wet and slick. Stopped at the General Store and the gentleman that was there was so nice and answered any questions. Rode back to where Loretta Lynn's home place was and such beautiful scenery. Wasn't able to go inside the hone as it hadn't opened up yet due to Covid but was able to get some good photos from the road. If you are on a bike, there is a gravel spot where we parked/turned around. Was told if you go back further that it's a dead need and hard to get turned around. We enjoyed our ride through here and now know why it called the "Holler"

i enjoyed, its simple, you get to actually walk thru the house. there are a lot of people in this…read morecountry that need to see how a lot of people once lived. infract there still are people that do.

This was a little more than I expected from a roadside stop. The woman behind the counter, a…read moredescendent of the families, was extremely knowledgeable and friendly to us. We were the only ones in there and she let us browse without interruption. There were photos and artifacts, coal from nearby, historical documents, and photos for sale. The gift shop portion was just a few shelves of the typical souvenir items like mugs, shot glasses, magnets, and moonshine chocolate from Pigeon Forge. They do offer sandwiches and ice cream. We split a strawberry cheesecake scoop and it was fresh and delicious for the hot afternoon day. They have gem mining outside near the family still and family well. I think it's definitely worth stopping in, if only for ice cream, a few mins in the AC, and a clean port-o-potty outside. Ice cream and a magnet cost me under $10. Parking is a gravel lot out front. It's about a quarter mile, if that, from the parking area for the cemetery.

Drove hours to see this and was extremely disappointed. Small room behind a curtain in a little…read moreshop on the road next to the Hatfield Cemetery, the "museum" was filled with copies of books, movie posters, and photos you can find in most books of the internet. The gift shop has more items than the museum has in original items. Do not waste your time.

$5 entrance fee. Small, but interesting display of artifacts with a timeline of events from shortly…read morebefore WW1 through 1940s. Worth the entrance price.

Our family loved learning about some of the struggles of the West Virginia labor movement. The…read moredocent, Kim, gave us a brief, informative tour, and then allowed us to take our time looking around. It's not huge, but it's full of WV history, and the common people's struggle to be treated like human beings. Of course, there was Mother Jones memorabilia. Now, SHE was an inspiring woman! Tip: Be sure to stop by the train museum at the end of the road (maybe 1/4 mile away). There's also a lot of Hatfields and McCoys history in this area, and a real moonshine distillery that you can tour. The Mine Wars Museum is only a $5 donation, and the Train Museum is free.

This is the centerpiece of Saltville. This unoriginally named town holds more intrigue than you…read morewould probably think. The salt is a product of some unusual geologic conditions that lead animal bones to be well preserved, making this a top site for archaeology. In addition, the salt was also of enormous economic value and was a military asset during the Civil War, making this the site of a significant set of armed conflict. Some other environmental and cultural history pops up as well. The museum has several well-produced and substantial documentaries showing in a tiny theater. The two rooms of exhibits take up more time than you'd think, and I was probably there for an hour and a half or so. The $5 admission is worth it, easily. The town continues to have some unusually salty ponds that you can walk around on some paved trails, as well as some historic markers and a recreated set of salt mining equipment on the edge of town. All of these features and more can be viewed and contextualized on the museum's topographic map/diaorama. It's not a metropolis, but it is an interesting place.

Self guided tour. Small but very well organized and awesome artifacts. Information on Civil War,…read moreNative Americans, geology and fossils. They also have a few videos to watch.

Best of the best a must see if you're a fan worth every second absolutely the best story of a young…read moregirl from Kentucky

So interesting to see how people that are now famous began. It's so interesting, and I learned her…read moresister is Crystal Gayle

This was hands-down the highlight of our entire trip! If you're anywhere near Beckley, WV, you HAVE…read moreto take the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine tour! And if you get the chance to take Don's tour, DO IT! Don was incredible. His stories, humor, knowledge, and personal experiences as a coal miner made the history come alive in a way that you just can't get from reading a sign or walking through a museum. He made us laugh, taught us so much, and gave us a whole new appreciation for the men and families who lived and worked in the coal camps. Riding the mine car underground and going through the old mine was such a unique experience. You also get to walk through the historic coal camp buildings, including the company house, superintendent's house, church, school, and miner's shanty. But honestly, what made this place so special was the people. Everyone we talked to in the buildings was incredibly kind, welcoming, and knowledgeable. They were happy to talk with us, answer questions, and share the history behind what we were seeing. We've done a LOT on this trip, and this was easily the experience we'll be talking about the most. It was educational, fascinating, funny, and at times really moving.

I was debating about whether or not to visit, as I was afraid it might be a simulation experience…read more Boy, was I wrong! This turned out to be the highlight of my roadtrip. I enjoyed going underground, and our tour guide, Gerald, was great. He was able to answer all the questions he was asked. I also went to some of the outbuildings. I was surprised and pleased to see that there were docents in the Supervisor's house & the school. Both of those women came from coal mining families, and I was lucky to be able to spend some time talking to each of them about their experiences. What a hard -- and kind of sad -- life. I actually felt a little guilty that mine is so much different. I also went into the gift shop, where all of the women were just hilariously funny! They almost made me wish that I lived in the area & wanted a job; I would love to work with them! I encourage everyone to visit the Beckley Coal Mine. It was very informative and eye-opening.

The information and history are great. It's very important for everyone to have access…read more The only thing that's puzzling is that there's no free parking.

I was in town for work and my flight didn't leave till 6 so I had lots of time to explore the…read moremuseum. Love how you start millions of years ago and progress to modern age. Each room is full of artifacts and information for each era. Easily you could spend a full day looking and exploring everything. And the best part is it's free!

For five years I had heard my wife talk about how amazing the Whipple Company Store and Museum was…read more So on our way for a weekend at the New River Gorge we stopped in so I could see myself. Needless to say I was blown away! What an absolute treasure. There was an informative tour about the coal company store, the lives of the miners and their families, the coal wars, and about the architecture. The man leading the tour was knowledgeable and passionate about the history of the area. I would recommend coming here to anyone!!

Great place and very educational....i loved the owners and everybody there, very good people. it…read morewas unforgettable!!