Huntington is a city in West Virginia, right at the border with Ohio and Kentucky. The city sits on the plains of the Ohio River and it is home to the second-busiest inland port in the US, the Port of Huntington Tri-State. Although Huntington grew its economy based on steel processing and shipping, nowadays its largest employer is the Marshall University.
The city is also known for the tragedy of 1970 when the entire Marshall University’s football team died in a plane crash. The story touched everyone’s heart as Hollywood released the movie “We Are Marshall”.
Interactive Map of 25 Things to Do in Huntington (WV)
1. Pullman Square
The gathering place of Pullman Square is an outdoor plaza with a great variety of quaint little shops. There is also a wide range of eateries including Roosters and their famous chicken wings. Besides, there is always a Starbucks on the corner so you can treat yourself to a fresh coffee and a muffin.
This is a great place for a movie night at Marquee Cinemas or a game afternoon at the Quicksilver Arcade. Overall, it is a fun place to walk around and check out different stores.
2. Central Park
Located in Ashland, Kentucky, Central Park is a time-tested community space flanked by mature trees, with a dog park, ball fields, and exercise paths. Filled with history, the park lies on a former Native Americans’ burial ground. Besides the squirrels everywhere and the large trees, Central Park also features plenty of shade for the adults to relax and watch the kids have fun at the playground.
It is a beautiful area with lots of people walking and riding bicycles. Also, you can simply sit by the pond and feed the fish that come up to the surface.
3. I-64 Eastbound West Virginia Welcome Center
The tourist information center of Eastbound West Virginia Welcome Center is actually one of three buildings located in the rest area of I-64. The public restrooms are found in the building to the left and the vending machine on the right.
Besides being a good place to stop and stretch your legs, this small welcome center has the typical information regarding West Virginia. Also, the views surrounding the center are quite nice and the Welcome sign is great for a photo session. Make sure to check out the Airborne Monument dedicated to West Virginians’ service in elite units of the US military.
4. Camden Park
Camden Park is an amusement park with a carousel, haunted house, and other kid-centric activities in an outdoor space. Founded in 1903 as a picnic area, it was not until 1950 that Camden Park turned into an amusement park. This place truly makes you feel like a child going back in time because it is a throwback that has not been overtaken by modern technology.
The park is much like a year-round county fair with great rides and old-school games. The cafeteria is really good, and they even sell slushies, that is perfect on a hot day. Besides discounts, you can also purchase online tickets to avoid long queues at the park.
5. Joan C. Edwards Stadium
The football stadium of Joan C. Edwards Stadium has a great atmosphere with good prices on drinks and a very loud crowd. Whether you are a big Herd fan or just appreciate what the program has grown to be from the 1970 plane crash, this is a great venue to visit. Once there, you will feel energized with all the history of this stadium and campus.
The stadium offers awesome pregame activities in the west lot including concerts, a thunder walk that allows you to greet the players before the game, as well as tailgating. Besides, it features a great view from any seat and the scoreboard shows replays all the time, so you do not miss a single play.
6. Ritter Park
Offering trails, green spaces, and a rose garden, the spacious Ritter Park also features a dog park. With a sandbox and a new zipline, the playground is great for children and the tennis courts are perfect for any athletes. The trails through the woods are great for the whole family. For example, one path follows along a stream and a row of beautiful homes, covered by trees for most of the walk.
Besides, there is a great rose garden that is unbelievably beautiful when the flowers are blooming. There is also a nice creek that you can stroll down and look at and listen to the water.
7. Heritage Farm Museum & Village
Home to seven award-winning museums, Heritage Farm Museum & Village is a replica Appalachian village recreating rural life with school, mercantile, and other building tours. Once you arrive there, you will find a welcome center and a gift shop on one side, and a restaurant on the other.
There are so many fun and interesting activities for the kids. For example, “The Maker Space” is an entire building dedicated to arts and crafts. Not to mention a couple of playgrounds, a transportation museum, a doll museum, and a petting zoo. Overall, this is a very interesting and informative space focused on life in early Appalachia.
8. Barboursville Park
Located 20 minutes from Huntington, Barboursville Park has beautiful scenery with the mountains and Lake William in the background. The park also features many sports activities including soccer and baseball fields, as well as tennis, basketball, and volleyball courts.
The lake itself was built in 1992 and provides both spring and winter fishing. There is a nice pebble walkway around the lake with plenty of covered picnic areas with benches and porch swings. Interestingly, the park also counts with a horse show ring and you can go on a horse ride along with one of the trails.
9. Kenova’s Pumpkin House
With over 3000 pumpkins and 1000 visitors every day, Kenova’s Pumpkin House is a historic house featuring a Jack O’Lantern musical show. Crowds flock to this small western West Virginia town to see the immaculately carved artwork on the pumpkins every year. The decorations start right before Halloween and stay on for about a week until the pumpkins last.
This is a walkup and view at your own pace attraction where you can admire all the different types of pumpkin carvings. There are also many food trucks to make the whole experience that much more special.
10. Harris Riverfront Park
Across the street from Pullman Square, Harris Riverfront Park is a green space with a skate park, and a playground, plus picnic tables and exercise equipment. The park also features an amphitheater that hosts concerts and events throughout the year.
From this park, you have access to both the Paul Ambrose Trail for Health and the Chuck Ripper Trail, which features information and art along the Ohio River. Besides, little water towers tell the history of the region. And the cute, decorated tugboats in the area make for a memorable evening.
11. Ritter Park Rose Garden
Ritter Park Rose Garden features thousands of roses, plus a small event space with a deck, and garden views. With over 3,000 roses, the park has been voted as one of the country’s best rose gardens. This is a beautiful place to spend some free time and enjoy a walk along the rows of roses and stream that flows near the path.
However, if you go late in the season there will not be much to see as the rose bushes are removed. On the other hand, if you go during fall you can admire the leaves changing color and giving a whole different look to the garden.
12. Ritter Park Amphitheater
Hosting concerts and seasonal shows for a wide range of genres, Ritter Park Amphitheater is home to the Huntington Area Regional Theater. The venue also hosts other events throughout the year including the Outdoor Community Theater in June and July, the Ritter Live Free Concerts Series, and the Huntington Music & Art Festival.
Sheltered among the pine trees of Ritter Park, the location of the amphitheater itself is beautiful. The space holds 1,000 visitors offering a seating area along the natural contours of the hillside.
13. The Wild Ramp
The Wild Ramp is a produce market where food is always fresh and there is something different on the shelves every time you visit it. They have a wide variety of produce, meat, art, craft, plants, foods, and probably more throughout the year. Many things are seasonal, but there is always something useful or wanted year-round.
Prices can be high sometimes, but remember, you are supporting the local businesses and community. However, you can expect fresh produce at a fair price when the Farmers Market is open through the summer!
14. The Lost Escape Room
The Lost Escape Room provides a fun entertainment concept in which a small group of people has a limited amount of time to solve a puzzle and escape a locked room. By working together, you need to explore the elements inside the room to find clues and solve the mystery.
The game rooms to choose from are The Lost Queen, Shine, and End of the Line. The storylines are well written, and the rooms are very realistic. Everything is explained very well beforehand and the instructors make sure everyone is involved in the problem-solving. Overall, the puzzles are challenging but not impossible.
15. St. Cloud’s All-Inclusive Playground
Clean, well built, and colorful, St. Cloud’s All-Inclusive Playground truly is a hidden gem in the city. This is a nice park with plenty of shade and a great place for younger kids. Also, there is a large section of the playground which is accessible for disabled kids allowing everyone to have fun together.
Best of all, the ground is made of a soft foamy rubber helping to prevent accidents and injuries. The playground is actually located in the St. Cloud Common Lodge. This park also features walking trails and ball fields.
16. Keith Albee Performing Arts Center
The iconic piece of Huntington’s history, Keith Albee Performing Arts Center, is one of the most exquisite examples of a 1920s theater. Inside the theater, the ceiling is an evening sky with clouds and twinkling stars. The interior looks Venetian and opulent. The lobby and entrance are architecturally and beautifully original as well.
This cozy theater has been taken care of very well, and there really is not a bad seat in the house to see a show. Also, try not to be scared if you are in the Keith at night since there are so many good ghost stories surrounding the building.
17. Virginia Point Park
Located where the Ohio River and Big Sandy River meet, Virginia Point Park also marks the triple frontier between the states of Kentucky, Ohio, and West Virginia. Within 500 yards you can see three different states and learn the history of this area in a guided tour. With convenient parking and easy access, this quick stop helps you get a better sense of the geography of the area.
The park itself features memorials with signs detailing the history of the location, as well as a few swings for kids, boating, and some fishing.
18. Pump Up The Fun
Considered the Tri State’s Premier Indoor Inflatable Center, Pump Up The Fun features some really cool slides and bouncy houses. The space also counts with a jungle gym, an obstacle course, and some slides for really small kids. This is a fantastic place for children to get some exercise done.
They also do some cool events, like lock-ins, birthday parties, and you can rent it for an overnight event as well! Besides, the new water-park feature is not only highly functional, efficient, and brilliantly designed but great for gatherings and beautiful sun-filled, smile-filled photos.
19. The Highlands Museum & Discovery Center
The Highlands Museum & Discovery Center is a heritage museum with historical exhibits as well as interactive, kid-friendly science activities. Although it is not a very large museum, it houses a large variety of exhibits. You can learn more about country music, World War II, Native American culture, and more.
The entire bottom floor is a treasure trove of activities for children to explore. It is a great way for parents to let their little ones run off some steam and also learn something in the process. There are even some things for the adults to occupy themselves with as well.
20. Green Bottom Wildlife
Green Bottom Wildlife is a unique wetland wildlife area featuring lots of nature, swamp, a cool boat ramp, and a historic house. Stretching along the margins of the Ohio River, the park is home to 30 species of mammals and over 100 species of birds. For example, it is fairly common to spot gray and red foxes!
If you are planning to walk the bottom hardwood area of the riverbank, be aware that there is no ranger station or courtesy patrols. So, either stay on the main paths or better yet, take a friend with you.
21. Memorial Fountain
The Memorial Fountain is dedicated to the Marshall University football team. As well as their coaches, fans, and crew all aboard the plane that crashed on approaching the Huntington airport in 1970. With such a heartbreaking story, the fountain sits on the campus of Marshall University in Huntington.
Visiting this fountain is a humbling experience and a time of reflection on the lives lost. The aftermath of the tragedy is at the very least inspiring. The way the university and the city of Huntington recovered from such a great loss is unimaginable.
22. Museum of Radio & Technology
The Museum of Radio & Technology exhibits a vast range of historic radio equipment and early electronic components. However, it is much more than just that. They give guided tours through the museum and can tailor the experience to your interests. The history of music players and electronics comes to life through their fascinating stories. So, go check out and remember the radios, TVs, and computers of your childhood.
Overall, this is an outstanding museum for the history of electronics of all kinds. Most everything still works and can be demonstrated. From working Edison cylinder players to old radios and televisions.
23. Altizer Park
Featuring a ball field, basketball court, and a walking trail, Altizer Park also counts with an outer space-themed playground. With a sunken trampoline and a play-airplane, kids can bounce, climb, and swing across the galaxy. Located on the East end of Huntington, Altizer Park offers activities for the entire family and shelter areas with picnic tables.
The walking loop path has some interesting exercise equipment along with it. Besides, you can take your family for a movie night at the Altizer Park’s drive-in.
24. Huntington Museum of Art
Formerly known as Huntington Galleries, Huntington Museum of Art is a longtime museum featuring a large, varied collection of art, plus hiking trails, and a conservatory. This is a neat museum with exhibits varying from ceramics, glass, guns, and an unexpectedly large collection of oil and watercolor paintings.
The museum itself is very well maintained and clean. The displays range from folk art and near Eastern pieces to a history of firearms display and candid photographs of performers from the jazz age. The conservatory has a wonderful variety of plants and a few poison frogs.
25. Bahnhof WVrsthaus & Biergarten
With 33 beers on tap and 569 miles of sausages cranked, Bahnhof WVrsthaus & Biergarten specializes in German food. With a full bar both indoors and outdoors, their menu features sausages, schnitzels, pretzels, and other classic German food.
The Sausage Party appetizer is a great compliment to the craft beer served there. The most popular dishes include Reuben, cream puff, and lamb. However, the highlight is for sure the delicious beer cheese. The restaurant itself has a very nice atmosphere and décor.