Visit the West Virginia State Museum

Journey through West Virginia history! Follow the museum show path for an immersive exploration of West Virginia's history through prehistory all the way up to the twenty-first century. History comes to life through first-person accounts and dynamic re-creations of pivotal events and places in the state's past. 26 Discovery Rooms featuring artifacts, artwork, stories, and audio/visual presentations and 2 Connections Rooms with touchscreens offering guests an additional opportunity to dive even deeper into West Virginia's rich history and deep cultural roots all connect to the central museum show path.

Fun Fact: If a visitor were to read every display and watches every documentary in the museum, the entire tour would take over 26 hours!

Hours

Monday – Saturday 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Sundays and major holidays Closed

Admission is free

Digital Map

Digital copies of our museum map are available.

For a map of the museum in English, click here.

Para ver mapa del museo en español, haga clic aquí.

Directions and Parking

The West Virginia State Museum is located within the Culture Center (Building 9) at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston. Entrance to the Culture Center is located directly across from the West Wing of the Capitol's (Building 1) public entrance.

The Culture Center is the building with the large glass windows and the words, "Archives, History, Library, Museum, Theater," are etched in gold above the windows. Entrance and Exit doors are located in alcoves to the left and right of the main windows


West Virginia State Museum

Culture Center, State Capitol Complex
1900 Kanawha Boulevard East
Charleston, West Virginia 25305

Getting Here

If driving on the Interstate, take Exit 99 (Greenbrier Street/State Capitol Exit) onto I-77/64, one mile east of the I-64 and I-77 junction in Charleston. The Culture Center is located along Greenbrier Street, just beyond the intersection of Greenbrier and Washington streets.


Public Transit

Route and fare information for the Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority can be found online at (rideonKRT.com).


Capitol Shuttle Service

The Capitol Shuttle service is provided between the Capitol Complex and the Laidley Field parking area. The shuttle is available Monday through Friday in three shifts.

Morning 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m.
Mid-Day11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Afternoon 3:00 p.m. to 5:15 p.m.
The shuttle runs every 15 minutes during the Morning and Afternoon shifts and every 30 minutes during Mid-Day. The shuttle is free and may be used by both employees and Capitol visitors.

A complete schedule and route information is available here. For questions about the Capitol Complex Shuttle, contact the Piedmont Guardhouse at (304) 558-0248.

The Capitol Shuttle does NOT operate on weekends or holidays.

Parking

Culture Center visitors are welcome to be dropped off and picked up in the bus loop near the entrance of the Greenbrier Street parking lot or may utilize any of the parking options outlined below.


Metered Parking Lot

Enter the lot at the corner of Washington Street E and Greenbrier Street. Parking is $0.25 per half-hour (max. 4 hours) Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

*After 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends and state holidays, there is no charge for parking in these spaces.


Meters accept quarters. Visitors also have the option to pay for parking via PayByPhone, a free mobile app. Download the free app from the PayByPhone website, Apple App Store, or Google Play Store. Once the app is downloaded to your mobile device, follow the directions inside the app to pay for parking during your visit.


Accessible Parking Spaces

Designated metered accessible parking is available in the Metered Parking Lot located at the Greenbrier Street entrance in addition to a small number of metered spaces in the bus loop in front of the Culture Center.

Note: Vehicles must display proper Mobility Impaired or Disability parking placards or signage in these spaces.


Additional Free Public Parking

Additional free public parking is available at University of Charleston Stadium at Laidley Field. If parking here, take Exit 99 toward WV-114S (Greenbrier St/State Capitol Exit) and keep right at the fork. Turn right onto Elizabeth Street and continue straight to Lots A and B.
Note: Laidley Field is located about two blocks from the Capitol Complex.


Need Help?

For assistance parking, contact the Piedmont Guard House via phone at (304) 558-0248. Visitors can also call the Parking Section Manager at (304) 558-9093.

Accessibility

The West Virginia State Museum welcomes all visitors and therefore offers a variety of services to ensure the accessibility of the Museum and its exhibits.

Guidelines

To help make your experience more enjoyable, we ask that you follow a few guidelines while visiting the museum. We also suggest wearing comfortable shoes and clothing, as the surface of the museum show path changes and the temperature and lighting of the museum are kept low to help preserve the artifacts.

  • Be respectful of others—no running or rowdy behavior
  • Do not touch artifacts and scenic elements
  • No food, drink, or use of any tobacco product
  • Children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult
  • While photos are permitted, flash photography is prohibited
  • Pets are not allowed. Only trained service animals are permitted.

Photos, videos, and other reproductions of any kind for commercial purposes are strictly prohibited.

*Only school groups engaged in museum-designed educational programs using museum-approved recording equipment are permitted to record video inside the museum.

Still Have Questions?

Check out our Visitor FAQ or contact us via phone at (304) 558-0220.