Discover 7 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Beckley (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Phillips-Sprague Mine, Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia, and Theatre West Virginia. Also, be sure to include Raleigh County Veterans Museum in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Beckley (West Virginia).
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Phillips-Sprague Mine
History museum in Beckley, West Virginia. Phillips-Sprague Mine, also known as the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine, is a historic coal mine located at New River Park in Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia.
The mine opened about 1889 on what had been operated as a drift mine. Commercial development of the drift mine began in 1905 and the first coal was shipped on January 4, 1906. Mine operations ceased in 1953, and the property sold to the City of Beckley.
The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine opened in 1962, as the first historic site wholly dedicated to educating the public about coal mining. It consists of 1,500 feet of restored passageways and entries with 3,000 feet of vintage track. It reopened to the public on April 1, 2008. It is a preserved coal mine that offers daily tours and a history lesson on coal mining in Appalachia.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[1]
Address: 513 Ewart Ave, 25801-3414 Beckley
Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia
Museum
Address: PO Box 2514 509 Ewart Ave, Beckley
Theatre West Virginia
Concerts and shows, Theater
Address: 4700 Grandview Rd, Beckley
Raleigh County Veterans Museum
Military museum, Museum
Address: 1557 Harper Rd, 25801-3307 Beckley
Wildwood
Museum in Beckley, West Virginia. Wildwood, also known as the General Alfred Beckley Home, is a historic home located at Beckley, Raleigh County, West Virginia. The house is open as the Wildwood House Museum and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.[2]
Glade Creek Bridge
Truss bridge. The Phil G. McDonald Memorial Bridge, also known as the Glade Creek Bridge, is a deck truss bridge located in Raleigh County, West Virginia near the city of Beckley. The bridge is among the ten highest bridges in the United States, and the highest bridge within the Interstate Highway System being a part of I-64, with a deck height of 700 ft above Glade Creek. The bridge is also among the top hundred highest bridges in the world.
The bridge is named after West Virginia native Phill G. McDonald (the official bridge name is missing the second 'L') who was a United States Army soldier and a recipient of the United States military's highest decoration—the Medal of Honor—for his actions in the Vietnam War. The bridge has a main span length of 784 ft (239 m) and a total length of 2,179 ft (664 m). The completion of the bridge was the final part of I-64 to be built in West Virginia with Governor Arch Moore opening the bridge at a ribbon-cutting ceremony on 15 July 1988.[3]
Beckley Courthouse Square Historic District
The Beckley Courthouse Square Historic District is a 70-acre historic district in Beckley, West Virginia that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994.
The listing included 100 contributing buildings, including one or more designed by architect Alex B. Mahood.
In a 2010 interview, David Sibray, chairman of the Beckley Historic Landmarks Commission, said the commission's purpose is to protect the city's historic resources, and it oversees the development of downtown Beckley's. Sibray noted there are several motivations for preserving Beckley's history, including maintaining the historic aesthetic.
In 2015 the Preservation Alliance of West Virginia (PAWV) declared the district among the most endangered historic resources in West Virginia. The recognition was the result of years of inappropriate alterations to contributing buildings in the district, which the State Historic Preservation Office concluded had threatened the district's integrity. The alliance declared in its assessment that the threat was the result of the nonfeasance of the city landmarks commission.[4]