What to See in Huntington - Top Sights and Attractions

Stadium in Huntington, West Virginia. Joan C. Edwards Stadium, formerly Marshall University Stadium, is a football stadium located on the campus of Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia, United States. It can hold 38,227 spectators and includes twenty deluxe, indoor suites, 300 wheelchair-accessible seating, a state-of-the-art press-box, 14 concession areas, and 16 separate restrooms. It also features 90,000 sq ft of artificial turf and 1,837 tons of structural steel. It also houses the Shewey Athletic Center, a fieldhouse and a training facility. The new stadium opened in 1991 and replaced Fairfield Stadium, a condemned off-campus facility built in 1927 in the Fairfield Park neighborhood.

Marshall has a 170-37 overall record at Joan C. Edwards Stadium for a winning percentage of.821, one of the top five home winning percentages in the nation.^[2]

Amusement park in Wayne County, West Virginia. Camden Park is a twenty-six acre amusement park located near Huntington, West Virginia. Established in 1903 as a picnic spot by the Camden Interstate Railway Company, it is one of only thirteen trolley parks that remain open in the United States. Whereas most trolley parks were located at the end of trolley lines, Camden Park is unusual in that it was built where riders traveling between Huntington and nearby cities would stop to change lines. Not long after opening, the park soon gained a carousel and other roadside attractions. Camden Park is West Virginia's only amusement park. The park is home to more than thirty rides and attractions, including a full-size traditional wooden roller coaster, the Big Dipper, and several other vintage rides.

Over the years, Camden Park has featured a swimming pool, a roller rink, and even a small zoo. Today, the park hosts a variety of events throughout the year, including live musical performances as part of the "Hot Summer Nights" concert series. Other events include the "Children's Festival," "Coca-Cola Days," and the "Halloween Spooktacular." The park is typically open six days a week from late May to early August, with a more limited schedule in late August, and select dates in September and October.^[3]

Museum in Huntington, West Virginia. The Huntington Museum of Art is a nationally accredited art museum located in the Park Hills neighborhood above Ritter Park in Huntington, West Virginia. Housed on over 50 acres of land and occupying almost 60,000 square feet, it is the largest art museum in the state of West Virginia. The museum's campus is home to nature trails and the C. Fred Edwards Conservatory, a subtropical and tropical plant conservatory. The museum's collection includes American and European paintings, sculptures, prints, and drawings, as well as glass pieces manufactured in West Virginia and the Ohio Valley, American folk art, Chinese and Japanese decorative objects, Haitian art, firearms, and decorative arts from the Near East. In addition to its permanent collections, the museum hosts traveling exhibitions and houses the James D. Francis Art Research Library, the Grace Rardin Doherty Auditorium, and five art studios where artists in residence are periodically hosted and classes are held. The Huntington Museum of Art holds one of the largest collections of art in the state of West Virginia.^[4]

Continuous truss bridge in Huntington, West Virginia. The Robert C. Byrd Bridge is a 720-foot continuous truss bridge that crosses the Ohio River between Huntington, West Virginia and Chesapeake, Ohio. The crossing was constructed to replace an old, narrow, two-lane structure that was demolished after 69 years of service in a spectacular implosion on July 17, 1995. The previous bridge, opened in 1926, was Huntington's first bridge across the Ohio River and was designed in a gothic style, complete with four two-ton spires that rested on top of each peak.

The groundbreaking ceremony for the four-lane bridge was held on April 30, 1991. James Watkins, of the Ohio Department of Transportation, stated that the importance of the new four-lane span would only be heightened by the construction of the Chesapeake-Proctorville State Route 7 bypass that would "begin in 1996." Work on the bypass did not begin until 2000.

The old 6th Street Bridge closed in the summer of 1993 to allow for the construction of the ramps and approaches in West Virginia and Ohio. The new bridge was named the Robert C. Byrd Bridge under an executive order from former Governor Gaston Caperton to honor the U.S. senator from West Virginia, who is credited with obtaining the funding for the project that was completed on November 6, 1994. The $32.6 million bridge was constructed with $1.4 coming from Ohio, $5.6 coming from West Virginia, and $25.3 in federal funds.

The famous spires which once adorned the top of the former span were saved. One is currently on display outside of the Chesapeake city hall at the intersection of State Route 7 and the Robert C. Byrd Bridge. Two others are installed along 9th Street between 3rd and 5th Avenues.^[9]

Museum in Huntington, West Virginia. The Thomas Carroll House, also known as the Madie Carroll House, is an historic home located in the Guyandotte neighborhood in the city of Huntington, Cabell County, West Virginia. It is also known as one of the oldest structures in Cabell County. The original section of the house was built prior to 1810, and is believed to have arrived in Guyandotte by flatboat from Gallipolis, Ohio. The property was purchased by Thomas Carroll in March 1855 and remained under the ownership of his descendants until it was deeded to the Greater Huntington Parks and Recreation District on October 10, 1984, after the last tenant, Miss Madie Carroll's demise. It is one of the few houses in Guyandotte to survive the Civil War and even once was a church, an inn, and a home to many. During the Civil War the house was a safe haven for Union soldiers which is a rich history that the Madie Carroll House Preservation Society has spent the last few decades protecting and educating many on. As of today the house is owned and operated by the Madie Carroll House Preservation Society where they hold several events such as their annual Guyandotte Civil War Days. It is open to the public as a museum. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.^[14]