Discover 20 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Morgantown (United States). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Dorsey Knob, Core Arboretum, and St. Mary's Orthodox Church. Also, be sure to include Metropolitan Theatre in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Morgantown (West Virginia).
Table of Contents
Dorsey Knob
Mountain in West Virginia. Dorsey Knob is a mountain summit located off U.S. Route 119 at the southern edge of Morgantown in Monongalia County, West Virginia, United States. Dorsey Knob is contained within a park spanning 71 acres that features the mountain's landmark Sky Rock. The top of Sky Rock is at an altitude of 1,398 feet, rising nearly 600 feet above the surrounding landscape. It overlooks the Monongahela River and the Appalachian Mountains. Also located in the park is Dorsey's Knob Lodge, operated by Boparc, Morgantown's municipal park authority.[1]
Address: Fawley Ln, 26508 Morgantown
Core Arboretum
Arboretum in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Core Arboretum is a 91-acre arboretum owned by West Virginia University and located on Monongahela Boulevard in Morgantown, West Virginia. It is open to the public daily without charge.
The Arboretum's history began in 1948 when the University acquired its site. Professor Earl Lemley Core (1902-1984), chairman of the Biology Department, then convinced President Irvin Stewart to set the property aside for the study of biology and botany. In 1975 the Arboretum was named in Core's honor.
The Arboretum is now managed by the WVU Department of Biology, and consists of mostly old-growth forest on steep hillside and Monongahela River flood plain. It includes densely wooded areas with 3.5 miles (5.6 km) of walking trails, as well as 3 acres (12,000 m2) of lawn planted with specimen trees.
The Arboretum has a variety of natural habitats in which several hundred species of native WV trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants may be found. Some of the large trees are likely over 200 years old. The Arboretum is well known as a superb site to see spring ephemeral wildflowers from late March to early May. Varied habitats and riverside location also make the area an excellent site to observe birds and animals.[2]
Address: Monongahela Blvd, Morgantown
St. Mary's Orthodox Church
Church in Westover, West Virginia. St. Mary's Orthodox Church, originally known as Nativity of the Most Holy Mother of God Russian Orthodox Church, is a historic church of the American Carpatho-Russian Orthodox Diocese located at the intersection of West Park and Holland Avenues in Westover, Monongalia County, West Virginia. It was also known as St. Michael the Archangel Church and St. Mary's Capatho-Russian Orthodox Greek Catholic Church.
The building itself was built in the 19th century and originally housed the Westover Methodist Church. It was later sold to the Orthodox Church, at which time it underwent significant alterations to bring it to the architectural standards necessary for an Orthodox house of worship. It was dedicated as an Orthodox church on September 8, 1923 (hence its dedication to the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, which feast day falls on that date). It is a yellow brick building on a high foundation of textured concrete block.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.[3]
Address: 19 W Park Ave, 26501-4524 Morgantown
Metropolitan Theatre
Theater in Morgantown, West Virginia. Metropolitan Theatre is a historic theater building located at Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. It opened July 24, 1924, two-and-a-half years after construction began, and consists of a single floor auditorium with balcony. The building measures 72 feet by 143 feet, and has two storefronts on the ground floor and a pool room in the basement. The front facade features fluted concrete Ionic order pilasters with egg-and-dart detail in the Classical Revival style. The theater continues to provide a home for the city's best live entertainment.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It is located in the Downtown Morgantown Historic District, listed in 1996.[4]
Address: 369 High St, 26505-5515 Morgantown
Alexander Wade House
Historical place in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Alexander Wade House is a historic house at 256 Prairie Street in Morgantown, West Virginia. Built in 1860, it was the home of educator Alexander Wade from 1872 until his death. Wade is credited with developing a system of grade promotional exams and graduations that was widely adopted in the late 19th century. The house was declared a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1965.[5]
Address: 256 Prairie Avenue, Morgantown
Monongalia Arts Center
Art gallery in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Monongalia Arts Center, or MAC, is located in Morgantown, West Virginia near the campus of West Virginia University. The MAC opened to the public in 1978 as a non-profit arts and culture center, which it remains today. The MAC's mission is "to provide a home for the arts where the work of visual and performing artists is showcased and interest in the arts is nurtured through ongoing educational programs." The building hosts two galleries, a theatre for the performing arts, and is undergoing production on other projects, including an Internet radio station and the establishment of the Tanner Theatre as a regular venue for touring bands. The building is also recognized on the National Register of Historic Places.[6]
Address: 107 High St, Morgantown
Morgantown Lock and Dam
Morgantown Lock and Dam is a navigational lock and a gated dam on the Monongahela River at Morgantown, West Virginia. It is part of a series of dams that canalizes the Monongahela to a depth of at least 9 feet for its entire length from Fairmont, West Virginia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It is maintained by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' Pittsburgh District.
Morgantown has a single lock chamber located on the left-descending river bank. The dam's upper pool extends 6.0 miles (9.7 km) upstream to Hildebrand Lock and Dam, with its 11.2-mile (18.0 km) downstream pool being formed by Point Marion Lock and Dam.[7]
Monongalia County Courthouse
Courthouse. Monongalia County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located in Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. The courthouse was erected in 1784 with the current structure built in 1891. This Romanesque style building consists of a two-story building with a basement, five-story clock tower and a three-story South tower. The building measures at 99’ by 83’ by 99’ by 76’ with the first story at fifteen feet high and the second story at twenty-two feet high. The distinctive central clock tower has a pyramidal roof, four doomed buttresses, stone molds over the four clocks and tower windows, arcade belfry, and quatrefoil design with the building date. The original northern facade was covered by an addition built in 1925 with another addition built in 1975. Connected to the courthouse is a two-story Italianate style jailhouse built in 1881.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It is located in the Downtown Morgantown Historic District, listed in 1996.[8]
Oglebay Hall
Building in Morgantown, West Virginia. Oglebay Hall is a historic classroom building associated with the West Virginia University and located at Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. It was built in 1918, and is a three-story, brick and concrete building with Classical Revival detailing. The front facade features four Doric order columns that support a pediment with a false, concrete railing and entablature with the building's name. It also has balconies with cast iron balustrades. It originally housed the university's College of Agriculture and represents the university's heritage as a land-grant institution. The building is named for industrialist and philanthropist Earl W. Oglebay, whose house at Wheeling, West Virginia is known as the Oglebay Mansion Museum.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[9]
WVU Student Health
Universities and schools
Address: 390 Birch Street, Morgantown
Warner Theatre
Movie theater in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Warner Theater is a historic Art Deco movie theater at 147 High Street in downtown Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Opened June 12, 1931, it was designed by architect John Eberson, whose theaters included the since-demolished Colonial and Astor in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Calvert in Washington, D.C., and the Capitol in Chicago, Illinois; and the extant Cinema le Grand Rex in Paris, France, the Capitol in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, the Dixie in Staunton, Virginia, and the American in The Bronx, New York City. Built at a cost of $400,000,about $5 million today, it featured a 50-foot vertical marquee illuminated with over 6,000 light bulbs of different colors, though the vertical marquee has since been removed, and many of the original light bulbs on the rest of the marquee were replaced with neon strips.
The Round Table Corporation purchased the theater in 2004 with the intention of restoring it to its original condition, though the originally single-screen theater already became a multiplex in the early 1970s.
After 79 years of business, The Warner Theater closed on September 5, 2010.
Don Knotts worked at the Warner Theatre while he was a student at West Virginia University. On March 20, 1964, the Warner Theatre hosted the national premiere of The Incredible Mr. Limpet, a Live-action/animated film featuring actor Don Knotts.
On December 28, 2021 The Dominion Post published an article revealing that The Warner Theater has been purchased by Mark Downs and Rich Brant. The new owners plan to return the venue to a single-bay theater and use the theater to host live performances.[10]
Lynch Chapel United Methodist Church
Church in Monongalia County, West Virginia. Lynch Chapel United Methodist Church is a historic Methodist church located near Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. It was built in 1902, and is a small, one-story, rectangular church in the Late Gothic Revival style. It features a steeple bell tower with a pyramidal roof with folk Victorian accents such as delicate brackets and scrollwork.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006.[11]
Address: 1686 Little Indian Creek Rd, 26501 Morgantown
Kern's Fort
Kern's Fort, also known as Michael Kern's Cabin, is a historic home located at Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is a one-story log house built in 1772. It is built of chestnut logs and covered with wood clapboards. Attached to the rear is a 19th-century frame addition. It was built by Michael Kern, perhaps, the first permanent settler of what is now Morgantown. When Lord Dunmore's War started in 1774, Kern built a stockaded fort around his cabin.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. It is located in the Greenmont Historic District, listed in 2005.[12]
Stalnaker Hall
Building in Morgantown, West Virginia. Stalnaker Hall, also known as Woman's Hall, is a historic dormitory building associated with the West Virginia University, located in Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. Constructed in 1918, it is a three-story, brick building on a high basement, with Classical Revival detailing. Two-story additions were built between 1935 and 1939. The front facade features four Corinthian order columns that support a pediment with decorative concrete work. It was named for Elizabeth Stalnaker, professor of philosophy and psychology in the early 20th century.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[13]
Kincaid and Arnett Feed and Flour Building
Kincaid and Arnett Feed and Flour Building is a historic warehouse building located at Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. It was built between 1904 and 1906, and is a three-story, vernacular brick warehouse located along the banks of the Monongahela River. It is trapezoid shaped and has a prominent concrete-block loading dock with overhead canopy. Kincaid and Arnett functioned as a prosperous wholesale and retail grain dealership and brokerage until they sold the property to Morgantown Feed and Flour Corporation in February 1921.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1995. It is located in the Morgantown Wharf and Warehouse Historic District, listed in 1998.[14]
Hackney House
Historical landmark in Morgantown, West Virginia. Hackney House, also known as Hackney Place, is a historic home located at Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. The original section was built in 1892, and is a square, 2 1/2 story balloon frame structure with a Queen Anne style entrance porch. A two-story, square addition was added shortly after the original construction. It sits on a cut sandstone foundation.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. It is located in the Greenmont Historic District, listed in 2005.[15]
Stewart Hall
Library in Morgantown, West Virginia. Stewart Hall is a historic library and administration building associated with the West Virginia University and located at Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. It was built between 1900 and 1902, and consists of a gabled central block, a 2 1/2 story gabled entrance pavilion, and a monumental octagonal tower. It is built of reinforced concrete and coursed Amherst sandstone blocks and is in the Romanesque Revival style. The interior features a two-story, arcaded rotunda. It housed the university library until 1931, when it became the Administration Building. It was renamed in the 1970s in honor of Irvin Stewart, president of the University from 1946 to 1958.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.[16]
Elizabeth Moore Hall
Building in Morgantown, West Virginia. Elizabeth Moore Hall is a historic women's physical education building associated with West Virginia University and located in Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. It was built between 1926 and 1928, and is a three-story, red brick building with Georgian Revival detailing. An addition was completed in 1962. It has a slate covered gable roof. The front facade features five arches supported by six Doric order columns. It also has balconies with cast iron balustrades. The building is named for Elizabeth Moore, principal of Woodburn Female Seminary from 1865 to 1866.
The building currently houses the offices for the dean of students and the Dance Program in the School of Theatre & Dance. With offices in the front part of the building, the back section is over six stories tall and has three levels: a swimming pool, a gymnasium (G1), and a dance studio (210).
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[17]
Ford House
Ford House is a historic home located at Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. It was built about 1868, and is a 1 1/2 story, "L" shaped Gothic Revival style cottage. It features a steeply pitched gable roof, a Gothic arched window in the center gable, and lattice work in lieu of bargeboard on the front porch.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.[18]
Women's Christian Temperance Union Community Building
Building in Morgantown, West Virginia. Women's Christian Temperance Union Community Building, also known as the WCTU Building, is a historic building at 160 Fayette Street in Morgantown, Monongalia County, West Virginia. It was built in 1922 by the Woman's Christian Temperance Union, and is a detached, brick, four-story plus basement structure in the Classical Revival style. It features a smooth-cut stone cornice topped by a balustrade. The interior has a two-level basement that houses a large gymnasium. The building also houses office space, meeting rooms, private apartments, and recreational facilities.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It is located in the Downtown Morgantown Historic District, listed in 1996.[19]