Art
Inviting, diverse and accessible, Charleston’s art community features music, theater, dance and visual works that will impress cultural connoisseurs and more casual audiences alike, and it’s all within easy reach.
Charleston Art Walk
The Art Walk is typically held on the third Thursday of the month between 5 pm and 8 pm, with participating galleries setting up new displays for each event.
East End Art
Where can you find a pair of homes built as mirror images of each other for two sisters? An office building that survived a cannonball hit during the 1862 Battle of Charleston? A brick house where the late former child star Anissa Jones spent summers with her grandfather? They’re all part of a Walking Tour Guide of Charleston’s historic East End. Walking tours of the gold-domed state Capitol and the Governor’s Mansion are also available. For more information on how to get an East End Walking Tour Guide, contact East End Main Street at
(304) 340-4253.
Performance
Compared to a fine European orchestra, the nearly 70-year-old West Virginia Symphony Orchestra continues cultivating fresh, rich music with concerts at the Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences.
The Clay Center’s Maier Foundation Performance Hall and Walker Theater set the stage for many other musical and theatrical performances, while the Avampato Discovery Museum has art exhibits and large format films.
Check out major performances like Disney on Ice and the Harlem Globetrotters at the Charleston Civic Center, where venues include the Little Theater, Coliseum and Municipal Auditorium.
Transport yourself to different worlds and times with tickets to dance performances by the Charleston Ballet and River City Youth Ballet Ensemble or theater shows by the Charleston Light Opera Guild and Kanawha Players.
See up-and-coming musicians and some well-known artists perform live for the radio show Mountain Stage with Larry Groce. Catch the show on certain Sunday evenings at the West Virginia Cultural Center.
History
George Washington’s telescope, Daniel Boone’s rifle and the noose used to hang abolitionist John Brown are among the many historically significant artifacts at the Cultural Center.
Visit the Heritage Towers museum for a close look at rare, authentic art from West African tribes and to learn more about he secret messages encoded in quilts for Underground Railroad journeys.
Festivals and more
If you’re here in late June, don’t miss FestivALL Charleston, a 10-day arts extravaganza with music, theater, dance and visual art.
Movie buffs can view some critically acclaimed works for a limited time each Spring and Fall during the International Film Festival at the WVSU Capitol Center Theatre.
Anytime you’re in town, spend part of a day watching the unique art of antique glass blowing at Blenko Glass in nearby Milton. It’s something you won’t see at many other places; simply call ahead to set up a tour.
Want to check out other native crafts? If you’re here in November, you can get into the holiday spirit with the annual Capitol City Arts & Crafts Show at the Civic Center, featuring many works by artisans from all over West Virginia. Other crafts shows to catch include the Mountain State Art & Craft Fair in July in Ripley, or the Mound Arts & Crafts Festival at the Mound in South Charleston.
Family Fun
Charleston is a family-friendly city full of great things to see and do for people of all ages.
Appalachian Power Park
This $23 million facility is home to the West Virginia Power Class A baseball team along with Marshall University’s baseball team and the West Virginia High School Baseball Tournament.
During the summer months, it’s the place-to-be in Charleston. Kids can climb, slide and jump at the Fun Zone or meet the Power’s five mascots, Charlie, Hydro, Pyro, Axe and Gusty.
Power baseball season is also full of fun promotional events, as well as regular specials like Buck Nights during most Thursday home games. Friday night home games also offer a dazzling fireworks show.
Clay Center’s Avampato Discovery Museum
Crawl though an indoor tree house, discover and learn with hands-on earth and science-related activities and play tic-tac-toe with Funny Bone, Pelvis, Mrs. Lung and friends at the game show-themed Health Royale exhibit, all at the Clay Center’s Avampato Discovery Museum. Travel to distant times and places with giant-screen films and planetarium shows at the Clay Center’s ElectricSky Theater.