Planning Your Visit
Your Visit to the WV State Museum and Capitol Complex
Exploring the Museum
To help make your experience more enjoyable, we ask that you follow a few guidelines:
Please wear comfortable shoes and clothing. The surface of the show path changes, and the temperature and lighting are low to help preserve the artifacts.
Please do not touch the artifacts and scenic elements.
Please be respectful of others; no running or rowdy behavior.
No food, drink or use of any tobacco product is allowed in the State Museum.
You may take photos; however, please no flash photography. 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 via video)
Children under the age of 13 must be accompanied by an adult.
Please see attached for museum map: English version and Spanish version
Time Allotment for Your Visit
The West Virginia State Museum features a central show path, 26 discovery rooms and two connection rooms. Visitors who follow the show path from prehistory to the 21st century will spend 45 minutes to an hour in the museum. Visitors who take time to enjoy the discovery rooms will spend from 1- to 2 hours in the museum. Visitors who include stops in the connection rooms to do research may spend up to 3 hours. No matter how long you spend on your first visit, you'll discover you want to return because you won't see it all. If a visitor reads every display and watches every documentary in the museum, the tour will take 26 hours!
Museum Accessibility
The West Virginia State Museum understands the needs of the general public and offers a variety of services to ensure the accessibility of the Museum and its newly renovated exhibits.
Escalators and an Elevator are available in the Culture Center.
The floor plan and select brochures are available in large print and in Braille from the Guest Services desk.
Guide dogs are welcome.
Transcripts of the audio program are available in large print upon request.
There is seating available along the way to rest when needed.
Mobility devices are available, free of charge, at the Guest Services Desk. They are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis. The museum has special flooring and some space limitations along the show path. If you have your own mobility device, it should have pneumatic wheels, a short turning radius and be no more than 38" in length.
Capitol and Governor's Mansion Tours
Tours begin on the first floor Rotunda at specific hours. Any group of 10 or less is welcome to join a regularly scheduled tour without reservations. Groups of more than 10 are best served by making a reservation ahead of time. It is highly encouraged to make your reservations 48 hours ahead. Please call for reservations at 304-558-4839.
Monday through Friday
Tours start every half hour
9:00 am till 12:00pm
1:00 pm till 3:00 p.m.
*Tours of the Governor’s Mansion are currently unavailable.
Parking
The Culture Center, which houses the West Virginia Archives and History Library, West Virginia State Museum, State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), Arts Office, Library Commission Library and Tamarack Museum Gift Shop, is located at the State Capitol Complex in Charleston. We are located in Building 9, directly across from the West-Wing of the Capitol building's public entrance.
If traveling on the Interstate, take Exit 99 (Greenbrier Street/State Capitol Exit) on 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.
Visitors to the Culture Center have these parking options:
Metered visitor parking is available in the Greenbrier Street parking lot. Parking is $.25 per half-hour, with a maximum of four hours, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Fridays. After 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends and state holidays, there is no charge for parking in these spaces.
Also in the Greenbrier Street lot, there are a limited number of metered handicapped spaces available in the bus loop adjacent to the Culture Center. Vehicles must have proper handicapped parking signage visible.
Beside Laidley Field, about two blocks from the Capitol Complex, there is an additional public parking area. The Capitol Shuttle is available on weekdays from 6:45 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 3:15 p.m. to 5:15 p.m. The shuttle is free and may be used by employees and Capitol visitors. It runs every 15 to 20 minutes.
Visitors may be dropped off and picked up in the bus loop.
Museum Hours of Operation
Operating Hours:
Tuesday through Saturday
9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
***Closed Sundays and Mondays***
Closed all National Holidays except Memorial Day weekend
Admission is free
For more information call: (304) 558-0220
Restaurant Options
While the West Virginia Department of Arts, Culture and History does not have a dining facility, and is not permitted to recommend any particular establishment, there are many options to choose from in the local area. Here are the options near the Culture Center per Tripadvisor.
Transportation Links
Kanawha Valley Regional Transportation Authority KRT
Tri-State Transit Authority TTA