Charleston lies at the confluence of the Kanawha River and the Elk River. The city can be explored through a variety of themes: architectural history and museums, live culture, a year-round market, and trails in green spaces. This mix is a good starting point when looking for a vacation rental. First consider whether history, events, or nature will be the focus of your stay.

Museums, Architecture, and History

The West Virginia State Capitol Complex is in Charleston. Its dome is 293 feet tall and clad in gold leaf. Tours of the State Capitol are offered Monday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; check the hours before your visit. The city’s road network is also part of its character: three major interstate highways intersect in Charleston.

At the West Virginia State Museum, 26 Discovery Rooms and 2 Connections Rooms provide the framework for the exhibits. The museum interprets pivotal events and places from West Virginia’s past through first-person accounts and vivid recreations. The Juliet Art Museum has a different focus, featuring exhibitions by national and local artists. Historical interpretation and art thus stand alongside one another as distinct cultural themes.

The Clay Center offers interactive STEAM exhibits. At the Avampato Discovery Museum, hands-on interactive exhibits are spread across three floors. The Craik-Patton House, meanwhile, offers a look at architectural history: built in 1834 in the Greek Revival style, it now serves as a museum. Visitors choosing Charleston based on their cultural interests will find both exhibits to explore and a historic house with a clearly identified architectural period.

Live Culture and Event Dates

Mountain Stage is a two-hour live-performance radio show broadcast on more than 200 public radio stations across the United States. Many performances take place at the Culture Center Theater on the grounds of the West Virginia State Capitol Complex; venues may vary by show. The Live on the Levee series began in 2004 and remained a fixture of Charleston’s summer program despite a one-year interruption in 2020. For the 2026 season, ten evenings of the free Live on the Levee concert series were scheduled from May 22 to July 31 at the Schoenbaum Stage in Haddad Riverfront Park. FestivALL adds events, performances, and exhibitions in music, theater, dance, visual arts, and the humanities throughout the year. Check the specific event dates when planning your visit.

Trails in Green Spaces and a Market in a Historic Train Station

The Cato Park Trails form a wooded trail network in central Charleston, with routes of varying difficulty. Spring Hill Cemetery Park has different defining features: it covers 168 acres on a hill less than a mile from downtown. In the area around Charleston, Kanawha State Forest offers 14 hiking trails and 9 mountain biking trails; check the route details when making specific plans. The locations can thus be distinguished by their different features: Cato Park is known for its trail network, Spring Hill for its size and hillside location, and the state forest for its hiking and mountain biking trails.

Capitol Market is open year-round and combines indoor and outdoor areas in a turn-of-the-century train station. It offers seasonal goods and gifts made in West Virginia; the seasonal selection depends on the time of year. Together with the museums, events, and trails, it adds to the varied options for a stay in Charleston. Tailor your search for a vacation rental to the part of this selection you would most like to focus on.

Discover more destinations: Cross Lanes, Dunbar, Elkview, South Charleston, East Bank, St Albans

Return to the regional travel overview: Kanawha.