Overview
Wheeling, also known as the "Friendly City" or the "Nail City", is a city of 26,000 people (as of 2019) in West Virginia. Wheeling is known for having more Victorian architecture than any other city in the United States.
14 sights · 9 things to do · 7 places to eat · 8 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Wheeling
Victorian Wheeling
Wheeling has more Victorian architecture than any other city in the US, much of it having undergone extensive restoration.
West Virginia Independence Hall
Called the "birthplace of West Virginia" because the Wheeling Convention was held here in 1861, during which 32 counties in Virginia voted to secede and join the Union. Restored interiors, an interpretive video, audio to…
Oglebay
1,700 acres of parkland with dozens of activities, including shopping, golfing, miniature golf, swimming, pedal boats, tennis, horseback riding, fishing, skiing and snowboarding, walking trails, museums, a zoo and planet…
Wheeling Park
406 acres including a swimming pool with waterslide, playground, boating, pedal boats, miniature golf, ice skating, tennis, soccer, and an outdoor aviary.
National Imperial Glass Museum
Features an extensive array of Imperial glassware, including Candlewick, Carnival and glassware donated by the National Imperial Glass Collectors Society and the former Bellaire Glass Museum.
Toy and Plastic Brick Museum
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Apr–Oct. Summer highs reach about 83°F; winter lows dip to about 21°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Jul and Jun. (climate data from nearby Pittsburgh)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- PIT Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh — 38 mi away (major hub). Directions
- MGW Morgantown Municipal Airport Walter L. (Bill) Hart Field, Morgantown — 51 mi away. Directions
Wheeling is located in the northern (or western) panhandle of West Virginia, between Ohio and Pennsylvania, approximately 45 miles southwest of Pittsburgh and 120 miles east of Columbus.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
- Places to stay listed here: about $60–$115 a night (typical $89), from 7 listed prices.
- Estimated daily budget per person (room, two meals, local transport and an activity): budget ~$100, mid-range ~$160, comfortable ~$280.
Options are grouped as Budget, Mid-range, Splurge, Bed and Breakfasts in the Sleep guide ↓.
Sample 3-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Eckhart House, Capitol Music Hall, Wheeling Symphony
- Lunch Coleman's Fish Market
- Afternoon Victoria Vaudeville Theatre, Wheeling Nailers
- Dinner Michael's Beef House
Day 2
- Morning Oglebay, Oglebay Institute Glass Museum, Good Zoo and Planetarium
- Lunch Ye Olde Alpha Restaurant
- Afternoon Schrader Center, Stifel Fine Arts Center
- Dinner TJ's Sports Garden Restaurant
Day 3
- Morning National Imperial Glass Museum, Toy and Plastic Brick Museum
- Lunch Pizza Villa
- Afternoon Mt. Wood House (The castle), Wheeling Heritage Port Sternwheel Festival
- Dinner Generations Pub
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
Wheeling is located in the northern (or western) panhandle of West Virginia, between Ohio and Pennsylvania, approximately 45 miles southwest of Pittsburgh and 120 miles east of Columbus.
By plane
Go Wheeling-Ohio County Airport (HLG)
Though this airport is open for public use, no commercial airlines service it.
The closest commercial service is to Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT), which is approximately 40 miles northeast of Wheeling in Western Pennsylvania.
By car
Interstate 70 is the primary route for reaching Wheeling from the east or west. Travelers in Northern Ohio and Western Pennsylvania can reach Wheeling via OH Route 7 or WV Route 2. Wheeling can be reached from Southern Ohio and Southern West Virginia via WV Route 2, or Interstate 79 and Interstate 77 for points further south. U.S. Route 250, U.S. Route 40, and WV Route 88 are other major highways that pass through Wheeling.
Go Wheeling Suspension Bridge
The first bridge to span the Ohio River, built in 1849 with a length of 1,010 feet, which was largely responsible for the influx of people to the area. At the time of its construction, it was the largest suspension bridge in the world, although that title was quickly usurped in 1851 by the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. It remains, however, the oldest vehicular suspension bridge still in use.
Go Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge (Interstate 470 Bridge)
By train
The nearest passenger rail service is in Pittsburgh, PA, and is provided by Amtrak's Pennsylvanian and Capitol Limited routes. Wheeling can then be reached by car or connecting bus service provided by Amtrak.
By bus
- Greyhound Bus Lines. The city's bus station is located in the Intermodal Center Garage at 1405 Main Street in downtown Wheeling. Two daily services are available from Pittsburgh. Greyhound in Wheeling can be reached at +1 304 232-1500.
Get around
Wheeling is a small city, so transportation options are limited.
By car
Car is by far the most efficient way to get around Wheeling. Traffic in Wheeling is non-existent, outside of congestion related to road construction or vehicle accidents, so driving through Wheeling can be accomplished with a great deal of ease.
Interstate 70 runs east to west through the city, and provides primary access to all of the area's major roadways. I-70 enters the city by crossing a back channel of the Ohio River at Wheeling Island (Exit 0), providing access to U.S. Route 40, and the Wheeling Island Racetrack & Casino. I-70 then crosses the main channel of the Ohio River, entering downtown Wheeling, and then continues east through Wheeling Tunnel.
U.S. Route 40 (Old National Road) is the main commercial thoroughfare in Wheeling, traveling east to west through the city, and has several interchanges with I-70. State road 2 is Wheeling's primary north to south road, running roughly parallel to the Ohio River the entire length of the city. Route 2 is a limited-access freeway south of downtown, and becomes a two-lane surface street north of downtown. Interstate 470 is a spur to I-70 that begins in the Elm Grove section of the city (Exit 5A), and spurs south, crossing the Ohio River in the South Wheeling section of the city, and merging with I-70 outside of St. Clairsville, Ohio (Exit 219).
By bus
By taxi
Wheeling's primary taxi company is IC Cab, and they can be reached at +1 304 232-1313.
See
*
See West Virginia Independence Hall
Called the "birthplace of West Virginia" because the Wheeling Convention was held here in 1861, during which 32 counties in Virginia voted to secede and join the Union. Restored interiors, an interpretive video, audio tours, authentically-costumed guided tours, and an exhibition on West Virginia's statehood featuring dramatic displays with period artifacts.
- The Ohio River riverfront is flanked by the 11-mile lighted Wheeling Heritage Trail if you want to walk, jog, rollerblade or bike by the water's edge. At the boat landing is Wheeling Heritage Port, an award-winning riverfront amphitheater that hosts events between May and October, like band concerts, holiday celebrations, an Italian festival, a chili cook-off and movie nights.
*
*
See Good Zoo and Planetarium
Over 80 species of animals from North America, South America and Africa, nestled in 30 acres of flowers, trees, hills, and valleys. Also features an indoor Discovery Lab where kids can learn about animals; a barn petting zoo with llamas, donkeys, deer and other animals; a 1.5-mile train ride past the ostrich exhibit; a wetlands walk; and a planetarium with family programs and an annual Astronomy Day.
*
*
*
See Oglebay Institute Glass Museum
Over 3,000 examples of Wheeling glass made from 1829 to 1939. A highlight is the Sweeney Punch Bowl, the largest piece of cut lead crystal ever made, at five feet tall and 225 pounds. The Carriage House Glass gift shop offers the area's largest selection of West Virginia decorative glass.
See Toy and Train Museum
A restored Victorian-era schoolhouse with thousands of toys from dolls and dollhouses, to toy soldiers, trucks and cars, trains, planes and ships, Western toys, space toys, cartoon characters, ride-on toys and more. Interactive displays, operating O and HO gauge train layouts, a room dedicated to Ohio Valley history and culture, a restored railroad caboose, and a gift shop on-site. Guided and self-guided tours available.
See Historic National Road
The nation's first federally-funded interstate highway, which began in Cumberland, Maryland and eventually reached Saint Louis Metro East in Illinois. The highway crosses the West Virginia panhandle from Little Wheeling Creek near Mt. Echo over Wheeling Island to the Ohio border. To drive it, follow the Historic Route 40 markers.
Do Mt. Wood House (The castle)
Mt. Wood Overlook is called "The Castle" by locals or "Stone House" to some people. It was going to be a house until the owner's wife had died so he was heartbroken and stopped building it and sold it to the city and opened it to the public.
Do
- Walk across the Wheeling Suspension Bridge, which has been solely repurposed for pedestrians and bicycles. Some good photos ops of the town and up and down the Ohio River Valley exist here; just don't drop your phone.
Do Wheeling Island Hotel, Casino & Racetrack
On Wheeling Island, +1-877-WIN-HERE (946-4373; gaming center) or +1-877-WHEELING (943-3546; hotel reservations). Open 7AM to 4AM. Over 2,400 slot machines, multi-line nickel games, video lottery games including Keno, 20 poker tables, and greyhound racing. Four restaurants and hotel on-site.
Do Collect fossils
About 4½ miles northeast of Wheeling are a series of boulders from the Monongahela Group along Long Run, where late Pennsylvanian fossils can be found. The most common local fossil is the fern Pecopteris, but others include fish, the gymnosperm Cordaites, horsetails, the scale tree Lepidophyllum, and seed ferns.
Events
- Celtic Celebration, Artisan Center. Held during a weekend in early March. Music, dancing, crafts and food.
- African-American Jubilee, Wheeling waterfront. Held during the last weekend in June. African-American food, fashion show, live music, arts and crafts.
Do Upper Ohio Valley Italian Heritage Festival
Held during one weekend in late July. The largest Italian festival in West Virginia, and the third-largest in the country. Bocce tournament, pasta exhibit, wine competition and tasting, ethnic foods, arts and crafts, carnival midway, live entertainment.
- Oktoberfest, Artisan Center. Held in mid-September. German food, music, and lots of beer.
- OglebayFest, Oglebay Park. Held the first weekend in October. An artist's market with over 100 artisans, a harvest market offering West Virginia food products, chrysanthemum display, parade, fireworks display, live entertainment, dancing, juried arts and crafts show, home-cooked and ethnic foods, German Rathskeller and the Ohio County Fair.
- Winter Festival of Lights, Oglebay Resort & Conference Center. Held from early November through early January, from dusk to 11PM. One of America's largest light shows since 1985, with a three-mile drive covering around 125 acres. Trolley tours available.
Learn
- The local newspaper is The Intelligencer and Wheeling News-Register, 1500 Main Street, +1 304-233-0100 or +1-800-852-5475 (both local).
- Wheeling University, 316 Washington Avenue, +1-800-624-6992. A Jesuit, Catholic, liberal arts university offering over 30 majors.
Buy
Shopping centers
Shop Oglebay Park
Route 88 N. Seven gift shops, including Carriage House Glass (the area's largest selection of West Virginia decorative glass), Gourmet in the Gardens (gourmet and regionally produced food products) and the Palm Room seasonal plants and fresh flowers, herbs and hanging baskets).
Eat
Eat Coleman's Fish Market
Fish, shrimp rolls, deviled crab, chicken, coleslaw and fries. Try the fish sandwich (fried fish on white bread) and clam strips.
Eat Generations Pub
Popular local restaurant with live bands on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pasta, steak and seafood.
Eat Michael's Beef House
Old-fashioned meaty sandwiches (roast beef, ham, turkey, corned beef, pastrami, reuben and more).
Eat TJ's Sports Garden Restaurant
Sports bar with a television at each booth. Appetizers, salads, sandwiches, beef, chicken, seafood, pasta, desserts.
Eat Undo's Family Ristorante
Authentic, homemade Italian food. Soups, steaks, chicken, seafood, pizzas. Try the escarole soup and veal osso buco.
Eat Ye Olde Alpha Restaurant
Neighborhood restaurant since 1932.
Eat Pizza Villa
A unique crust loaded with toppings for a great price. Try the take n bake pizza that you can cook at home.
Sleep
Budget
- Comfort Inn Wheeling East, I-70 (exit 11) and Dallas Pike in Triadelphia, +1 304-547-0610. 106 rooms. Outdoor pool. Complimentary continental breakfast. Average price $44-70.
Mid-range
Splurge
Stay Oglebay Resort & Conference Center
212 rooms and 49 cottages. Indoor pool, outdoor pool at Oglebay, jacuzzi, sauna, fitness room, Wolff tanning bed, massage therapy, golf club with driving range. Four restaurants on-site. Complimentary newspaper. Packages include Mountaineer Buffet Breakfast. $135 - 275 peak season, $99 - 170 off-season.
Bed and Breakfasts
Go next
Cities
- Weirton is about 45 minutes north on OH-7.
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is about 1 hour east on I-70 and I-79.
- Fairmont is about 1½ hours southeast on I-70 and I-79, or almost 2 hours if you follow US-250.
- Parkersburg is about 2 hours southwest on I-70 and I-77, or a little over 2 hours if you follow WV-2.
- Columbus, Ohio is about 2 hours west on I-70.
Nearby
Moundsville
City / town · 17 listings · 11 mi away
St. Clairsville
City / town · 15 listings · 11 mi away
Bethany
City / town · 8 listings · 12 mi away
Steubenville
City / town · 14 listings · 21 mi away
Cadiz
City / town · 4 listings · 21 mi away
Weirton
City / town · 12 listings · 25 mi away
Washington
City / town · 8 listings · 25 mi away
Barnesville
City / town · 22 listings · 26 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.