Parkersburg, West Virginia

Grown up, prospered, spread its wings and energized. Over the past century, Parkersburg has transformed from a Victorian town, into a historic river city. Delightfully, its southern charm is still there. You’ll find yourself surrounded by traditional architecture, stories of American frontier Virginian "aristocracy," good cuisine and age old traditions. Blennerhassett Island still looks like it did when Aaron Burr arrived to conspire. In town, the hotel named after this distinguished and eccentric family stands proudly marvelously restored right in the center of town.

Adding another dimension, right alongside the old is the new. The Cultural Center for Fine Arts has emerged as the "showcase museum facility for the enjoyment of art for the people of the Mid-Ohio Valley." Holl’s Swiss Chocolatier and other fine establishments offer sophisticated items. Restored historic neighborhoods nearby are for strolling and an in-town museum reveals the whole story of the Blennerhassett family. To appreciate Parkersburg from stem to stern, you have to discover its many and varied faces. The discovery of America’s first oil fields nearby originally catapulted Parkersburg into a major Union supply depot in the Civil War.

Intrigued? Come to spend a few days to discover the whole story of the town at beginning at Parkersburg’s Oil and Gas Museum, which presents the whole picture of the city’s history, culture and industry. Bring your walking shoes and your wish to relax and set out to explore the rest up close and personal. Experience the downtown historic district and restored neighborhoods, stroll the riverfront, meet the Blennerhassetts, cruise the river, and cross the water to nearby historic Marietta. Stay at the restored Blennerhassett Hotel and enjoy.

Parkersburg has an approximate population of 33,099 and is in Wood County.