Explore Downtown Charleston

Stroll down the street and discover a lively cityscape. From historical architecture to an ultra modern new library, Charleston has plenty to offer.

Unique shops, like Oddbird Emporium or Buck and Bette’s, are nestled between Charleston favorites like Taylor Books or Ellen’s Ice Cream. You can visit the newly renovated Kanawha County Library or enjoy an (age appropriate) drink at Fife Street Brewing.

If you love antiques, visit Stray Dog Antiques for a step back in time.

Speaking of history, Charleston has about fifty buildings that are included on the National Register of Historic Places, showcasing a variety of historical architectural styles. While downtown, you can also take a self-guided Public Art Tour (can you spot Mortar Man?), a Ghost Tour, or visit the City Center at Slack Plaza to enjoy public art and a skate park.

Events can be found throughout most of the year downtown.  In the fall, FestivALL provides activities to celebrate the season. In March, you can hear bagpipes playing and Irish dancers tapping during Celtic Calling. And every third Thursday from March through December you can enjoy ArtWalk – a chance to wander downtown, stopping into the local shops, galleries and businesses that also feature local performances and art exhibits.

Take time to sit at Haddad Riverfront Park and watch the boats travel the river. During warmer weather, you can catch free concerts on Friday nights at Live on the Levee.

 

The performing arts, expos, museum, planetarium are all downtown. The two largest facilities downtown offer a huge array of interesting options:

The Clay Center for the Arts & Sciences houses the Avampato Discovery Museum, the Juliet Art Gallery, theater, planetarium, and is home to the WV Symphony and the Charleston Light Opera Guild. https://www.theclaycenter.org/

The Charleston Coliseum and Civic Center offers a variety of musical and theater performances as well as a variety of expos throughout the year. https://www.chaswvccc.com/

 

Eating Downtown

Downtown Charleston features some great places to eat, whether you want breakfast, lunch, dinner, or evening fun:

Pies and Pints, Adelphia Sports Bar, Black Sheep Burrito, First Watch, Recovery Grille, Firehouse Subs, The Loopy Leaf (plant based restaurants), Bricks and Barrels, and more.

Dessert? Don’t mind if we do! Visit Rock City Cakes or Ellen’s Ice Cream for some very sweet treats.

Tucked into a turn-of-the-century train station, the indoor-outdoor Capitol Market offers a mix of fresh from the farm produce and specialty shops, including artisan chocolates, seafood and sushi, Soho’s Restaurant, and a WV-made gift shop. https://capitolmarket.net/

 

Downtown Charleston also has several banks, hair salons, and night spots to enjoy.

 

Don’t miss: The Peanut Shoppe, located across from the newly renovated library. A Charleston staple, it has been In business since the 1950’s, (and still in its original location). You can’t walk by without being pulled in by the smell of roasting peanuts. A wide selection of nuts and candies is available.