A Weekend in Morgantown, WV

Morgantown is one of the largest cities in West Virginia, but it’s one that I didn’t think much about until moving to this part of the state. Even for the first year that I was here, I still avoided Morgantown because I was so afraid of driving in it! In the last couple of years, however, I have gotten much more comfortable driving in Morgantown and even live in downtown. This has quickly become a place that is close to my heart, and I’m so excited to share some of my favorite things to do on this weekend itinerary!

A couple of notes: Although I love doing all the things listed here, it’s a packed itinerary and is meant more for people visiting Morgantown than locals who can take their time to explore the area. This also focuses primarily on downtown Morgantown and does leave a lot out, but these are some of my favorites and what I’m most familiar with. So if you only have a weekend, this is what I would suggest doing to see the most of Morgantown!

Itinerary for A Weekend in Morgantown

• Friday: Arrival
  • Dinner at Morgantown Brewing Co. or Von Blaze
  • Spend the evening downtown seeking out art and music! 
  • Option to end the night at a bar like Gibbie’s Pub & Eatery, Apothecary Ale House and Cafe, or Chestnut Beer Hall
• Saturday: Exploring Morgantown
  • Grab coffee downtown at Blue Moose or The Grind
    • In the summer, pair this with a stop at the Farmer’s Market
    • For a more filling breakfast, visit Zeke’s
  • Take a walk through the Botanic Gardens or the Core Arboretum
  • Visit the shops at Seneca Center
  • Lunch at The Tea Shoppe or Jamaican Spice
  • Visit the WVU Art Museum or Morgantown History Museum
  • Visit downtown shops for souvenirs – Hoot n Howl and River Fair Trade
  • Dinner at Iron Horse, Oliverio’s, or Flour & Feed
  • Take in a show or live music!
• Sunday: A Little More Fun
  • Coffee and pastry at Almost Heaven Deserts
  • Cooper’s Rock overlook and/or trail

A Friday Evening in Morgantown

Something I’ve discovered while living in and near Morgantown is that I actually like to have fun on Friday nights. Historically, I’ve been a bit of a homebody, but living nearby to so many fun things has made hanging out with friends in the evening something I love doing! Friday evening is the perfect kick-off for a couple of days in Morgantown!

Where to Grab Dinner

For a Friday night dinner, I love something simple but fun. When we have friends and family visiting for a weekend, kicking the night off with some delicious burgers is usually the way to go. My recommendations for dinner downtown are Morgantown Brewing Company or Von Blaze. Morgantown has a lot of great restaurants, and it’s hard to leave so many out of this post. I chose these two because they’re both convenient to downtown, not too expensive, and have the kind of fun food that, to me, is great for kicking off a night with friends. The burgers and sandwiches are where both of these places shine, but they also have delicious sides and appetizers. Each restaurant also serves local beer and some cocktails if you’re so inclined. I personally eat at Morgantown Brewing Company every week at trivia, so it’s got my recommendation for sure!

Friday Evening Arts

It’s usually pretty easy to find some kind of art or music event happening in Morgantown on a Friday night, and they are some of my favorite ways to take part in local culture and life! To see what’s happening on a particular day, I suggest visiting https://www.visitmountaineercountry.com/events/ but here are a few things you may encounter.

• On almost every Friday in the summer, there is the Ruby Summer Concert Series at the Ruby Amphitheater on the river. These concerts feature local artists as well as more famous performers in all genres. You can spend a lovely evening on the river listening to music that may be new, familiar, or both!
• First Fridays for the Arts happen monthly and feature gallery exhibitions alongside other fun on High Street. Enjoy some art and get to know the community while also walking and shopping in downtown.

Enjoy a Nightcap

After exploring a bit of downtown, it’s nice to continue the adventure with a stop by a local bar or brewery. While the college students dominate the clubs, I enjoy having a quiet night chatting with friends at one of the local bars. Some of my personal favorites are Gibbie’s Pub & Eatery, Apothecary Ale House and Cafe, or Chestnut Beer Hall. When one of these is having an event, it can get a bit crowded, but often you can just have a quiet drink at the bar. At Gibbie’s, one of my favorite features is the cheap cocktails! I’m not much of a beer drinker, so it’s nice to have a cocktail that doesn’t cost twice as much as a beer like at many places. Apothecary is especially nice in the summer when you can hang out in their beer garden outside which has lovely string lights. Chestnut Beer Hall just recently opened at its current location, and it’s a place that I’m sure we will spend more time in the future!

Saturday Adventures

This is the extremely busy day of the itinerary, so hopefully, you didn’t stay out too late at the bars because an early start is necessary to accomplish all of this. I also include options for just about everything on this day, so you can choose your favorites from among these ideas! We’ll start simply with some coffee at one of my other favorite downtown spots.

Coffee at The Grind or Blue Moose

I love both The Grind and Blue Moose, so I couldn’t choose between them for this post. Both are conveniently located downtown and only a few blocks away from each other. The Grind is a cozy little place that is especially popular with students since it’s right off the campus. I love to grab a coffee and read here in the morning. Blue Moose is a bit bigger and farther from campus, and it’s my go-to place when I need to spend a few hours studying or writing. I love the chai latte here and watching the sun stream in through the windows.

If you’d like a more substantial breakfast, check out Zeke’s Breakfast and Bakes. And if you’re here in the summer, you have to stop by the Farmer’s Market. Although walking around and buying produce is the main objective, there’s often a food truck here where you can grab a morning bite to eat. I always get sucked in when they have Curbside Concoctions serving crepes!

Explore Nature at the Botanic Gardens or Core Arboretum

I am again giving you options for getting out into nature. The Core Arboretum is located within Morgantown and has its easy-to-miss entrance located right off the Evansdale Campus, and while you can definitely enjoy a nice hike here, I prefer to take my visitors to the Botanic Gardens if we have time. If you don’t mind a bit of a drive, the Botanic Gardens are the way to go! They’re the only botanic gardens in West Virginia, and (unlike most botanic gardens that I’ve been to) it’s free to visit here! The trails through various gardens loop around and connect to each other, and you can see most of the grounds on an easy one mile walk. I’ve been here several times and always love taking this walk and seeing how the scenery changes from season to season.

Visit the Seneca Center – Shopping and Lunch

Heading back into Morgantown (or staying there if you go to the Arboretum), it’s time to visit the Seneca Center. Located in a historic factory, the Seneca Center has a number of local shops to visit. Even if you’re just exploring more than shopping, it can be fun to poke around and see what’s there! My personal favorite is The Brownie House, which has a special flavor of the month that changes. You can buy full brownies or a bag of edges, which is my favorite option since I love the brownie edges best.

This is also where I suggest getting lunch and again offer two options. The Tea Shoppe, located inside The Seneca Center, is a beautiful little place with delicious treats on offer. If you’re in the mood for tea sandwiches and scones, this is the place for you. It’s a perfect lunch spot where you can have some light bites and still save room for dinner. However, be aware that it can be a bit pricey, and you will likely need a reservation unless you are placing a to-go order.

On the other hand, just across the street from the Seneca Center is Jamaican Spice, which serves up some incredible Jamaican food! I have to include this because it’s a little out of the way from other things but really deserves some attention! Jerk chicken, curry chicken, and daily specials like oxtail are some of their features, but I’m also in love with their red beans and rice, fried plantains, and their fruit juices! You might not be hungry for dinner after a lunch here, but if you’re at all interested in Jamaican food, I really recommend it! Also, if you do decide to go here, parking in the lot for the Seneca Center and crossing the street is probably your best option.

Museums: WVU Art Museum or Morgantown History Museum

I love visiting museums, so I can’t write a guide to a city without including a couple. I also think museums are a great afternoon activity since you can take it easy after lunch and, if it’s hot, avoid the heat. The Art Museum of WVU is probably my favorite museum in Morgantown and my top recommendation for the afternoon. It has two galleries, which typically feature a visiting exhibition and a display of items from the museum’s collection. The exhibits in each gallery change each semester, and you can see a diversity of incredible art work from different styles, periods, and artists. Generally, the museum is open Thursday-Sunday from 12:30-6pm, but this does not apply during summer or winter breaks when the university is closed. If you’re not sure about the schedule, you can check online.

While the Art Museum is my primary recommendation, if you are unable to visit it or prefer to learn a bit more about the history of Morgantown, you can visit the Morgantown History Museum. This is located downtown, and doesn’t take too long to visit. It’s all on one floor, and takes you through a summary of the area’s history. In particular, you will learn about the actor Don Knotts who was from Morgantown and famously played Barney Fife on The Andy Griffith Show. The Morgantown History Museum is open Wednesday-Friday from 11am-5pm and Saturday-Sunday from 12-6pm.

Exploring High Street – Hoot and Howl & River Fair Trade

High Street is the life of downtown, and while I’ve already featured a few things located in this area, I wanted to add in a bit of time to visit some of the shops here. There are a number of specialty shops as well as several restaurants, but my favorites – both in general and for visitors – are Hoot and Howl and River Fair Trade. Hoot and Howl is an artisan gift shop with many local items and an amazing place to pick up a souvenir to remember your Morgantown trip! I also shop there a lot when I need to buy a gift for someone, and I tend to pick out nice items for myself too! River Fair Trade is a boutique with a variety of fair trade items from around the world. From decor to clothing to the iconic “All Kinds Welcome Here” WV sticker, this is another of my favorite places to shop and bring my guests! I highly recommend taking some time to visit these and other places along High Street to shop at local businesses and grab a souvenir!

Dinner at Iron Horse Tavern, Oliverio’s Ristorante, or Flour & Feed

Saturday’s dinner is a little nicer and a bit more expensive. Though you can, of course, find lot of dinner options in and around Morgantown with a range of prices, I wanted to highlight a few popular options that are also a bit nicer quality: Iron Horse Tavern, Oliverio’s Ristorante, and Flour & Feed.

Iron Horse is my go-to with visitors because it maintains a relaxed atmosphere while having some really incredible food. It’s also conveniently located on High Street, so you will be nearby if you’ve been shopping downtown. Everything I’ve had at Iron Horse has been incredible but a few highlights are their Baked 3-Cheese Mac, the Handmade Pierogis, and the classic Iron Horse Burger with its chipotle-bourbon BBQ sauce. And although I don’t include it on this itinerary, their Sunday Brunch menu is also amazing and is only available from 10-2 on Sundays. You can’t go wrong with a mimosa flight!

Oliverio’s is another well-known Morgantown restaurant that’s especially popular for couples or groups looking for a nice, upscale Italian dinner. Located in the Wharf District, it is walking or driving distance from downtown, though if you walk, I recommend using the rail trail to avoid cars. When eating at Oliverio’s, I suggest listening to their daily specials because those tend to be a real treat! From their regular menu, however, I think my favorite is probably the Eggplant Parmigiana, which I love to enjoy with breadsticks and the House Salad. Their Country Roads cocktail is also a tempting one, and I will always remember my first visit to Oliverio’s, sipping this by the river and getting tipsy before the Kathy Mattea concert at Ruby Amphitheater.

Finally, Flour & Feed, also located in the Wharf District is a newer option for Morgantown restaurants. It’s a bit smaller than Oliverio’s and tends to be a bit less crowded as well as a bit less expensive, though still slightly more than Iron Horse. I love their seasonally changing menu as well as the appetizers like homemade French onion dip! The staff are personable and charming, and it’s a place that I hope becomes a staple of Morgantown dining!

Saturday Evening Shows

If you can plan your trip to Morgantown in advance or get lucky with tickets on the day of, I think Saturday night can be the perfect evening to see a show of some kind. The Metropolitan Theatre in downtown has a variety of shows presented by different groups including WVU, local high schools, and other arts organizations like Morgantown Dance. You may also catch an artist like Charles Wesley Godwin on tour here, so check their website to see what might be happening while you’re in town!

Similarly, the Canady Creative Arts Center on the Evansdale Campus has a number of shows throughout the year like musicals, various plays, and Mountain Stage (though that usually occurs on Sunday nights).

If there’s nothing showing that you like, you might opt instead to visit a bar or club as on Friday night. If you enjoyed dinner at Oliverio’s or Flour & Feed, you might continue a walk into the Wharf District to visit the Rooftop Bar hosted by River Birch Cafe. Located on the 9th floor of Marina Tower, you can enjoy a drink or light snack while taking in views of Morgantown and the Monongahela River. It’s a lovely way to end the night after a busy day!

Sunday on the Cheat

For the Sunday portion of this itinerary, I wanted to go a bit away from downtown Morgantown. Though the Monogahela is the main river in Morgantown, the nearby Cheat River is also big and flows through nearby Preston County. For these Sunday suggestions, the Cheat River and Cheat Lake are essentials. I have two main items on this day of the itinerary, but if you have additional time to spend in the area, I will include a section with a few extra ideas!

Coffee at Almost Heaven Desserts & Coffee Shop

Located in the town of Cheat Lake, Almost Heaven is an adorable little cafe, perfect for a Sunday morning lingering over pastries and coffee with a friend. And while they do have good coffee, they really shine here with the desserts and pastries! Just looking at some of their food is a treat in itself. There are some decadent little desserts available (including amazing cannoli!), but you can also grab a less sugary option like one of their paninis, acai bowls, or bagels. It’s a great way to start the day, and you can linger as long as you want enjoying the atmosphere.

Cooper’s Rock Overlook

Cooper’s Rock is the State Forest closest to Morgantown, and its incredible overlook above the Cheat River is one of the most popular spots for both locals and visitors! Take in breathtaking views of the gorge and climb around on the rocky overlook as you enjoy this scenic spot. This is a part of the area that you absolutely won’t want to miss while visiting Morgantown!

If your time today is limited, you can end the trip here, but if you have time, I absolutely recommend going for a hike at Cooper’s Rock State Forest. One of the most popular trails is Raven Rock, which is about 2.6 miles total but is rated as Moderate due to the steep final portion to the overlook. There are several options with varying lengths and difficulties though if you’d like to spend more time exploring the forest.

You can also visit and hike at Snake Hill Wildlife Management Area where the above photo was actually taken for a different perspective of the same area! Coopers Rock can get a bit crowded, so if you’re hoping to hike with less of a crowd, this may be a good option.

A Few Extras in Cheat Lake

If you have additional time to spend in the Cheat Lake area, my first recommendation is to take a walk by the lake at Cheat Lake park. You can do a nice, easy trail that’s about two miles out and back and takes you along part of the river down to the Lake Lynn Hydro Station on the Pennsylvania border. Because it’s such a relaxed trail, you can do it in just about any weather, and I personally really enjoyed it on a cloudy winter day when I just needed to get out of the house for a bit.

For food in Cheat Lake, my favorite option is the Dockside Grill. I love eating outside on the lake here in the summer, and their Trashcan Nachos are my absolute favorite! However, I would also recommend Tropics, which serves a combination of Asian, Hawaiian, and American food that reflects the roots of its owners who previously lived in Honolulu, Hawaii. I still haven’t tried all the items I’d like to on their menu, but I can say for certain that their smoothies and pina coladas are both excellent!

Final Thoughts

While Morgantown may not be a Huge city with tons of famous attractions, it’s a pretty fun place to live, and I personally really enjoy getting to experience life here. I love having friends and family visit from out of town, so I can show them some of my favorite places and convince them that this is a great place to be! I hope if you visit Morgantown, this gives you some ideas for what to do. And if you live here or have been here before, are there things you would add? I definitely had to leave some things out of this post, so I hope to write a few more posts that go into detail about different aspects of Morgantown in the future!