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Highest-rated specialty museums in West Virginia by visitors

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In 1683, Elias Ashmole, an Oxford graduate and true polymath, founded the Ashmolean, the modern world's first public museum. Stocked with his private collection of artifacts, curios, and special scientific equipment, the goal of the museum was to create a center for practical research and the advancement of knowledge. This, Ashmole felt, was a goal "very necessary to humaine life, health [and] the conveniences thereof."

According to figures from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, there are more than 35,000 museums in the United States today. Their collections encompass everything from modern art, like at the MoMA in New York City, to mustard, like at the National Mustard Museum in Middleton, Wisconsin, and everything in between.

Museums are anchors of our communities. The American Alliance of Museums reports that museums support more than 725,000 jobs and contribute upwards of $50 billion to the U.S. economy each year. Three-quarters of Americans agree that museums are an important part of our civil society and have an important role in promoting knowledge and civic engagement.

Beyond their educational and economic significance, museums are just plain fun. Whether you have a developed interest in natural history or just want to learn a little bit more about funerary history (the National Museum of Funeral History in Houston), there's sure to be a museum that strikes your interest. There's simply nothing else quite like spending an afternoon learning about famous figures, arts and crafts, military history, or what else you fancy.

Here, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated specialty museums in West Virginia on Tripadvisor as of Aug. 13, 2025. Keep reading to see what unique museums are in your home state. Then, make sure to plan a visit. With many museums facing funding cuts due to the current administration's efforts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services, who's to say how much longer these treasure troves will be available to us?

You may also like: Highest-rated things to do in West Virginia by visitors

#17. Matewan Depot Replica and Museum

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#17. Matewan Depot Replica and Museum

- Rating: 4.6/5 (30 reviews)
- City: Matewan West
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#14. Princeton Railroad Museum

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#14. Princeton Railroad Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (24 reviews)
- City: Princeton West
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#11. Museum of Radio and Technology

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#11. Museum of Radio and Technology

- Rating: 4.9/5 (34 reviews)
- City: Huntington West
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#10. Wheeling Artisan Center

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#10. Wheeling Artisan Center

- Rating: 4.3/5 (35 reviews)
- City: Wheeling West
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#9. Point Pleasant River Museum

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#9. Point Pleasant River Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (70 reviews)
- City: Point Pleasant West
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#6. John Brown Wax Museum

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#6. John Brown Wax Museum

- Rating: 3.6/5 (139 reviews)
- City: Harpers Ferry West
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#5. joy line railroad and Toy Train Museum

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#5. joy line railroad and Toy Train Museum

- Rating: 4.8/5 (20 reviews)
- City: Harpers Ferry West
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#4. Museum of American Glass

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#4. Museum of American Glass

- Rating: 4.7/5 (154 reviews)
- City: Weston West
- Read more on Tripadvisor

#1. Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and Youth Museum

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#1. Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and Youth Museum

- Rating: 4.7/5 (901 reviews)
- City: Beckley West
- Read more on Tripadvisor

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Madison Troyer, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 51 states.

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