How To Spend 24 Hours In Morgantown West Virginia

Morgantown, West Virginia, is home to West Virginia University and offers culture and history nestled in the Allegheny Mountains. If you are passing through, visiting the university, or just want a great weekend destination, here’s how to spend 24 hours in the city.

Grab breakfast

Diner

Even if you arrive in the middle of the day, you could still grab breakfast at Morgan’s High Street Diner. Serving all of your breakfast favorites from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm every day, the diner is a great place to start your day, whenever that is. https://www.instagram.com/p/BXdPMMEAl-v/?taken-at=428345536

Bike along the Monongahela River

Rent a bike at Wamsley Cycles or use your own to pedal along the Monongahela River. If you had more time in the city, you could bike from Morgantown all the way to Fairmont, 18 miles (30 kilometers) south. But just biking for a little over an hour, you can view all of Morgantown along the Mon River Trail.

The city of Morgantown from the west side of the Monongahela River, May 2012

Stop at the Core Arboretum

Forest, Park, University

Part of the West Virginia University Department of Biology, the Core Arboretum is a little forest sanctuary right next to the WVU campus. You can bike along a few of the trails or park your bike and go for a little walk to see the diverse local plant life.

Get some pizza and local brews for lunch

Pub, Restaurant

Right across Decker’s Creek from the Hazel Ruby McQuain Park is the Mountain State Brewing Co. Brew Pub. At the center of the large but cozy restaurant is a pizza oven, built by owner and founder Willie Lehman. Lehman and co-founder Brian Arnett started Mountain State in 2005 in Thomas, West Virginia, and expanded to open brew pubs in Deep Creek, Maryland, and Morgantown. With crisp, creative pizzas and fresh beer, there’s no better place to refuel.

Check out local artists at the MAC

Shop

The Monongalia Arts Center is the center of local art in Morgantown. The two galleries’ temporary exhibits showcase emerging artists, while the shop at the MAC offers unique works of art and crafts from local artists. If you want to check out more artists, stop by the Appalachian Gallery on Walnut Street. https://www.instagram.com/p/ZA77DMsOFy/?taken-by=monartscenter

Walk around WVU and take a trip on the PRT

Morgantown is home to the West Virginia University Mountaineers, and you won’t easily forget that while you’re in town. If you’re there on a Saturday during football season, you’ll see most everyone trucking over to Mountaineer Field to tailgate. And if you need to get around, you can always jump on the PRT (Personal Rapid Transit), an elevated, driverless tram that takes students to different parts of campus and kind of feels like the future.

Burritos and music for dinner

Black Bear Burritos is a must-visit when you are in Morgantown. You can build your own burrito, or you can stuff that tortilla with peanut curry, buffalo wings, turkey reuben, Jamaican jerk, cheesesteak—the list goes on. The West Virginia burrito experience expands across the state, but Black Bear is a classic. They also have live music starting at 6:30 pm most Wednesday through Saturday nights. https://www.instagram.com/p/BbCqZzTjiAi/?taken-by=blackbearburritos

See what’s playing at the Met

Theater

The Metropolitan Theatre opened in 1924 as “West Virginia’s most beautiful playhouse,” and over the past 100 years or so, it has featured almost every form of entertainment from Vaudeville to Kendrick Lamar. After renovations and a grand reopening in 2003, the theater plays host to dance performances, concerts, and film festivals. https://www.instagram.com/p/BSZKIOrDZBJ/?taken-at=246729329

Grab breakfast and see Coopers Rock on your way out of town

Forest

Grab a pastry and coffee to go at Blue Moose Cafe, and head out to Coopers Rock State Forest for breakfast with a view. Just 20 minutes east of Morgantown, you’ll get one of the best views of the Allegheny Mountains in the whole state from the overlook platform.