Seniors Visit A Best Small City

Morgantown, West Virginia, is situated along the banks of the Monongahela River. Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia (pop. 30,000+) and seniors know it as the home of West Virginia University.

Zackquill Morgan, son of Morgan Morgan and his brother David entered the area of Virginia that would become Morgantown in about 1767.  Morgantown is made up of several neighborhoods, some of which had been independent towns that were annexed by the city as it continued to grow.

Senior visitors, the major points of interest include the Earl L. Core Arboretum on the University Campus and Dorsey Knob, a mountain summit on the south edge of the city. Stretching across 1,170 acres, Cheat Lake and the surrounding area is a favorite place for fishing and boating.

 Seniors Enjoy WVU Coliseum

Within a 500-mile radius of Morgantown is one-half of the population of the United States and one-third of the population of Canada. Morgantown ranks one of the best small cities in the US. The local Convention and Visitors Center overflows with events, activities, and sports and invites folks of all ages to come and and see why Morgantown is so exciting.

Mountaineer Field is the home of the West Virginia University football team that can seat over 63,500 rabid fans. the WVU Coliseum is one of the nation’s supreme showcases for college basketball and well worth a visit.

This senior being a Master Gardener, I’d head quickly to the West Virginia Botanic Center on Tyrone Road. For theater lovers, the Metropolitan Opera, known as the Met, opened in 1924 and contributes  to the culture of Morgantown. It is on the National Register of Historic Places and features both theatrical and musical performances.

 Museums, Botanic Gardens and Arboretum

For “Rock Jocks” and “Historians”, the Museum of Geology and Natural History on Mont Chateau Road rates high for senior visitors.

Downtown Morgantown is a “must see” area. As Morgantown grew, the historic downtown remained the focal point of both the city and the county.

Constructed in 1795, the Old Stone House is now a gift shop. It is the oldest building in Monongalia County and has served as a tavern, a pottery studio, a leather tannery, a church, a tailor shop as well as a home. Five museums draw in folks from across the nation. The Cook-Hayman Pharmacy Museum sounded like one I would like to visit.

There are several scenic parks in town as well as an 82-acre Botanic Garden that features several small designed gardens and forested hiking trails. A boardwalk provides access to a wetlands area.

I would visit the Core Arboretum, an old-growth forest maintained by West Virginia University, loaded with birds, plants and trees in a 91-acre area.

Surrounded by the hills of northern West Virginia, Morgantown is not far from both Pittsburgh and Washington D.C.  I will sign off today with a video of 10 Things You Have to do in Morgantown. Enjoy.  -jeb