Metro Valley
VisitHuntingtonWV.org; @VisitHuntingtonWV
Part of a tri-state metro area extending to cities in Kentucky and Ohio, Huntington is the largest city in a region of more than 350,000 people. “In ‘H-Town,’ planners will find a unique flavor, original Appalachian craftsmanship, and Southern hospitality,” says Anna Adkins, director of sales and marketing for Visit Huntington WV. “We are home to Marshall University and all that it offers; Heritage Farm, West Virginia’s only Smithsonian Affiliate; and the world’s largest hot dog. You can enjoy the 30-inch ‘Widowmaker,’ which feeds 12 people, or The Homewrecker, at Hillbilly Hot Dog, which has been featured on Food Network, the Travel Channel, and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, and you can check out other hot dogs on the Huntington Area Hot Dog Trail.”
There are more than 1,400 guest rooms in the immediate area. Top meeting hotels include the 202-room DoubleTree by Hilton, with 20,000 square feet of meeting space, and the 135-room Delta Hotels by Marriott Downtown Huntington, which is directly across the street from Marshall Health Network Arena & Convention Center, featuring a 9,000-seat arena and 15,000 square feet of meeting and event space.
Offsite venues include the Keith-Albee Performing Arts Center, a 2,500-seat historic property in downtown, which recently completed a $30 million renovation project. Heritage Farm has three small inns and two event halls accommodating 64 and 150 guests, respectively, plus a converted 19th-century dairy barn with seven meeting rooms suitable for 32 guests. It also includes a historic village, a museum, and an adventure park with ziplines, mountain bike trails, and seasonal winter sports. Huntington Museum of Arts has a 287-seat auditorium. Marshall University offers additional event space, including several meeting rooms and a banquet event hall at the Memorial Student Center.
Event attendees who bring their families along will enjoy Camden Park, West Virginia’s only amusement park and one of the oldest in the country; Beech Fork State Park, with hiking trails, pontoon boats, kayaks, and paddleboards; and Blenko Glass, a family-owned and operated company crafting hand-blown glass since 1893.
