Wheeling Group Tours

Wheeling has venues packaged together that will provide your students with all the essentials: Education enrichment, and entertainment. Education modules can include History, Nature and Environment, Science and the Arts. Call 800-828-3097 for a flyer highlighting details.

One of the most important aspects of tour planning for students is the need to combine education, enrichment and entertainment in one coordinated package. Several Wheeling area attractions have come together to offer well-developed, student-friendly study modules that will compliment most academic requirements. Packages can be developed by combining the following elements: HISTORY

Students will journey back in time to 1863 when Wheeling was still part of Virginia and the city was torn between Union and rebel supporters. It was a time of Civil War, treason and loyalty oaths. Wheelingￌs streets teemed with soldiers, sons and husbands as they left home to defend their beliefs, and the mail was delayed by rebel sabotage to the railroads. An authentically costumed guide portrays Mrs. Elizabeth Busby, a real local citizen of the Civil War period. She leads students through West Virginia Independence Hall and shares her reactions to wartime life in Wheeling and the heated debates over the division of West Virginia from Virginia. www.wheelingheritage.com PHONE: 304-238-1300

Elegant and educational, the 1846 Mansion Museum was the former estate of Cleveland industrialist Earl W. Oglebay. Students will enjoy the permanent exhibit gallery, which combines 3 extensive and diverse collections that showcase Wheeling In West Virginia. Antiques, fascinating memorabilia and historical artifacts are also part of the Museumￌs collections. Students and teachers will engage in dynamic, multi-disciplinary programming in an environment rich with arts and history. www.oionline.com PHONE: 304-242-7272

Experience Victoriana at it's best! Wheeling was once the home of some of the wealthiest families in America. The homes they built have been carefully preserved, and their elegantly decorated interiors await visitors. Costumed tour guides present entertaining and informative tours of important grand Victorian homes in the heart of

This spectacular restored building features interactive industrial heritage exhibits. Follow historical characters and their respective industries to learn how products that were ￏMade in Wheelingￓ helped to build this country. The building is a tribute to Wheelingￌs cultural heritage. www.artisancenter.com PHONE: 304-232-1810

This interactive, hands-on children's museum serves children ages 6 months -12 years, along with families and teachers. Exhibits change every 4-6 months. Heroes will be open through 2003; children may dress as their favorite hero, make a book about how they saved the day, play in an interactive fire house, police station, or news desk . KID Construction Co. will be on exhibit following Heroes. www.cmov.com PHONE: 304-214-KIDS

Delve into history through toys! Students will experience an enjoyable yet highly educational journey into the past through the playthings of past generations. See the impact of the Marx Toy Company on West Virginia, and witness firsthand the evolution of railroading in America through toys and real artifacts. Operating model train layouts and frequently changing exhibits will both entertain and educate. Perfect for students of any grade level. www.toyandtrain.com PHONE: 877-242-8133

NATURE & ENVIRONMENT

Oglebay Good Zoo

The Good Zoo and Planetarium offer educators more than 50 dynamic and interactive programs in astronomy, conservation and environmental education, designed to match curriculum goals and objectives. Students wonￌt want to miss the indoor Discovery Lab, designed to make learning about animals easy and fun. It includes hands-on activities and animals from the Asian rain forest, the rivers of South America, and the North American desert.

www.oglebay-resort.com PHONE: 800-624-6988

Schrader Environmental Education Center

Oglebay Instituteￌs newest education site features green architecture as well as fun programming for all ages. Supporting effective stewardship of the earth as a comprehensive mission, the Schrader Center was built using recycled products and environmentally sensitive building processes. Continuing a successful past that included the most popular activities in the earliest years of Oglebay Park, the Schrader Center is the realization of what was begun years agoￛ a nature program and environmental center that is a national model of success. www.oionline.com PHONE: 304-232-6855

SCIENCE

Challenger Learning Center (WJU)

The Challenger Learning Center at Wheeling Jesuit University is a laboratory for spirited teachers and an exciting learning environment for their students. With state-of-the-art resources and innovative curriculum, the center launches teachers and students on a voyage of discovery. Students work in teams to solve real-life mathematics, science and technology problems during a space flight simulation.

www.wju.edu/clc/ PHONE: 304-243-4325

ARTS

Stifel Fine Arts Center

Providing opportunities for creative expression and entertainment, the Stifel Fine Arts Center offers artists and visitors a chance to experience the visual and performing arts. The Hart Galleries features art exhibits year round. www.oionline.com PHONE: 304-242-7700

ENTERTAINMENT

Jamboree USA

Built in 1928, the historic Capitol Music Hall is the oldest and largest theater in the state of West Virginia. In 1933, the Capitol became home to Jamboree USA. Still in existence today, Jamboree USA is the second oldest live country music show in the US and is broadcast over 50,000 watt AM 1170 WVA radio. The Capitol also houses an additional 6 radio stations, owned and operated by Clear Channel Communications. Jamboree USA and Clear Channel offer tours of the facility to students, combining history with a chance to play ￏdisc jockeyￓ during their visit.

Of course, itￌs imperative to round out any educational trip with corresponding leisure activities to complete the studentsￌ itinerary! Most of the following activities are available year-round (weather permitting), and should be appropriate for all students (NOTE: some may be suited to EITHER a younger or older age range).

Carmike Cinemas: (Ohio Valley Mall) 9-screen movie theater; showing current features

Elm Grove Lanes: 32 bowling lanes, snack bar (adjacent to Foggy Bottom Country Club)

Foggy Bottom Country Club: miniature golf, laser tag, video arcade, snack bar

Ohio Valley Greyhounds: Arena football team (April-July)

Towngate Cinema: award winning, critically acclaimed movies shownￛ most weekends.

West Virginia Penitentiary: tour Civil War-era prison; tours guided by former prison guards

Wheeling Nailers: East Coast Hockey league team (Oct-April); Pittsburgh Penguins farm team

Contact area receptive operators to develop your own Student Tour itinerary!