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Stories a place tells about itself, passed down and still repeated.
Alderson, WV
This marker preserves the bizarre local story of "French," a lion kept in Alderson between 1890 and 1894 after being adopted from a traveling circus. According to the marker, the lion was allowed to roam until it frightened a salesman into the Greenbrier River, prompting the town to require lions to be leashed.
Blue Sulphur Springs, WV
This Greek Revival pavilion is the lone major survivor of a nineteenth-century resort built around a mineral spring once advertised for its healing properties. After extensive restoration, the pavilion was rededicated in 2023 and is now open to the public daily during posted daytime hours.
Sarah Ann, WV
Hatfield clan patriarch Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield is buried in the family cemetery beneath a life-size marble statue imported from Italy. The cemetery is publicly visited as part of Hatfield-McCoy heritage tourism, but reaching the graves requires a steep climb and visitors should use care on the slope.
Smoot, WV
This roadside marker commemorates the extraordinary 1897 Greenbrier Ghost case, in which Zona Heaster Shue's mother claimed her daughter's ghost revealed that Zona had been murdered. The resulting murder conviction made the story one of America's most famous cases in which alleged supernatural testimony played a role in bringing attention to a crime.
Lewisburg, WV
Greenbrier Valley Theatre keeps the Greenbrier Ghost story alive through performances and displays connected with the famous Zona Heaster Shue case. The theatre is an active arts venue, so interior access follows box-office and performance schedules rather than open exploration.
Talcott, WV
The park commemorates the legendary steel-driving man John Henry and the story of his race against a steam drill during construction of the nearby Big Bend Tunnel. Visitors now find a large John Henry statue, interpretive displays and walking areas at the location traditionally associated with the legend.
Ansted, WV
A rocky overlook above the New River and marina at Hawks Nest State Park, normally reached by a short trail from behind the lodge. The local telling has a couple from opposing groups, forbidden to marry, leaping together. West Virginia State Parks currently lists the Lovers Leap trail as closed after extensive storm damage — check before you go, because the overlook is only reachable by that trail.
Parkersburg, WV
A melancholy female statue in Riverview Cemetery has collected local legends claiming she weeps, changes position or grants wishes to visitors who approach her correctly. The monument is in an operating cemetery open during daytime hours, so this is a folklore stop that needs respectful cemetery behavior rather than nighttime ghost hunting.
