Downtown Bluefield
with its architecture dating from the 1920s. There are self-guided walking tours available.Bluefield Area Arts Center
500 Bland Street, 304-325-8000. Housed in the historic Old City Hall, the Arts Center features an art gallery with rotating monthly exhibits, a top-floor artists' studio featuring local artisans, the Summit Theatre and a restaurant. The Mercer County Convention and Visitors' Bureau is also located in the building.Bluefield Orioles
(http://www.bluefieldoriol...). A minor-league affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles since 1958, and part of the Appalachian League. Cal Ripken, Jr. played for the team in 1978. Home games are played at Bowen Field, a historic park built in 1939. Note, the Orioles ended their affiliation at the end of the 2010 season. 2011 will see them become the Bluefield Blue Jays.The East River Mountain Overlook, at the top of the mountain along Route 598 off Route 460, 304-327-2401. Gives visitors a 3,500-foot-high view of the Bluefields and East River Mountain. Observation deck, hiking trails, picnic shelters, tables and grills.
The National Coal Heritage Area encompasses 11 counties in southern West Virginia, and aims to preserve, protect, and interpret lands, structures, and communities associated with the coal mining heritage of the state. Bluefield is the southern terminus of the Coal Heritage Trail, a 97-mile scenic drive that passes mine-owners' mansions, miners' homes, company stores, coal tipples and state parks, before ending at the Exhibition Coal Mine in Beckley.
Eastern Regional Coal Archives
600 Commerce Street, 304-325-3943. Open Monday through Friday afternoons; closed holidays. If you're interested in the coal-mining heritage of the area, this public history research center, housed in the Craft Memorial Library, highlights the history of West Virginia coal fields. Along with research material, the center houses exhibits, photographs, mining implements, memorabilia, music and films.