Wheeling, WV

Local Events

Reenactments, heritage festivals, and living history programs — experience the Revolution where it happened.

Upcoming This Year

Sep

FestivalFeatured

Fort Henry Days

Wheeling Heritage Port Area (Fort Henry site), Wheeling, WV

Annual heritage festival commemorating the sieges of Fort Henry, particularly the famous September 1782 siege considered the last battle of the American Revolution. Features living history demonstrations, frontier-era reenactors, period crafts, musket and rifle demonstrations, and retelling of the Betty Zane gunpowder run legend. Held at the Heritage Port area near the original Fort Henry site along the Ohio River.

FreeTypically held in September to coincide with the anniversary of the 1782 siege; contact Wheeling Convention & Visitors Bureau or Wheeling Heritage to confirm exact dates.

Jul

Ceremony

West Virginia Independence Hall Fourth of July Celebration

West Virginia Independence Hall, 1528 Market Street, Wheeling, WV

Annual Independence Day programming at West Virginia Independence Hall, a National Historic Landmark in downtown Wheeling. The museum hosts special tours, patriotic readings, and educational programs connecting Wheeling's frontier Revolutionary War history to the broader story of American independence. The building itself served as the birthplace of West Virginia statehood and houses exhibits on the region's early history.

FreeJuly 4th or nearest weekend; check with West Virginia Independence Hall for scheduled programming.More info →

Sep

Reenactment

Betty Zane Frontier Day

Fort Henry site / Wheeling Heritage Port Area, Wheeling, WV

A commemoration and living history program honoring the legendary frontier heroine Betty Zane, who according to tradition ran through enemy fire to retrieve gunpowder during the 1782 siege of Fort Henry. Programs include historical talks, frontier reenactors in period dress, and guided walks to sites associated with the Zane family in the Wheeling area. Often organized in partnership with local historical societies.

FreeOften held in conjunction with Fort Henry Days or as a separate September event; contact the Ohio County Historical Society or Wheeling Heritage for confirmation.

Oct

Exhibition

Frontier Heritage Day at Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex

Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex, 801 Jefferson Avenue, Moundsville, WV

Educational heritage day at the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex in nearby Moundsville, featuring programs on the upper Ohio Valley's frontier period including the Revolutionary War era. Demonstrations may include 18th-century frontier life skills, Native American history, and the region's role in conflicts from Lord Dunmore's War through the Revolution.

FreeTypically held in the fall; contact the Grave Creek Mound Archaeological Complex or the WV Division of Culture and History to confirm dates.More info →

Date

TBD

Lecture

Upper Ohio Valley Revolutionary War Lecture Series

West Virginia Independence Hall / Ohio County Public Library, Wheeling, WV

Periodic lectures and educational programs hosted at West Virginia Independence Hall and by the Ohio County Public Library exploring the upper Ohio Valley's role in the American Revolution. Topics include the sieges of Fort Henry, Lord Dunmore's War, frontier warfare, British-Native alliances, and the Gnadenhutten Massacre. Presented by regional historians and authors.

FreeScheduled throughout the year, often in fall and winter months; contact West Virginia Independence Hall or the Ohio County Public Library for upcoming programs.