Wheeling, WV City Parks
Explore Wheeling Parks
 Wheeling
is a city in Marshall and Ohio counties in the U.S. state of West
Virginia. Most of the city lies in Ohio County, for which it is the
county seat. Wheeling is considered part of the Pittsburgh Tri-State
area and is the principal city of the Wheeling Metropolitan
Statistical Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was
31,419 (31,059 in Ohio County, 360 in Marshall County). The population
was estimated at 29,101 in 2007.
 Wheeling was originally a settlement in the British Colony of
Virginia and later an important city in the Commonwealth of Virginia
until 1861 when the western counties of Virginia seceded from the
state. Wheeling was the location of the Wheeling Convention, which
established the state of West Virginia, and was the first capital of
West Virginia.
The capital moved so often in its early years that it was nicknamed
the "floating capital". In 1870, the State Legislature
designated Charleston as the capital city. In 1875, the Legislature
reversed their decision and voted to return the Capital to Wheeling.
This was appealed by the citizens of Charleston and finally settled by
the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals in favor of Wheeling.
In 1877 the Legislature ordered an election to be held for the
citizens of West Virginia to select a permanent location for the
capital, choosing between Charleston, Martinsburg and Clarksburg. By
proclamation of the governor, the official move took place eight years
later, and in 1885 the capital moved from Wheeling to Charleston,
where it has remained.
Parks and Recreation
Looking for recreational opportunity? Oglebay Park and Resort
Center remains the nation�s model municipal park and continues to
offer outstanding recreational opportunity to both residents and
visitors. Its Festival of Lights attracts a million visitors annually.
Its growing flower displays will soon surpass the Festival of
Lights.
Swimming, tennis, horseback riding, picnicking, hiking, skiing and
fishing will augment your visits to the museums, shops, conference and
special events centers, and outdoor summer entertainment series. Two
professional golf courses designed by Robert Trent Jones and Arnold
Palmer are in addition to the Crispin Center golf course and a par
three course.
Wheeling Park and 35 neighborhood playgrounds and ball fields dot
the city.
Our paved trail system which is the region�s largest and our
state�s largest urban system has 24 miles already constructed for
walkers, joggers, cyclists and roller bladers. Additional miles are
funded and in design stages.
What about cultural, ethnic and religious diversity? The Wheeling
area boasts one of the broadest ethnic, cultural and religiously
diverse regions in the nation, with numerous descendants of and
current immigrants from, western Europe, Asia and Africa. Churches,
temples, and cultural centers abound.
Oglebay Institute is the nation�s oldest cultural and arts
institution, with activities on three campuses ranging from visual and
fine arts, performing arts and traveling exhibits.
The Wheeling Symphony is a metropolitan class orchestra, with 35
performances annually. Jamboree USA welcomes residents and visitors to
weekly shows by top country music artists. The OVations Youth
Orchestra was one of two of our nation�s youth symphonies to
participate in an international youth festival in Australia. Plans are
in the works for a tour of Europe.
Wheeling Park
1801 National Road, Wheeling, WV 26003
(304) 243-4000
The Wheeling Park Commission, a West Virginia Corporation, was created
by an act of the legislature of the State of West Virginia on March 5,
1935, for the purpose of managing the parks of the City of Wheeling.
The state statute provides that the Commission shall have all and sole
power necessary, convenient and advisable for the proper care,
equipment and management of the parks and shall make such rules and
regulations as it deems expedient for the care and management of the
parks.
The Commission consists of five members who are citizens of the
City of Wheeling and serve without compensation. Members of the
Commission are appointed by either the Board of Directors of the
Wheeling Chambers of Commerce or by the City Manager. For more
information regarding the Park Commission or the City�s park system,
please contact the administrative offices of Oglebay Park at (304)
243-4000.
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