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Voykit pocket guide · United States
Weston
Weston, West Virginia
Give Weston one full day: the asylum tour and the glass museum, then sleep here and use it as a base for Stonewall Jackson Lake. Two nights maximum.
Weston is a small West Virginia town of about 3,900 people at the junction of US-33 and US-19, just west of I-79 exit 99. It holds two things worth a stop — a vast hand-cut sandstone asylum and a national glass museum — plus a state park and resort 20 minutes south. Most travellers pass through on I-79 between Morgantown and Charleston; the ones who stop stay one or two nights.
- Country
- United States
- Local name
- Weston, West Virginia
- Best months
- Apr–May, Sep–Oct
- Avoid
- Jan–Feb (ice on the roads), late Jul–Aug humidity
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- USD
- Money
- Currency is the US dollar (USD, $). Cards and phone payments work almost everywhere; carry a little cash for tips and small vendors.
- Daily spend
- Budget $70–110 excl. bed · Mid $110–180 excl. bed · High $180+ excl. bed (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile cover the country; prepaid SIMs at their stores and Walmart/Target (passport required), or an eSIM before you fly.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 911 · State Police, Weston 304-269-4200 · Poison control 800-222-1222
- Plugs
- Types A, B · 120 V · 60 Hz · Chargers are dual-voltage; hair dryers and straighteners from 230 V countries need a converter.
- Tipping
- Sit-down restaurant: 18–22% of the pre-tax bill.; Bar: US$1–2 per drink or 20% of the tab.; Taxi / ride-hailing: 15–20%, in the app.; Hotel housekeeping: US$3–5 a night.; Porter / valet: US$2–5 per bag or car.; Tour guide: US$10–20 per person for a day tour.; Counter service / tablet prompts: Optional; 0–15%.
- Water
- Tap water is drinkable nearly everywhere; boil or treat water from streams in parks.
- Toilets
- Free public toilets are scarce in big cities; use cafés, department stores, libraries, stations. Rest areas on highways are free.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Coffee to go | $2–4 |
| Hot dog or biscuit plate at a local counter | $4–9 |
| Sit-down dinner main | $12–22 |
| Draught beer at a bar | $5–8 |
| Gallon of petrol | $3.00–3.60 |
| Museum or historic-site entry | $5–25 |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- CKB · North Central West Virginia Airport, Clarksburg
- About 30 min north on I-79; small, few daily flights — check schedules
- CRW · Yeager Airport, Charleston
- About 2 h south on I-79; the practical gateway for most trips
- PIT · Pittsburgh International
- About 2 h 15 min north; best for international arrivals
Typical fares
- Asylum historic tour
- about $25, set departure times (check)
- Glass museum entry
- about $5 (check)
- Motel room, US-33 strip
- $65–140 per night (check)
Get around
A car is effectively required: sights sit 2–5 km apart with no useful bus. Weston is just west of I-79 exit 99, at the US-33/US-19 junction. Downtown is walkable once parked — Main Avenue to the asylum gate is about 10 minutes on foot.A car is effectively required: sights sit 1.2–3.1 mi apart with no useful bus. Weston is just west of I-79 exit 99, at the US-33/US-19 junction. Downtown is walkable once parked — Main Avenue to the asylum gate is about 10 minutes on foot.
See and do
Known for
- Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
- West Virginia Museum of American Glass
- Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park
- Jackson's Mill Historic Area
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park | US-19 south from Weston, about 20 min by car | About 30 min |
| Jackson's Mill Historic Area | About 10 min north of Weston by car | About 20 min |
| Clarksburg | I-79 north, about 30 min | About 30 min |
| Sutton | I-79 south then US-19, about 40 min | About 45 min |
| Morgantown | I-79 north, about 1 h | About 1 h |
| Summersville | US-19 south, a little over 1 h | About 1 h 15 min |
Sleep
- US-33 east strip (near I-79 exit 99)
- Chain motels with parking at the door; the only sensible base without a car-free plan.
- Downtown Weston
- Walk to the glass museum, the asylum gate and Main Avenue restaurants; very few beds.
- Stonewall Resort area, Roanoke
- About 20 min south on US-19; lake views, pools and golf, priced well above town.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Where is the entrance? | Where's the entrance? |
| Is the tour running today? | Are tours running today? |
| Can I pay by card? | Do you take cards? |
| How far is the lake? | How far to the lake? |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'hi, how are you?' — reply 'good, thanks'; avoid: Treating the question as a real health enquiry
- Restaurants: Tip 18–22% and wait for the check; avoid: Leaving without tipping
- Personal space: Keep an arm's length in queues; avoid: Standing close to strangers
- Politics and religion: Listen more than you speak; avoid: Opening with hot-button topics
- Smoking: Smoke only in marked areas; avoid: Smoking near doors or in parks where banned
Scams and watch-outs
- The asylum is a tour-only site with set departure times; walk-ups can be turned away on busy weekends — book ahead.
- Museum and historic-area hours are seasonal and short; confirm the day before you drive.
- Winter brings black ice on US-33 and US-19 hill sections.
- Cell coverage thins quickly on the back roads toward Stonecoal Lake.
Weston is a quiet small town and violent crime is rare; the real risks are winter ice on US-33 and US-19, deer on the road at dusk, and long waits for help on back roads.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Weston yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
- West Virginia Museum of American Glass
- Stonewall Jackson Lake State Park
- Jackson's Mill Historic Area
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- West Virginia Department of Tourism: wvtourism.com/
- Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum: trans-alleghenylunaticasylum.com/
- West Virginia Museum of American Glass: magwv.org/
- WVU Jackson's Mill: jacksonsmill.wvu.edu/
- Wikivoyage: Weston (West Virginia), revision 5237167 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5237167
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
WestonWeston, West Virginia
Please take me to this address
Please take me to this address
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, fire, ambulance911
- State Police, Weston304-269-4200
- Poison control800-222-1222
No consulates in Weston; the nearest are in Charleston or Pittsburgh — check your country's list before you travel.
Tours and museum hours change by season; call ahead the morning you plan to visit.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/weston-west-virginia). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.