Appalachian Forest Discovery Center

Appalachian Forest Discovery Center 🍁Sharing stories of the Appalachian Forest region's rich cultural & forest heritage.

🌲Discovery starts here! 📍

🗺️🥾We are now open for the season!
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Visit us Thursday-Sunday from 9:30-4:30 PM.

In recognition of Juneteenth, partner sites across our region are hosting events to honor and celebrate this federal hol...
06/19/2026

In recognition of Juneteenth, partner sites across our region are hosting events to honor and celebrate this federal holiday. If you are in the area of Arthurdale Heritage, Inc. or Greenbrier Historical Society & North House Museum, we hope you'll join them.

The Discovery Center is also open from 9:30-4:30. Our new exhibit, "America's 250th in the Appalachian Forest," highlights some of the important people and places in our region's Black history—The Riverside School, Clarence Tross, Carrie Williams—and how they shaped its development, culture, and heritage.

In just under a week, we're hosting a FREE screening of the award-winning Small Town Universe Film. Check out the traile...
06/19/2026

In just under a week, we're hosting a FREE screening of the award-winning Small Town Universe Film. Check out the trailer and RSVP at the event link below!

"Small Town Universe is directed by Katie Dellamaggiore (SXSW Audience Award Winner Brooklyn Castle), and set in Green Bank, WV, where life unfolds in the quiet zone of the world’s largest steerable radio telescope. The film traces the telescope’s history and role in the search for extraterrestrial life, the STEM opportunities it offers rural students, and the community’s fight to protect it when funding is threatened."

https://www.facebook.com/share/1CmfPDEWzE/

06/16/2026

Join us for our next Trail Talk! 🥾 These guided hikes will have educational presentations about Leave No Trace, plants & animals, history & heritage, and more! We will also have a complimentary, responsibly sourced lunch from A'la Board. Register today!

Happening TOMORROW! Join AFNHA for the grand opening of "By the People, For the People: America's 250th in the Appalachi...
06/11/2026

Happening TOMORROW!

Join AFNHA for the grand opening of "By the People, For the People: America's 250th in the Appalachian Forest," our newest exhibit at the Appalachian Forest Discovery Center. This exhibit explores the history of the founders who made our region home, the locations that created our communities, and the pivotal events that shaped the culture of the Appalachian Forest.

Open Thursday-Sunday | 9:30 AM - 4:30 PM | 101 Railroad Avenue

‼️UPDATE: Our Discovery Center team is hard at work installing our NEW exhibit on the first floor of the Darden Mill! In...
06/11/2026

‼️UPDATE: Our Discovery Center team is hard at work installing our NEW exhibit on the first floor of the Darden Mill! In preparation for the exhibit, the Discovery Center will be closed today, Thursday, June 11th.

But please stop in tomorrow as we unveil "America at 250 in the Appalachian Forest: By the People, For the People"—we're open 9:30-4:30! 🏛📜

📽️ Movies at The Mill are BACK! We hope y'all can join us for our first FREE screening of the summer: Small Town Univers...
06/10/2026

📽️ Movies at The Mill are BACK! We hope y'all can join us for our first FREE screening of the summer: Small Town Universe.

This award-winning film explores life in Green Bank, West Virginia - a remote community located inside the National Radio Quiet Zone. Here, the use of wireless technologies such as cell phones and Wi-Fi is heavily restricted to prevent interference with the nearby Green Bank Telescope, the world's largest fully-steerable radio telescope.

The film follows four unique residents whose lives are intertwined with the town and its namesake telescope: a young woman dreaming of a career in astrophysics, a retired engineer reflecting on his legacy, a longtime local rooted in Green Bank's history, and a newcomer embracing life off-the-grid.

As federal funding hangs in the balance, their futures are inextricably tied to the survival of this scientific marvel and the Quiet Zone that makes it all possible.

RSVP:
https://www.facebook.com/share/19xLsCLtPH/

06/09/2026

Along the Cheat River Trail is a series of caches with varying terrain and find difficulty. 🧭 This trail is wide and paved, making it perfect for walking, running, or biking. 🚴🥾 Start your geocaching adventure at the Friends of the Cheat trail head located at 10922 River Road, Kingwood, WV 26537.

Have you made plans for National Trails Day? Our region has no shortage of beautiful trails welcoming a range of experie...
06/04/2026

Have you made plans for National Trails Day? Our region has no shortage of beautiful trails welcoming a range of experience levels and activities. Whether you're lacing up your hiking boots, putting some miles on your bike, or helping maintain our beloved trails, organizations across our region have ways for you to celebrate and get involved! Check out some of them at their social media or websites for more info:

🌲U.S. Forest Service - Monongahela National Forest
🏞 West Virginia State Parks
🚴‍♀️Elk River Trail Foundation
🥾West Virginia Scenic Trails Association — Allegheny Trail
🌳West Virginia Highlands Conservancy
🚲Elkins Area Shared Trails

Where are you planning to hit the trails on Saturday, June 6th? Let us know! 👇

06/02/2026

📍The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources State Wildlife Center | Open daily from 9-5. Admission is 16+ $4, 6-15 $2, 5 and under is free.

“Woodland wildlife can be viewed along a wheelchair-accessible interpretative trail traveling 1.25 miles through a mature hardwood forest.”

Just one of the many unique places in our Appalachian Forest National Heritage Area!

05/28/2026

The Discovery Center is open in the historic Darden Mill, Thursday through Sunday from 9:30-4:30!

While we finish getting our America at 250 exhibit ready for y’all, we’ve got a few temporary pop-up exhibits set up. Come by and check them out before they’re gone! 👀

Address

101 Railroad Avenue
Elkins, WV
26241

Opening Hours

Thursday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Saturday 9:30am - 4:30pm
Sunday 9:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+13046366182

Website

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