Shepherdstown, WV Road Trips

1 Rumsey Monument, end of Mill St. until dusk. This town park commemorates James Rumsey, the inventor of the steamboat, and offers a panoramic view of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Potomac River and the C&O Canal. Rumsey often walked these cliffs talking to himself about his inventions. Rumsey Steamboat Museum, corner of German & Princess (behind the Entler Hotel). This outbuilding houses a half-size working replica of the first Rumsey steamboat and information about James Rumsey's [2] life and invention. Entler Hotel and Museum, corner of German & Princess, ☏ +1 304-876-0910. displays artifacts and preserves items of historic interest that might otherwise have been lost for people of Shepherdstown and Jefferson County. The first floor of the museum, formerly the ladies' and gentlemen's parlors, is now decorated as a formal reception room. The second and third floors include a room furnished as a hotel bedroom, a Victorian sitting room, and five rooms containing local artifacts including a fine display of local American Indian tools and artifacts. The museum is open seasonally on weekends; the reception rooms are available for shows and events. $4. Little House and Little Barn, Princess St. The smallest house in Shepherdstown. This supersized doll house was a Shepherd College project. Completed in 1929, the two-story "house" has five rooms and measures 10 feet high by 9-1/2 feet wide, with 5 1/2 foot ceilings.

Contemporary American Theater Festival (CATF), PO Box 429, toll-free: +1-800-999-CATF (2283). Dedicated to producing and developing new American theater, the Contemporary American Theater Festival is one of America's most vital new play development centers. The Festival presents new American plays in rotating repertory each summer on the campus of Shepherd University in Shepherdstown. Shepherdstown Music & Dance, PO Box 1293, ☏ +1 304-263-2531. Folk music society dedicated to the preservation and perpetuation of traditional music and dance. We sponsor 1st and 5th Saturday contra dances at the War Memorial Building, concerts (usually on the Shepherd University Campus), morris dancing and the Shepherdstown May Day Celebration. Shepherdstown Opera House, 131 W. German St, ☏ +1 304-876-3704. The Shepherdstown Opera House, one of the nation's oldest movie theatres, first begin showing films in 1909 until 1958, when it was closed and abandoned. Today, the Opera House uses the finest projection and sound systems available to entertain a new generation with the best movies being made today. Upper Potomac Music Weekends, PO Box 1474, ☏ +1 304-263-2531. Music workshops for traditional folk musicians including two Dulcimer Fests (March and September), an Irish Music Weekend and a Fiddle Retreat. Public Concerts and evening programs are usually featured as part of each event. Washington Heritage Trail. Follow the footsteps of America's first president and Founding Father when you travel the Washington Heritage Trail in West Virginia.

Press Room, German St, ☏ +1 304-876-8777.

Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B, corner of German & Duke Streets, ☏ +1 304-876-3715. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Located in the heart of historic Shepherdstown, this restored 1868 federal style property offers elegant decor, beautiful antiques and a relaxing atmosphere. Six air conditioned rooms (each with private bath) are furnished appropriately for the period. Each morning begins with a full homemade breakfast. $115-$190.

By car Shepherdstown is located at the intersection of WV Routes 230, 45, and 480. I-81 at Martinsburg, WV lies about 13 miles to the east, going by Route 45 and Route 9, and Harpers Ferry, WV, lies about 10 miles to the southwest, via Route 230 to Route 340. Route 70 is about 20 miles north and west via the town of Sharpsburg, MD (just three miles away) on MD Route 34 to MD Route 65, passing by Antietam Battlefield and continuing towards Hagerstown, MD. Washington, DC and its environs are about 70 miles away to the southwest. By plane The nearest commercial airports to Shepherdstown are Baltimore Washington International Airport in Baltimore and Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C., both about 90 minutes away.

There's limited public transportation in Shepherdstown. A bus Shuttle is provided for Shepherd University however, a car is most likely needed for the rest of the town. The town itself is compact and easily walkable, with most homes and the commercial area with a six block or so square.