Martinsburg is close to the bustling city life of Washington, D.C. but has less than 20,000 residents and manages to hold onto its rural charm. If you love nature and wildlife, this city is a welcome weekend retreat and vacation spot. Martinsburg also delights those in search of history, motorsports and culture.
Go on a self-guided tour of the town’s historic buildings and districts. Visit the B&O Roundhouse, a historic railroad complex that encompasses railroad shops and a 16-sided roundhouse. See the large textile mills in the Boomtown Historic District. Stop by the former home of Colonel Morgan Morgan who's thought to be the first English settler in what is now West Virginia. The rebuilt 18th-century wood cabin still contains many of the structure's original logs. Inside the Triple Brick Museum, learn about the cultural life of the town from the 1800s to the early 1900s.
Outdoor recreation is one of Martinsburg’s biggest draws. Hike through the 23,000-acre (11,331-hectare) Sleep Creek Wildlife Management Area. Go bird-watching in the oak forests and fields of Yankauer Preserve. Martinsburg is a popular location for geocaching, an outdoor treasure hunting game that involves sets of GPS coordinates to find hidden containers.
Fans of motorsports can watch car and motorcycle races at Summit Point Motorsports Park. Nearby are the motocross and supercross tracks of Tomahawk MX.
For arts and entertainment, reserve tickets for a show at the Apollo Civic Theatreand browse the work of local talent at the Berkeley Art Works.
Children will enjoy roller skating and roller blading at Galaxy Skateland and seeing antique horse-drawn farm equipment at the L. Norman Dillon Farm Museum.
Visit Martinsburg in mid-October for the 4-day Mountain State Apple Harvest Festival, with parades, fireworks, arts and crafts shows and pie baking contests.
Martinsburg is about 90 minutes away from Washington, D.C. by car. The town is on the Washington Heritage Trail, a 136-mile (219-kilometer) scenic route that traces former president George Washington’s footsteps through West Virginia's Eastern Panhandle.
