There are many unusual or quirky features of the Mountain State, but one of my favorites has to be the Palace of Gold near Moundsville.

Nestled on a hilltop in Marshall County is a palace coated in eight thousand square feet of gold leafing built in the 1970s as a home/retreat for the founder of the Hare Krishna movement, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. 

The palace has since grown into a small community that has become a tourism draw and pilgrimage destination for thousands of Hindus each year. 

The whole complex feels both completely foreign to West Virginia and also a great representation of the peace and tranquility these hills bring so many of us. When you look out from the palace all you can see are rolling hills. It’s easy to see why the Krishnas picked the location.

As to not spoil the tours that are available, I’ll spare the details of why the Krishnas chose the Moundsville area, how they built the palace and other details and beliefs of the movement. If you’re not up for the short tour – which is the only way you can see the inner workings of the palace – you can still walk around the exterior of the grounds for free.

While the palace is worth the trip alone just to see, the greater New Vrindaban community – named after Vrindaban, India, where Prabhupada was based – has other things to do and see as well.

The sprawling complex also features a swan lake with, you guessed it, swans… and peacocks! There’s also an award-winning rose garden, temple, a vegetarian restaurant, a number of rentable cabins surrounding the lake, a gift shop and a cow sanctuary where you can even help milk them.

For anyone looking for a road trip and are interested in learning about something completely different without having to leave West Virginia, New Vrindaban might be worth a look.

Also nearby

West Virginia State Penitentiary – Probably the most prominent tourist attraction in this area, the penitentiary, which closed in 1995 after nearly 130 years, is now maintained as a museum, training facility and filming location. The prison, which suffered from overcrowding for much of its time in use leading it to be one of the country’s more violent facilities, also hosts paranormal tours for those interested. 

Grave Creek Mound – The burial site is one of the largest Adena burial mounds in the country at 62 feet high and 240 feet in diameter. You’ll likely drive by it and say “oh, there’s the mound,” but it’s also worth a quick stop.

Wheeling – If you’re up for spending a little more time in the area, you can head a little further north to Wheeling, which is one of West Virginia’s top cities that comes with all the entertainment, restaurant and tourism features of a city its size.