Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park - Parkersburg, West Virginia

Erika M.

What a waste of time and money. It was expensive just to see an old home of a wannabe slave owner. Horse wagon ride was an utter waste except being able to be pulled in a wagon itself. There was nothing out there except a few more horses and some wild turkey and nurseries of trees. I did enjoy the ferry ride over. I would have rather stayed on the water instead or floated past that island. There was a gift shop there as well. This is a place I will never revisit.

marilyn M.

Our guide was well informed and a gentleman. He played the dulcimer for us which has a very pleasing sound.
The property is well maintained and beautiful to view. It does have a snack stand down by the waters edge. The horse and buggy ride was a nice addition to our tour. The paddlewheeler ride to the island was pleasant as well.
Highly recommend this tour. Plan on a minimum of 3 hours with the boat ride included.

Kelly T.

What a neat place to spend an afternoon. We enjoyed the horse carriage ride and the history lesson of the island and its structures. We then took the house tour which told about the family that lived there. The stern wheel boat ride to the island was very nice and relaxing!!

Abbey J.

I very much loved touring Blennerhassett Island! The ferry ride was relaxing and had fun facts - there is an upper and lower deck as well as a ramp to get on the boat. It was incredibly hot the day I went but the boat crew boys worked their tail off.

The island is beautiful and stroller, wheelchair, and fat person friendly. Everything is in close proximity and flat to walk, much under shade. The gift shop is small and mainly knickknacks but they folks working were INCREDIBLY kind. So were the workers of the booths and wagons. I did not do a wagon ride as I really wanted to get some exercise in and lots of small kids and families on the wagons.

My docent was incredible. Knew tons of the history and even threw a few “Hamilton” jokes in. I was also very impressed the island worked hard to say “enslaved people” which is the correct terminology! The house is gorgeous and does have an upstairs to see. Can take pictures without flash. Really enjoyed my time, said about 3 hours on the island.

The mainland museum is fun and eclectic collections of local history and Blennerhassett objects. I wish I had done the museum first and then the island, but can be done in either order.

Good for any one of any age, but the little kids in my tour group were definitely fidgety in the heat. I went as a single 26 year old woman who loves history and it was a total gem in my trip for a friend’s wedding. Would strongly recommend as it is cheap per person and very walkable!

Gretchen C.

Perfect place to spend the afternoon! To get there, you ride a traditional sternwheel ferry. Once on the island it's picturesque. The wagon ride is definitely a must. All the staff is incredibly knowledgeable and really seems to enjoy their job. We got a quick bite at the concession pavilion and the prices were very reasonable. We spent about 3-4 hours touring.

Emily P.

Beautiful place to visit for the day. The boat ride was really pretty and as well as the grounds. The trees are beautiful and it's a park like setting. The wagon ride was definitely our favorite part of the tour. The horses are beautiful! My only thing I could have done without for the day was the lady telling us about the ghost in the house. She had her ghost detector on her phone. She then proceeded to tell us that there is a little girls spirit who is there and then my daughter came asking questions. Seriously...just give us the facts not your ghostly opinions!

Amanda C.

Enjoyable boat ride, beautiful grounds. Staff were knowledgeable and relatable. Horse and Carriage ride is a must. Bring your own snacks and prepare for a great day!

Norman B.

Wow, so much to unpack here. It's a beautiful rebuilt plantation manor and it's even furnished with some of the original homeowners belongings. It burned down in 1811 and wasn't rebuilt until the 1980's by the state of West Virginia. The stern boat ride there, the wagon ride, and the tour of the manor were worth the money. There's a tree that over 400 years old still standing on the island that very impressive, as well as the other centuries old trees, and walnut tree grove. We met wonderful tour guides and guests from all over. It was fascinating, gorgeous, and entertaining. It's a must see if you love visiting historical sites, because well, there's so much history!