The Michael W Travels family set off on a Deep South Road Trip for winter break 2019.
During our trip, the plan was to visit two new states and as luck would have it, West Virginia was just a half hour away from where we spent our first night.
Due to this, we decided to spend some time visiting Harpers Ferry National Historic Park. While we didn’t have the time to see more of the state, we had a great time, even more so since one of my best and oldest friends met up with us with his family.
Here is a short review of our time in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia.
The first order of business was getting a photo with the Welcome to West Virginia sign. Then we headed into the park which was a short drive away.
Parking at Harpers Ferry NP cost $15 per vehicle. From the visitor’s center a shuttle which comes around every 15 minutes, brings you to the main area where many historical buildings are located.
Harpers Ferry is a trash free park. I found this out the hard way since I took Theo’s empty milk bottle with us to throw away rather than leave it in the car. 
There are many interesting historical buildings which were fun to see. It felt like we were stepping back in time (or into a ghost town since there weren’t a lot of people around.)
Lucas really enjoyed going into some of the old buildings to explore.
Besides playing and exploring with his friend Benny, Lucas was really excited to earn a Junior Ranger badge. To earn the badge, the kids had to fill out a booklet, answering various questions about Harpers Ferry.
We wanted to check out John Brown’s Fort but it was closed due to a train derailment which had taken place earlier that morning.
Luckily, nobody was injured in this accident which caused several of the cargo trains to go into the water. This was a big event for the area and we were told that the park was busier due to locals wanting to see what was going on.
The leisurely uphill walk (there were stone steps) to Jefferson Rock was probably the most fun part of the visit. Lucas and his friend ran ahead for most of the way.
The views of and from Jefferson Rock were fun for a quick visit and photo-op.
Good thing their tongues didn’t get stuck to the ice!
On the way to lunch, we stopped at True Treats Historic Candy. Yes, the kids were happy to make a candy store stop!
True Treats “is the nation’s only researched-based historic candy store specializing in candy from the first in history through the mid-1900s.”
While I’d say the store was a bit on the pricier side, I really enjoyed reading the short facts and info about the sweets for sale.
Final Thoughts:
Overall, our visit to Harpers Ferry was a lot of fun. We really enjoyed wandering around the park and learning some history about it. It’s also family friendly as the rangers offer kids the opportunity to earn Junior Ranger badges by learning and answering questions.
I wouldn’t call Harpers Ferry destination worthy but if you happen to be in or close to the area, it’s definitely worth a visit.
In the end, we didn’t see a lot of West Virginia, but I can say that I’ve now visited the state!
If you’re interested in finding out more about Harpers Ferry National Historic Park, head over to their NPS page here.
