This place is definitely worth checking out! Had no clue this place existed until we passed by it…read morewhile visiting Williamson. The history of the Coal House is very unique! There is a nice little gift shop inside as well.

From the owner: Housing the Tug Valley Chamber of Commerce, The world famous Coal House is a visitor's welcome…read morecenter and gateway to the Hatfield McCoy Mountains of southern West Virginia. #VisitTheTug

Officially the "Spirit of the American Doughboy", this serves as the war memorial for the citizens…read moreof Pikeville who fought for their country. This is a more modern one and does not mention the Civil War. Instead, it lists the names of those who served and died in more recent conflicts. This was originally just a World War I memorial, depicting an infantryman ("doughboy") advancing through barbed wire and battlefield debris, holding a rifle in his left hand and a grenade raised in his right. It was sculpted by E.M. Viquesney and is part of a series that were installed across the United States in the 1920s and 1930s. It stands in front of the Pike County Courthouse. On one side, "1917-1918. They gave their all in their country's service" followed by a list of names, trailing with "Lest We Forget" Again with "1941-1946" and "1950-1953" and "1961-1973". As they are listed in alphabetical order by last name, it's easy to see some families that lost more than one. Nine from the "Blackburn" family in the WWII list. Sad. [Review 629 of 2025 - 320 in Kentucky - 24190 overall]

We were staying in the area and someone told us about this battlefield. So we took a short drive…read moreout from Prestonsburg to see it. It is a very small area off the side of the road. There are interpretative signs that give the details of the battle. The Battle of Middle Creek was an engagement fought January 10, 1862, in Eastern Kentucky during the American Civil War. The battle, along with the Battle of Mill Springs, positioned the Union armies to invade Middle Tennessee. There are also small paths that you can take and walk out onto the field.

Well preserved piece of ground but beware the total battlefield is not part of this area. My own gr…read moregr gr grandfather and three of his sons, including my gr gr grandfather fought here with the 5th Kentucky CSA.

Beautiful views at the top. Be careful on the drive up, it's 5 miles of a narrow gravel road. Watch…read moreout for wasps on the tower, I ended up getting stung by one on a railing.

A former fire tower station, Birch Knob is now a public overlook. You have a 360 degree view of…read moreVirginia, Kentucky and Ohio. The view is really great. That said, had I known the condition of the dirt/rock road I would not have gone up there despite having AWD. The road started out fine but deteriorated and there were some really bad spots that were either washed out and rocky or rutted. Trying to avoid these spots sometimes led to the brush scratching against my car. Thankfully, someone had chain sawed a few trees that had fallen across the road. I had the 6 plus mile road to myself-the only nice thing about the ride up. When you get to the top there is a small area for parking and a pit toilet-which I did not use. Then you have to walk up hill path to get to the steep metal stair case that brings you to the overlook. This place is definitely not for anyone having trouble walking! At the top the view was great, however, I didn't stay long as there were biting flies and mosquitoes tormenting me! The view: five stars. The drive up 1-2 stars. Hard to put an overall score. If you have an ATV, the experience will be much, much better! There is a hiking trail there too. Didn't check it out. The place is kept pretty clean-saw very little litter during the ride up and at the top.

The Law Enforcement Memorial in Pikeville, Kentucky is a solemn tribute to officers who lost their…read morelives in the line of duty, located at the historic Pike County Courthouse as part of the Veterans Hall of Honor and Heritage Hall exhibit. The monument is outside the courthouse bears the Officer's Prayer, serving as a public reminder of sacrifice and duty. It includes the logos of several law enforcement organizations including the Kentucky State Police, the Pike County Sheriff's Department, US Marshalls and others. It includes the names of approximately 25 officers killed in the line of duty since the early 1900s with the earliest in 1911. The memorial is named for Sheriff Roy Conway was elected to office in 1950 on a platform promising to clean up gambling, bootlegging, and corruption in Pike County. On July 28, 1950, just six months into his term, he was assassinated outside his home by two brothers whose father's drinking establishment had been raided by Conway and his deputies. The polished black stone is hard to miss in front of the courthouse. [Review 631 of 2025 - 322 in Kentucky - 24192 overall]

This was a little more than I expected from a roadside stop. The woman behind the counter, a…read moredescendent of the families, was extremely knowledgeable and friendly to us. We were the only ones in there and she let us browse without interruption. There were photos and artifacts, coal from nearby, historical documents, and photos for sale. The gift shop portion was just a few shelves of the typical souvenir items like mugs, shot glasses, magnets, and moonshine chocolate from Pigeon Forge. They do offer sandwiches and ice cream. We split a strawberry cheesecake scoop and it was fresh and delicious for the hot afternoon day. They have gem mining outside near the family still and family well. I think it's definitely worth stopping in, if only for ice cream, a few mins in the AC, and a clean port-o-potty outside. Ice cream and a magnet cost me under $10. Parking is a gravel lot out front. It's about a quarter mile, if that, from the parking area for the cemetery.

Drove hours to see this and was extremely disappointed. Small room behind a curtain in a little…read moreshop on the road next to the Hatfield Cemetery, the "museum" was filled with copies of books, movie posters, and photos you can find in most books of the internet. The gift shop has more items than the museum has in original items. Do not waste your time.

Pike County is named for Zebulon Pike, who discovered Pikes Peak (Colorado). The courthouse…read morebuilding was completed in 1889 and was designed by the McDonald Brothers. It was remodeled extensively in the 1930s and still retains is Classical Revival design. The building has a symmetrical façade and a clock tower and a small square cupola. The first story has horizontal lined brickwork and the second and third stories have a light colored brick construction. The historical marker in front was erected in 1990 and points out some history, reading "Courthouse erected 1888-89 by McDonald Bros.; later renovated 1932-33. Here was scene of Hatfield clan trials for murders of Tolbert, Randolph, Jr., Pharmer, Alifair, and Calvin McCoy. The defendants lodged in adjacent jail; found guilty and sentenced to life in prison except Ellison Mounts, hanged February 18, 1890. Courthouse and jail part of Hatfield-McCoy Feud Historic Dist." It is marker number 1866 and was erected by the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Department of Highways. The grounds have a number of monuments and such. There is street parking and a parking deck nearby which also serves the adjacent Appalachian Wireless Arena. [Review 630 of 2025 - 321 in Kentucky - 24191 overall]

To the uninitiated, it might seem that Southwest Virginia is a pretty small niche to build a museum…read morearound. However, the region's history is robust and merits consideration, and this place offers a nice window into it. A repurposed mansion once belonging to the gentry of the region, it offers three floors plus a basement of exhibits. A variety of subjects are covered; those expecting to hear about coal mining won't be disappointed, but other aspects of American migration, natural history, and global and political affairs are covered. It's only a $5 fee, and I found it well worth it as both aesthetic and intellectual engagement.

Quite an attractive old building, this three-story building was once the residence of a few…read morewell-to-dos. It now contains a number of displays highlighting the history of the area. $5 per person gives you access to the museum, and we found that to be a bargain. It's also nice to walk around the surrounding streets and see some of the other historic homes on "the hill."