We encourage conference delegates to bring their families and have arranged a programme of activities for them, as well as other things they may wish to do independently. The Laurel Caverns tour has been scheduled as a mid-conference excursion, so delegates can share this experience with their family members if they wish. This activity will take place twice on Wednesday (morning and afternoon), just like the other mid-conference excursions. The other three organised activities will take place on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday of the conference, each lasting approximately half a day.
Spaces are limited, so be sure to reserve a spot soon.
Options
- Accompanying Person – Social Events Only – 125 Euro
- Includes the opening reception and IMWA gala dinner
- Accompanying Person Bundle – Social Events & Tours – 225 Euro
- Includes the opening reception and IMWA gala as well as tours to Prickett’s Fort, Davis-Lynch Glass Company, and Arthurdale
- Accompanying Person Tours (see below)
- Prickett’s Fort – 35 Euro
- Davis-Lynch Glass Company – 35 Euro
- Arthurdale – 50 Euro
- Mid-Conference Field Trips – Wednesday
- #5 Laurel Caverns – $85 Euro
Details
Tour 1
Laurel Caverns
The guided tour takes 45 minutes and takes you through the easiest passages of the caves. There are no steps and this part of the cave is a maze with about 1,200 ft (400 m) of colourfully lit passages. The geology and history are explained by the guide and there is a sound and light show. You can then take the self-guided tour, which takes a further 1 hour and includes a 1,800 ft (600 m) walk through the largest, longest and steepest passages in the lighted part of the caves. There are about 100 steps and it is strenuous for those with knee, heart, back or shortness of breath problems. This part takes you down 17 floors in height.
Tour 2
Prickett’s Fort
Prickett’s Fort State Park, 20 minutes from Morgantown, is a 76-ha park located near the confluence of Prickett’s Creek and the Monongahela River. The park features a reconstruction of the original Prickett’s Fort, which served as a refuge for colonial settlers. When frontiersmen and their families believed they were in danger of attack by Native Americans, the families gathered in these refuge forts. This historic park is a reminder of life on the Virginia frontier in the late 18th century. Admission to the park is free, but some attractions, such as the Fort and Museum, charge admission.
Tour 3
Davis-Lynch Glass Company
Davis-Lynch Glass Company is one of the few remaining hand-blown glass factories in the United States. The company specialises in opal and crystal glass lampshades, globes and cylinders. It also has an in-house decorating department. The company was founded in 1943 by Mr Davis and R. Emmett Lynch. In 1967, Davis-Lynch Glass became a family business owned by the Lynch’s and is now in its third generation. The tour consists of observing the techniques used in the production of hand-blown glassware, including the preparation of the liquid glass, the forming of the glass products and the decoration of the glass.
Tour 4
Arthurdale & Cooper’s Rock Overlook
Experience the 1930s in Arthurdale, WV. Established by the United States government in 1933, Arthurdale was the nation’s first New Deal Homestead Community. Created as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal legislation, the community provided a new lease on life for residents who had suffered during the Great Depression. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was the driving force behind the community, known as ‘Eleanor’s Little Village’. Today, Arthurdale is a National Historic District with 160 of the 165 original homesteads. The New Deal Homestead Museum is a multi-building museum with a blacksmith shop with original tools, a service station reminiscent of a bygone era, the historic Center Hall, the original federal government administration building, and a fully restored Arthurdale homestead.
Your Own Tour
Other Potential Activities in the Area
Other activities in the Morgantown area that family members may wish to visit during their stay include the Aquatic Centre at Mylan Park, the West Virginia University Art Museum, the WV Botanic Garden, the WVU Planetarium and the WVU Core Arboretum. For more information on these and other possible activities in the area, we recommend you visit the Visit Mountaineer Country website.