There are many attractions on Blennerhassett Island including a tour of the rebuilt mansion. Adult tickets for the mansion tour are $5 and children’s tickets are $3 each. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

PARKERSBURG — Blennerhassett Island opened for the 2023 season on May 2.

“The first few days were cold and rainy,” said Craig Pyles, superintendent for Blennerhassett Island Historical State Park. “Our luck with the weather has fortunately changed.”

The island has many attractions, including horse-drawn wagon rides, tours of the reconstructed mansion, a gift shop, concessions and nature.

“We strive to make the park something the community can take pride in,” said Pyles.

A ticket to the island costs $12. The sternwheeler leaves every hour on the hour, then brings people back from the island every hour on the half hour mark. The boat is constantly going between the island and the mainland. It first leaves the mainland at 10:00, and the last trip from the island is at 4:30.

A sternwheeler takes people to Blennerhassett Island every hour on the hour. There are rides back to the mainland every hour on the half-hour mark. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

The state park also offers horse-drawn wagon rides. A child’s ticket costs $8, and an adult ticket is $10. Another option is to utilize the numerous gravel hiking trails on the island.

A tour of the rebuilt Blennerhassett mansion costs $5 for adults and $3 for children. The mansion was built by Harman and Margaret Blennerhassett, who had inherited a large sum of money and a castle, which they sold to buy the island and construct their home.

The Blennerhassetts filled their mansion with the best things money could buy, making it the most lavish building in the area. They would often receive visitors; the most famous of their visitors would be Aaron Burr, a U.S. vice president who shot and killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Harman Blennerhassett was accused of conspiring with Burr to commit treason.

Clara Noelle can be reached at intern@newsandsentinel.com.

Blennerhassett Island also offers horse-drawn wagon rides. A child’s ticket costs $8, and an adult ticket is $10. The wagon rides allow those who bought a ticket to experience the entire island without all of the hiking. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

If one does not wish to go on a wagon ride, there are gravel hiking paths throughout Blennerhassett Island. These paths offer a scenic view of the island and those who take it can relish in the beauty of the island. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

Harman Blennerhassett, the owner of Blennerhassett Island in the early 1800s, was a lawyer and had an affinity for the sciences. The 200-year-old telescope, not original to the mansion but from its time, represents the late owner’s interests. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

The Blennerhassetts filled their mansion with the best things money could buy, making it the most lavish building in the area. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

Blennerhassett Island offers a refuge from busy everyday life. There is an abundance of trees and animals on the island. There is room to set up a picnic. (Photo by Clara Noelle)