The Clay Center for the Arts and Sciences-West Virginia is an educational and cultural bridge to the twenty first century for the state's young and senior citizens alike. Located in downtown Charleston, the Clay Center includes Maier Foundation Performance Hall , an 1,883 seat theater with exceptional acoustics and sight lines, Walker Theater , a black-box theater, the state-of-the-art Avampato Discovery Museum with science, art, and theater, the premiere Juliet Museum of Art with permanent and visiting collections, the ElectricSky™ Theater which presents Planetarium shows, 70-mm large-format films, and laser shows, Douglas V. Reynolds Intermezzo Cafe, which offers food for hungry visitors during the day and before selected performances, and BB&T Little Shop of Wonders Gift Shop with items from West Virginia and out-of-state artisans . Call 304-346-1100 for more information. For upcoming event information, visit www.theclaycenter.org.

   Once the Kanawha and Michigan Railway Depot which served as a hub of activity on the north side of Charleston, the Capitol Market was renovated in 1997. At the foot of Broad Street, it marked a line of demarcation between the city's residential district to the south and its industrial district to the north. The only structure remaining is the indoor area of what is now the Capitol Market. It presents visitors with the last visible remnant of what was once a bustling rail yard. This 16,000 square foot indoor, outdoor market includes fresh produce, a coffee bar, ice cream parlor, fish market, wine shop, butcher shop, cheese shop, and Soho's Italian restaurant. The Capitol Market is open year round and offers special activities for all ages from wine tasting to Christmas tree selections. Call 304-344-1905 or visit www.capitolmarket.net for more information.