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Antiques Lovers’ Dream at Oglebay April 4-6

WHEELING, W.Va. (February 14, 2025)–Wilson Lodge in Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia will be transformed into an antiques marketplace April 4-6, 2025.  Oglebay Institute presents its 68th Annual Antiques Show and Sale.

This annual event is the largest and longest running antiques show in West Virginia and among the oldest shows nationwide. More than 50 dealers from 10 states participate in the show.

Shop Oglebay Institute's Antiques Show April 7-9

Browse thousands of items including American, English, Primitive and Period Furniture. You’ll find American Art, Folk Art, Western Art. Plenty of pottery, quilts, jewelry, rugs and baskets will be on display along with pewter, silver, glass, china, books and endless decorative items for both the period and modern home.

Get “the Cream of the Crop”

Oglebay Institute director of museums Christin Byrum said only the most reputable dealers are invited, and buyers can rest assured they are getting “the cream of the crop.”

The show offers quality merchandise, a diverse inventory with items for every budget and programs that appeal to both experienced collectors and novice antiques buyers.

Expert Dealers Share Their Knowledge

The OI show is not only a shopping experience but also a learning experience. Dealers share their knowledge with patrons. Special learning opportunities take place throughout the weekend, too.

Shop Oglebay Institute's Antiques Show April 7-9

Examples include Dealer Booth Talks, guided show tour,  glass tours and children’s tour–all of which take place Saturday.

You’ll speak directly with dealers. You can shake hands and converse with talkative experts who are passionate about antiques in general as well as their particular areas of interest.  You’ll get questions answered and learn the history and significance of the items in the show.

Friday Night Social Events!

The Antiques Show and Sale is also a social event.  The Friday night cocktail party and dessert preview are always popular and never disappoint. The cocktail party takes place in Oglebay Institute’s shimmering Glass Museum. Guests enjoy great food and an open bar and get to roam the Museums’ 4000 examples of historic Wheeling glass.

Shop Oglebay Institute's Antiques Show April 7-9

Limos then drive patrons to Wilson Lodge, about a mile away, where they get a first-peek at the show during the Dessert Preview Party and enjoy an enticing array of cakes, cookies, pies, candy and a cash bar. Patrons can attend both events ($75) or purchase tickets for the Dessert Preview Party only for $40. Ticket prices include admission to the show all weekend long.

To purchase tickets for Friday night events, register online or call 304-242-7272.   Tickets for the Dessert Party are also available at the door.

Shop Oglebay Institute's Antiques Show April 7-9 and enjoy the Dessert Preview Party.

Thank You Volunteers!

Byrum credits the show’s success and longevity to the volunteer Committee of the Museums of Oglebay Institute. Helping with this show is a months-long affair for the committee members. They work closely with the show manager as well as supervise all the activities associated with the show. These dedicated volunteers take care of everything from staffing the show to coordinating lectures and tours to overseeing the patron events.

Thank You Sponsors!

Event sponsor Joe R. Pyle, of Joe R. Pyle Complete Auction and Realty Service of Mount Morris, PA, said the Oglebay Institute show is a “must-attend” event for those in the antiques industry and is one of the best shows in the region.

“We are very excited to partner with an event of this caliber. With such a charming venue and quality dealers, this show is an extraordinary experience for antiques enthusiasts,” he said.

Event sponsor Mary Beth Hughes, of Hughes Design and Gift Gallery of Wheeling, agrees.  She said she has attended many of the large metropolitan shows, and the Oglebay Institute show rivals those in quality of merchandise and expertise of dealers.

Show Hours

Oglebay Institute’s 68th Annual Antiques Show and Sale opens Friday, April 4 with special patron events. (Don’t miss the Dessert Party from 7-10pm.) General show hours are 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Saturday, April 5 and 11 a.m. – 4 p.m. Sunday, April 6. General show admission is just $15.

Stay the Weekend! Lodging Packages Available

Special Antiques Show lodging packages are available at Wilson Lodge. Enjoy the picturesque estate that was summer retreat of Cleveland industrialist Earl W. Oglebay. Today, Oglebay offers 1,700 acres of year-round recreational opportunities and excellent overnight accommodations and has retained its natural beauty.

Call 304-243-4000 or book online.

Towngate Theatre Presents “Beauty and the Beast”

Towngate Theatre will once again enchant and delight audiences with a production of the heart-warming fable “Beauty and the Beast.”  The show opens this Friday, January 31 and continues this weekend and next.

Written by Warren Graves and produced by special arrangement with Dramatists Play Service, Inc., “Beauty and the Beast” will be staged for two weekends- January 31-February 2 and February 8-9 at Oglebay Institute’s Towngate Theatre, 2118 Market Street, Wheeling.

Hannah Gonot, who plays Beauty, and Austin Schwanker, who plays the Beast, rehearse a scene from Towngate’s upcoming production of the heart-warming fable.

Like all classic fairy tales, this magical drama weaves in underlying moral messages throughout the story, which appeals to both children and parents.

“The story focuses on a young Beauty, whose innocence and goodness enable her to see beyond the external ugliness of the Beast,” Oglebay Institute director of performing arts Tim Thompson said. “The show celebrates the idea that beauty comes from within and unconditional love and kindness reign supreme.”

The story of “Beauty and the Beast” has been around for centuries in both written and oral form. Most recently it has been popularized in film and on Broadway. Towngate’s production is different than the modern-day productions in that it is a non-musical and closely follows the traditional storyline. The production is based on the story written by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont in 1756 as a story for younger readers.

David Gaudio and Hannah Gonot.

Talented Cast

The cast for “Beauty and the Beast” includes David Gaudio as Blotti, Austin Schwanker as the Beast, Keyuri Morgan as Jonquil, Flannery Muscar as Rougi, Hannah Gonot as Beauty, Brent Clyburn as Manello and Promise Hunt and Audrey IIovar as Spirits.

The production is directed by Towngate artistic director Dave Henderson.

Cast members for Towngate Theatre’s upcoming production of “Beauty and the Beast” are standing, left to right, David Gaudio, Brent Clyburn, Austin Schwanker, Keyuri Morgan, Hannah Gonot, Flannery Muscar. Seated is Audrey IIovar. Not pictured is Promise Hunt.

Get Tickets

Sponsored by the Helen J. Prince Foundation, “Beauty and the Beast” will be staged at Towngate Theatre at 7 p.m. Friday, January 31 and 3pm February 1, 2, 8 and 9.

Children ages 10 and under will be admitted for a special price of $10. Adult admission is $15. Members of Oglebay Institute receive a discount.

Purchase tickets online, by calling 304-242-7700, or at the door, if available.  Towngate’s box office opens one hour before all shows and can be reached at 304-233-4257. Advance tickets are recommended; some shows sell out.

Brent Clyburn and Austin Schwanker.

Keeping the Community in Community Theater

In addition to children’s theater, Towngate offers a full season of community theater, ballet, improvisational comedy, and live music. Towngate is also a single screen cinema, offering movies on select evenings and features changing art exhibitions in The Gallery at Towngate. Theater classes are also offered year-round.

Towngate is in Wheeling’s historic Centre Market District. This church-turned-theater is one of several Wheeling venues operated by the non-profit Oglebay Institute. Other OI facilities include: Stifel Fine Arts Center and School of Dance on National Road, the Mansion Museum, Glass Museum and Schrader Environmental Education Center in Oglebay.

As a nonprofit community theater, Towngate relies on the generosity of patrons, neighbors, and friends who invest in our community and the stories we tell together. Memberships to Oglebay institute also support the work of the theater and all Oglebay Institute venues. Oglebay Institute memberships include perks such as discounts, special events, priority registration, and more.