In 2004, The Highlands retail park opened just east of Wheeling breathing new life and a number of jobs into the region. Since that time, The Highlands is home to a number of recognizable national retail stores like Cabela’s, TJ Maxx, J.C. Penney, Kohls, Bath & Body Works, Target, Bed, Bath & Beyond, and restaurants like The Olive Garden, Applebees, Panera Bread, and Five Guys.

Along with those highly recognizable brands, you’ll also find that The Highlands is also home to a number of small local restaurants, offices, and shops. These include, Primanti Brothers Restaurant, Nini’s Treasures, El Paso, and Howard’s Diamond Center.  In 2018 the building of a large indoor sports complex was announced and will be a welcome addition to The Highlands as well as the whole region when construction is complete in a few years.

In 2009 West Liberty University was given the opportunity to expand off of the Hilltop and open a campus at The Highlands. Since that time, the WLU Highlands Center has been a convenient home to both undergraduate and graduate students as they proceed toward their degrees.

Below is a solid list with links to activities and noteworthy sites that can be found in the area known as The Highlands. This list by no means includes all your options, just some our staff and students think are pretty special!

Place/Link	Type	Minutes to Campus	Phone	Map It!
WLU Highlands Center	WLU Campus	26	(304) 217-2800
Target	Shopping	26	(304) 547-2980
Marquee Cinemas	Entertainment	26	(304) 547-0290
El Paso Mexican Restaurant	Local Eats	23	(304) 547-0078
Books-A-Million	Shopping	26	(304) 547-0216
Wal-Mart Supercenter – Highlands	Shopping	23	(304) 547-1726
Fusion Japanese Steakhouse	Fine Dining	23	(304) 547-1408
TJ Maxx	Shopping	26	(304) 547-9170
Panera Bread	Local Eats	26	(304) 547-0315
Five Guys Burgers and Fries	Local Eats	24	(304) 909-0221