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.
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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 | ![]() |