By Jack Houvouras
HQ 118 | SUMMER 2022
I first set foot on Heritage Farm in 1989; however, back then it was simply known as Mike Perry’s farm. I was there to interview the accomplished lawyer, businessman and civic leader for an article in the premier issue of this magazine. At that time, Perry owned a barn filled with a collection of 19th-century relics used by hardworking Appalachians to settle the rugged land that would ultimately become West Virginia. Just a few years later, Perry and his wife Henriella had greatly increased their collection to include more barns, an array of log cabins, a general store, a church, a schoolhouse, a sawmill, a blacksmith shop and more. What began as a single barn in a large grass field was transformed into a small town designed to pay tribute to the heritage left behind by our Appalachian ancestors.
Earlier this summer I visited Heritage Farm and stood in awe of how much it had evolved since Perry passed away in 2015. The work he began has been passed on to his son Audy and his family, who have reimagined the property into both a living museum and an outdoor recreation destination. Today, in the hills above the 800-acre farm are an array of activities drawing tourists from near and far. Visitors who want to soar above the treetops at speeds of up to 40 mph can go zip lining. Those looking for more of a challenge can tackle a ropes course that features cable bridges, teetering platforms, swinging beams, cargo nets and more. There’s a 25-foot rock wall that allows both children and adults to climb onward and upward. Most recently, the farm added the Mountain Rim Bike Park, a series of six bike trails for beginner, intermediate and advanced riders. If you’re not a hardcore biker, no problem. The staff at Heritage Farm will chauffeur you and your bike (you can bring your own or rent one at the farm) to the top of a mountain and then let you weave your way downhill at your own pace.
The new Heritage Farm Adventure Park is quickly emerging as our region’s biggest draw for tourists. Future plans are ambitious and include the addition of an animal park where visitors can experience free-range wildlife in safari vehicles, a water park and a skiing/sledding hill. Make no mistake about it, this is big news for Huntington.
The final piece of the puzzle to help make the Heritage Farm Adventure Park one of West Virginia’s next big tourist destinations is an expanded exit off of I-64 and an improved access road that will allow visitors to reach the property easily while handling a greater volume of traffic.
If you would like to help the adventure park reach its full potential, please contact your elected officials and ask them to support upgrades to the infrastructure leading to the farm. You can also contact the West Virginia Department of Transportation and the West Virginia Tourism offices. In doing so you will be helping make Huntington even more wild and wonderful.
