How West Virginia Living Co. at Pittsburgh International Airport is introducing travelers to the Mountain State through unforgettable products and stories.
FOR NEARLY 20 YEARS, WV Living magazine has been reshaping the narrative of West Virginia—telling the stories too often overlooked, underestimated, or never told at all. But storytelling was never meant to stay confined to the page. It belongs in the places people pass through, the products they carry home, and the moments that make them feel something real.
That belief sparked something bold. In March, we opened a first-of-its-kind popup shop, West Virginia Living Co., inside Pittsburgh International Airport.
And the response has been extraordinary.
But make no mistake—this was no overnight success story. It was the result of more than three years of conversations, strategy, persistence, and a willingness to think bigger about what storytelling could become. At the same time, the airport was undergoing its own transformation, building a new terminal and redefining its role as a regional economic engine that reaches well into West Virginia.
The seed for this idea was planted when Jen Giovannitti, president of the Claude Worthington Benedum Foundation, brought Allegheny County Airport Authority CEO Christina Cassotis to Morgantown for a brainstorming session with our editor-inchief and New South Media President Nikki Bowman Mills. What emerged was a visionary concept: an elevated retail experience in the new landside terminal devoted entirely to West Virginia–made goods that would help tell the state’s story to a global audience.
Today, West Virginia Living Co. brings together dozens of artisans, makers, and small businesses from every corner of the Mountain State. Every item was intentionally curated—handcrafted home goods, books, specialty foods, art, apparel, collectibles, and body care products that reflect the grit, beauty, and creativity of West Virginia.
Each product—available in-store and from our online shop, westvirginialiving.co—tells a story, and together, they tell ours. That has always been the mission of WV Living—to challenge outdated perceptions and offer a fuller, truer, more compelling portrait of this state we love. This store carries that mission forward in a way visitors can see, touch, taste, and take with them. It invites travelers to pause, look closer, and discover something deeper than a purchase.
The kiosk itself, designed and built by Mills Group, was created to stop people in their tracks. A dramatic 3D mountain range emblazoned with the words “Country Roads, Take Me Home” greets travelers as they exit the airside terminal and draws them into the experience. Exterior video screens showcase inspiring destinations across West Virginia, and travel guides and magazines turn curiosity into exploration.
This is more than retail. Each week, 140,000 people move through Pittsburgh International Airport. And with every traveler who stops, browses, purchases, or asks a question, West Virginia’s story travels with them—one connection at a time.
READ MORE ARTICLES FROM WV LIVING’S SUMMER 2026 ISSUE
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