Palace of Gold

As others have mentioned, the palace exterior has significantly deteriorated and is undergoing a long repair. Regardless, this a still a beautiful excursion and is quite surreal being off in the mountains of WV!
I detoured here on a road trip one Sunday in January, so unfortunately the gift shop was closed for the winter. I decided to check this place out, as I had recently seen it mentioned on a [Thrillist] list citing the most beautiful building in each of the 50 states.
I was intrigued to see about 20 peacocks wandering around the temple on the lower part of the grounds. Photos below.

This is truly the most beautiful place I have ever seen! I just stumbled upon it while driving through WV. So close to home too. If you go down about a half a mile the hotel is there also with beautiful grounds and peacocks grazing in the grass. This is a must see!

The palace is in major need of repair, which is stated to be underway. The tour guide was unenthusiastic and spoke in a very monotone voice, tour lasted all of 10 – 15 minutes. Sign states donation admission, which is not a donation, but a required fee to enter. The worst experience by far was the restaurant, Govinda!!! The front host was incredibly rude and confused when I asked where we should sit. She directed me to another gentlemen, where I stated the same thing, where do we sit? As in seat yourself or be seated, she seemed confused by this single request and became rude towards me. If you would like a water to drink with your meal, you need to pay for water??? What the heck? The buffet or whatever you want to call it, consisted of paper plates. Which later absorbed the meal and became flimsy and almost broke apart. There were minimal options for food, consisting of rice, naan, and 2 vegetable curries and one sweet treat. Hardly could be deemed a buffet! My boyfriend asked for one thing and was rudely told to purchase it at the food/​gift shop.
The gift shop was a prejudice experience and she acted as if my question was stupid. After my boyfriend walked in she was nothing but extremely nice and chatty with him, ignoring me again.

This place is the most beautiful place that I have ever seen in West Virginia! It’s surprising that it is in West Virginia! I have been meaning to go back. The roses are gorgeous. I didn’t get to see the whole place because it started raining but what I did see was absolutely beautiful! Totally worth the trip!

This palace was the best thing to happen to me while in West Virginia. Absolutely gorgeous… in the middle of nowhere. All of the devotees my fiancé and I saw living/​working there were Americans. It is free to walk around the palace however the tour inside the temple cost $ 8 per adult not bad for our own private tour… Just us and the guide. There wasn’t much religious information provided to us on said tour and what was said regarding religion was very watered down. Probably safer in that part of the bible belt…
Our guide was very nice, did not rush at all and explained all about the process of building the palace and its purpose as a monument. I was very impressed by the result of self taught skills.
The palace is being restored and should be completed by 2022. The restoration process did not take away at all from my enjoyment of this site. The only thing I’ve seen in WV that can compare in beauty are the Appalachian mountains themselves.

The people are very friendly and the palace and temple are beautiful though the lodge isn’t in very good condition. However, the price is very reasonable.

You’ll get a little queasy on the winding rural roads that take you there, but the trip is worth it. And you get to enjoy it all again when you show off your pictures to friends who can’t believe this place is tucked away in rural West Virginia!
Nice people, beautiful setting — give yourself some time to enjoy the peaceful atmosphere, and to take the tour.

Don’t think you’re going to hop off I-​470 and arrive at the Palace of Gold, It’s a good 20 miles of winding mountain roads outside of Wheeling or Moundsville WV. That being said, it’s definitely worth the trip, if just for the excellent vegetarian restaurant, a rarity in Appalachia. I would have to say from visiting that the Hare Krishnas are having a little trouble maintaining such an extensive property and grounds. The rose garden couldn’t be more beautiful, but some of the concrete and cement structures are getting a little bit crumbly. The majority of the visitors seemed to be Indian families from all over the US to judge from the license plates. Everyone was just enjoying themselves and having a beautiful day. My only regret is that we couldn’t have stayed longer to participate in the herb workshop they were holding. If you go, plan on spending the whole day.

Visited July 2011. Should be one of the wonders of our modern world. It’s quite a drive to get there but well worth it. The palace is beautiful! During the warmer months don’t miss the rose garden and lotus pond. The palace tour is very informative and provides an excellent opportunity to view the interior spaces. We didn’t visit the temple (I did about a dozen years ago and enjoyed it) because the place was packed during our Sunday afternoon visit.

Palace of Gold is one of the Appalachia’s secret treasures: the Taj Mahal of America.
Tucked away in the hills of West Virginia, this Hindu temple was erected in 1979. The structure was to serve as a home for Srila Prabhupada, a native of India who came to America to spread the word of Krishna in English translation.
The Palace began construction in 1972 and was built by 300 followers of Srila Prabhupada. None of the volunteers had a construction background, and learned their skills through trial and error. Seven years later, the magnificent Palace of Gold resulted from their efforts. Srila Prabhupada passed away in 1977 and never resided in his palace.
Palace of Gold still stands in immaculate condition on the commune of New Vrindaban, the remote village founded by Srila Prabhupada. The Palace is made from marble, 22 karat gold, and carved teakwood, costing $ 600,000 in materials.
Standing on the cliffside, I could see for miles over the forest of West Virginia; the surrounding silence was awe inspiring. During warmer months, the Palace boasts a gorgeous rose garden. Guided tours are available 10:00am-5:00pm and costs $ 6.00 each. Guests are also welcome to walk around on their own. Be sure to bring a camera!
After enjoying the mystique of the Palace, I followed the trail to the compound and viewed the lake with swans, a gorgeous, handmade gazebo and large fiberglass statues honoring scared people and animals of the Hindu faith.
Palace of Gold is a majestic experience for anyone interested in architecture and culture; religious background not necessary.

This was a very beautiful place. Lovely gardens. The house was never actually lived in though, so only one room has anything in it that were any «personal» items.
Something about it was a little creepy. Maybe because there is a group of people living out there and it’s literally in the middle of no where.

Wow! The grounds were immaculate. A friendly parishioner took the time to show us around. We took many many pictures. It was such a treat to find this hidden gem.