What are the opening hours?

Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm Thursday 10am - 4:30pm Friday 10am - 4:30pm Saturday 10am - 4:30pm

Roanoke History Museum

Name: Roanoke History Museum
Address: 101 Shenandoah Avenue NE, Roanoke, VA, 24016, US
Telephone: (540) 982-5465
Price range: $

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Roanoke History Museum

History Museum shares quarters with O. Winston Link Museum on Shenandoah Avenue NE, Roanoke, VA

The mission of the History Museum of Western Virginia is to serve as a repository of western Virginia's history by collecting, preserving, and exhibiting materials related to that history; to educate, entertain, and enlighten individuals, families and institutions about the western Virginia.

09/01/2026

September is shaping up to be a busy month at the museum! 🍂📚

Here’s what’s coming up:

🏘️ Homeschool Days: Building a Boomtown
September 2, 9, & 16 | 10am
Wednesdays in September, students will explore how Appalachian communities developed while building and growing a town of their own through a hands-on historical simulation.

📷 Exhibition Reception & Kindly Mirrors Gallery Talk
September 19 | Gallery Talk at 4pm | Reception 6-8pm
Celebrate Kindly Mirrors, On the Rails, and Rooted in Roanoke. Meet the artists, photographers, and curators and explore all three exhibitions.

📖 Kegley Lecture: A Dutch Agriculturalist, a Virginia Patriot, and the Value of Biography
September 29 | 7pm
Author Wyatt Golden explores the life of Revolutionary Virginia patriot Colonel Charles Lynch and the power of biography to bring overlooked stories of the past to life.

There’s plenty to discover this September. We hope you’ll join us!

08/31/2026

Image of the Week
A photo of what is likely a 15 man track maintenance gang (known as gandy dancers) for the Norfolk & Western Railroad. The location and exact date of the photo is unknown.

See this photograph and more in our digital collections - https://hswv.pastperfectonline.com/

08/30/2026

Visit the Roanoke History Museum to discover additional interesting moments from Roanoke's past - or explore our digital collections at https://hswv.pastperfectonline.com/

08/29/2026

Three weeks from today! 🎉

Join us Saturday, September 19 for an afternoon and evening celebrating our three current exhibitions: Kindly Mirrors, On the Rails, and Rooted in Roanoke.

Come early at 4pm for a special Kindly Mirrors gallery talk, then stay for the 6-8pm reception. Meet photographers, artists, and exhibition curators, explore all three exhibitions, and enjoy light refreshments and beverages.

Gallery Talk: 4pm | Reception: 6-8pm
$5 for non-members | Free for HSWV members
RSVP requested: https://forms.gle/EUerPBpL1NfropGG6

08/27/2026

☀️ This Saturday is our final Local Saturday!

On August 29, residents of Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Salem, Botetourt, Bedford, Craig, Franklin, Floyd, and Montgomery counties can enjoy FREE ADMISSION to the Roanoke History and O. Winston Link Museums with proof of residency.

Come explore the galleries, see Artist-in-Residence Bryce Cobbs at work, and create your own cyanotype with Museum Educator Jennifer Daniel from 1-3pm for $3.

Don't miss the last Local Saturday of the season!

08/26/2026

📚 Homeschool learning at the museum is back this fall!

This fall, we’re offering two very different ways for homeschool students to explore history, creativity, and problem-solving through hands-on experiences at the museum.

✍️ Stories in the Collection: A Homeschool Ekphrastic Writing Workshop
Tuesdays, October 6-November 10 | 10am-12pm
$85/student | 6-week workshop

What if a photograph, painting, or artifact could become the beginning of a story? Students will explore objects in the museum's collections and use what they see as inspiration for poems, stories, and other creative writing. Led by a licensed English teacher, the workshop provides guidance and scaffolding while students develop their own creative work. Each student will receive a printed anthology featuring the final student work.

This workshop is not limited to a specific grade range. It is best suited for students who enjoy writing, can work independently, and are ready to engage thoughtfully with creative projects.

🔗 Register: https://square.link/u/djuVkKph

🏘️ Homeschool Days: Building a Boomtown
Wednesdays | 10am
$5/student | Fall 2026

How does a small settlement become a thriving town? In this hands-on simulation series, students will explore real Appalachian communities and then use what they learn to build a town of their own. Each week brings new challenges and decisions that will shape their growing boomtown, combining history, imagination, problem-solving, and plenty of creativity.

Students can register for individual sessions and continue developing their town from week to week.

September 2: https://square.link/u/VzipVmHo
September 9: https://square.link/u/HGFsOykT
September 16: https://square.link/u/S1PBFE7M

Whether your student loves creative writing or building imaginary towns, there's something new to discover at the museum this fall!

08/25/2026

Don't miss this one!

Ken Miller with NWHS will talk about the N&W photographers that shot the railroad long before O. Winston Link arrived in Roanoke.

Join us TONIGHT at 7pm! Admission is just $5 at the door. HSWV members get in free.

08/24/2026

Image of the Week
In this circa 1914 photograph, workers of Clover Creamery (likely the location at 1st St. SE) are seen at their stations.

See this photograph and more in our digital collections - https://hswv.pastperfectonline.com/

08/22/2026

One more Local Saturday! ☀️

Join us next Saturday, August 29, for the final Local Saturday of the season. Residents of Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Salem, Botetourt, Bedford, Craig, Franklin, Floyd, and Montgomery counties can enjoy FREE admission to the Roanoke History Museum and O. Winston Link Museum with proof of residency.

Explore the galleries, see Artist-in-Residence Bryce Cobbs creating in the Trackside Gallery, and from 1-3pm, join Museum Educator Jennifer Daniel to learn about cyanotypes and create your own for $3.

Don't miss our final Local Saturday of the summer!

Sponsored by Spectrum Design.

08/18/2026

O. Winston Link might be the most famous, but he wasn't the first photographer to capture the Norfolk & Western Railway.

Long before Link became aware of the Norfolk & Western Railway, a small group of talented photographers were documenting the railroad, its employees, and the communities along its lines. Their work includes several remarkable night photographs taken nearly two decades before Link shot his first N&W Project image in 1955.

Join Norfolk & Western Historical Society archivist Ken Miller for a fascinating look at these often-overlooked photographers and a deeper dive into Roanoke's rich railroad history.

Tuesday, August 25 | 7pm
Roanoke History and O. Winston Link Museum
$5 at the door

Address

101 Shenandoah Avenue NE
Roanoke, VA
24016

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	10am - 4:30pm
Thursday	10am - 4:30pm
Friday	10am - 4:30pm
Saturday	10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

(540) 982-5465

Website

http://roanokehistory.org/

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