Roanoke History Museum Education

08/27/2026

Come out this Saturday for Free Local Summer Saturdays. Check our new exhibits and make a cyanotype!

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.

08/26/2026

One week until Fall 2026 Homeschool Days kicks off—and this is going to be a good one! 🏘️

We’re digging into the story of how Appalachian towns grow: Why here? Why a town? What makes a little settlement BOOM?

But we aren’t just going to talk about it. We’re going to build our own.

What does your town make? Candy? Great.
Is your town plagued by a dragon? Perfect.
Maybe your town sits beside a volcano and is run by kittens.

Your town can be anything you imagine.

But there’s one thing every town—real or imaginary—has in common: challenges to overcome.

As we explore how real Appalachian communities developed, students will use what they learn to make decisions, solve problems, and watch their towns grow from week to week.

History + imagination + problem-solving + a little bit of chaos. What could be better?

📅 Wednesdays | Fall 2026 Homeschool Days
🔗 Register at the link below!

Building a Boomtown is a hands-on simulation series where students use real Appalachian towns as case studies to build a town of their own. Each week, we’ll explore a piece of the story—then use what we discover to make decisions about our growing boomtown. Each session offers a new challenge, with the opportunity to keep building your town throughout the series!

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

08/19/2026

🚨Tomorrow’s Kids on the Caboose is one you won’t want to miss!🚨

We’re welcoming the Roanoke City Police Department for a special story time and a chance for kids to explore their police cars! 🚓📚

Then comes the really special part: kids will get to step inside our N&W caboose—a space that is typically closed to the public. 👀🚂

Storytime. Police cars. A caboose adventure. And it’s all happening tomorrow!

Bring the kids and come climb aboard! Registration information below.

Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 20th when we welcome the Roanoke City Police Department for a morning of exploration and fun!

Register at https://square.link/u/f012JEih

08/16/2026

What if a photograph, painting, or object in our museum could become the beginning of a story?

In Stories in the Collection: An Ekphrastic Writing Workshop, students will explore the museum’s collections and use what they see to inspire poems, stories, and other creative writing. Led by a licensed English teacher, the workshop provides guidance and scaffolding as students develop their own creative work.

October 6–November 10 | Tuesdays, 10 AM–12 PM
$85/student | 6-week workshop | Each student receives a printed anthology of final student work.

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

Note: This workshop is intentionally not limited to a specific grade rage. The workshop is best suited for students who are eager to work independently, write creatively, and engage thoughtfully.

08/14/2026

Building a Boomtown is a hands-on simulation series where students use real Appalachian towns as case studies to build a town of their own. Each week, we’ll explore a piece of the story—then use what we discover to make decisions about our growing boomtown. Each session offers a new challenge, with the opportunity to keep building your town throughout the series!

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

08/12/2026

Mark your calendars for Thursday, August 20th when we welcome the Roanoke City Police Department for a morning of exploration and fun!

Register at https://square.link/u/f012JEih

08/07/2026

Every photograph has a story. Every artifact holds a clue. What happens when young writers use the museum's collections as the starting point for their own stories?

Stories in the Collection: An Ekphrastic Writing Workshop invites students in grades 6–12 to explore the museum through writing. Students will use photographs, artifacts, and other objects as inspiration for poetry, short stories, and more.

Guided by a licensed English educator and museum educator, students will be supported in developing their ideas from first observation to finished piece. Finished pieces will be compiled and published into a keepsake student anthology.

Look closely. Imagine boldly. Write your own story.

📖 Tuesdays, October 6–November 10
⏰ 10 AM–12 PM
💰 $85/student
🎓 Grades 6–12
Registration Required. Space is limited.
Register: https://square.link/u/djuVkKph

08/04/2026

Homeschool Days are back!!!!

Building a Boomtown invites students to become historians, city planners, and community leaders as they explore how real Appalachian towns grew, changed, and survived. Using history as their guide, students will build their own communities, solve real-world challenges, and discover how the choices people make shape the places we call home.

Each week brings a new build, a new challenge, and a new chapter of Appalachian history to explore. Join us on the first three Wednesdays of each month. While each session builds on the story of the semester, every program offers a complete, hands-on experience—so whether you join us once or all fall long, there's always something new to discover.

Registration is required:

September- Why here?
2- https://square.link/u/VzipVmHo
9- https://square.link/u/HGFsOykT
16- https://square.link/u/S1PBFE7M

October- How do we grow?
7- https://square.link/u/Xys2knnj
14- https://square.link/u/vwzFlEDX
21- https://square.link/u/xdowaWle

November- What happens when everything changes?
4- https://square.link/u/iE9n0eeG
11- https://square.link/u/fsKeJiCQ
18- https://square.link/u/oy8byhv6

December-What comes next?
2- https://square.link/u/cXcASqXl
9- https://square.link/u/HjYGLKKg
16- https://square.link/u/wuxjlBLN

07/09/2026

🚒 The countdown is on! Just ONE week until Kids on the Caboose! 🚂

Join us Thursday, July 16 at 10 AM for a special morning of community, curiosity, and hands-on discovery at the museum!

We’re welcoming the Roanoke FireEMS Department for a fun-filled visit where kids can:

🚑 Climb aboard and explore a real ambulance
👩‍🚒 Meet the community heroes who help keep Roanoke safe
📚 Enjoy a special story time with our guests

🚨 BONUS ADVENTURE: After meeting Fire/EMS, young explorers will get a special chance to step inside our historic red caboose — a space that is usually closed to the public!

Bring your curiosity, your questions, and your little adventurers. We can’t wait to see you!

📅 Thursday, July 16
⏰ 10 AM
📍 Roanoke History Museum, 101 Shenandoah Ave, NE
🎟️ $5 per child | Adults free | Includes Museum Admission

Register @ https://square.link/u/PrOsweQH

06/23/2026

Due to low enrollment, we will be canceling our upcoming Summer STEAM at the Station.

Thank you to everyone who showed interest and shared the program with others. We hope to see you at Kids on the Caboose (7/16 and 8/20) or in the museum soon!

If your family was looking forward to learning about the 1905 Snow Steam Pumps, the Crystal Spring Pump Station is open all summer with free admission. Come see the pump in action on Saturdays (12–4 PM) and Sundays (1–4 PM).

Thank you for your understanding, and we hope to see you soon!