Meadowbrook Museum

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Shawsville, VA
Meadowbrook Museum

Please email or message to make arrangements to visit during off hours

The Meadowbrook Museum, located in Shawsville, Virginia’s Meadowbrook Center, is a collection of images, records, artifacts, first-hand accounts, and other historic memorabilia that tell the story of the Eastern Montgomery County community.

10/27/2026

👻🏚️ WHO… OR WHAT… IS HAUNTING YOUR HOUSE? 🏚️👻

Think your house is free of ghosts? Maybe it’s time to investigate! 👀💀

Join us for HAUNTED NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM at Meadowbrook Museum! Come explore the eerie side of history with a scavenger hunt for creepy artifacts, FREE candy, and maybe even a few spooky stories! 🎃🕷️

🗓️ Friday, October 30th
⏰ 5:30 PM

🍬 Bring the kids!
👻 Costumes are welcome!
🕸️ Fun for all ages!

You never know WHO—or WHAT—you might encounter when the lights go down! 😱

📍 Meadowbrook Museum
267 Alleghany Spring Road, Shawsville, VA

10/07/2026

History Comes Alive for Shawsville Students! 🛡️🏺🎒

Our museum docents recently had the wonderful privilege of visiting Mr. Holifield’s 6th-grade class for a special, hands-on history lesson! The students got an interactive presentation of real artifacts from Fort Vause, learning firsthand about the incredible 18th-century frontier history right here in their own backyard.

Originally built in 1753 by Ephraim Vause, Fort Vause was a crucial defensive outpost during the French and Indian War. It was the site of a devastating siege in 1756 and was later rebuilt under the personal inspection of George Washington himself.

We are so grateful to be able to share these treasures with the next generation. These buried pieces of our past were brought back to light thanks to the 2005–2006 professional excavations directed by Dr. Kim A. McBride and the Kentucky Archaeological Survey, in coordination with the Virginia Department of Historic Resources.

Want to see the colonial-era pottery shards, hand-wrought nails, and frontier relics that Mr. Holifield's class explored? Come visit us!

🗓️ Plan Your Visit:
We are open this Saturday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM.

09/24/2026

👻🎃 HAUNTED NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM! 🎃👻

Mark your calendars and join us at the Meadowbrook Museum for a spooky evening of fun!

🗓️ Friday, October 30
⏰ 5:30 PM

Come explore the museum after dark with an eerie artifact scavenger hunt, FREE candy, and maybe even a few spooky stories along the way! 👀🕯️

Bring the kids, bring your friends, and come see what—or who—might be lurking around the museum! 👻

We’ll be waiting for you… if you dare! 🎃

09/17/2026

Discover the hidden gems of local history right in your backyard! 🏛️✨

The Meadowbrook Museum is open Saturday from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, and we invite you to come explore the incredible stories that shaped our community.

Did you know the museum houses a vast variety of unique collections? One of our fascinating permanent displays highlights the history of local transportation—from the early paths carved through the New River Valley and Allegheny Divide to the legendary legacy of the Norfolk & Western railroad. You can get an up-close look at rare, vintage snapshots of our region's past, including historic locomotives, early local businesses like the 1937 Koretta & Dud Sisson Garage, and even Olaf's iconic 1923 Shawsville Taxi! 🚗🚂

Whether you are a lifelong resident, a train enthusiast, or just looking for a fun, meaningful way to spend your Saturday morning, there is something here for everyone to discover.

When: Every Saturday🕙 Time: 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM📍 Where: Meadowbrook Museum (Shawsville, VA)Bring a friend, bring the family, and step back in time with us.

Admission is free, but donations are always greatly appreciated to help our volunteer-run museum keep these memories alive.
We can't wait to see you this weekend! 👋

09/12/2026

Looking for old photos of flooding in Elliston or Lafayette areas.

You can message them to me privately if you wish.
Thanks!

09/10/2026

NEW BOOK RELEASE:
🚂The Ironto Train Wreck 🚂

On a warm spring day in 1966, an eastbound Norfolk & Western freight train heading toward Roanoke never made it to its destination. Instead, it met a catastrophic end in the rural community of Ironto, Virginia forever marking the history of Eastern Montgomery County.

We are incredibly proud to share that our very own museum docent, Richard Sarver, has delved deep into this dramatic incident and its aftermath in his new book The Ironto Train Wreck.📖

This fascinating piece of local history is being distributed right here at the Meadowbrook Museum in Shawsville, Virginia.
Thanks to Richard’s generosity and dedication to our community, the book is completely FREE to the public.

How to Pick Up Your Copy:
In Person: Stop by the museum on Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM to collect your copy directly from Richard or another volunteer.

Online:
Can't make it on Saturday? You can easily contact a member to coordinate a pickup through https://meadowbrookmuseum.org/contact-about. While the book is free, our museum relies entirely on community support to continue preserving and sharing stories like this one. If you pick up a copy, please consider making a donation to the museum.

See you Saturday.

09/04/2026

🎂❤️ Happy 96th Birthday, Dot King! ❤️🎂

The Meadowbrook Museum recently had the honor of celebrating a very special member of our community — Dot King, who turned 96!

Dot has been much more than a supporter of the museum. She has been one of our greatest contributors and patrons, generously sharing her time, treasures, memories, and love of our local history.

And if you’ve ever had the pleasure of sitting down with Dot, you know she is an amazing storyteller! 📖 She has a wonderful way of taking you back in time and making you feel like you were right there alongside her. Her stories are the kind of history you simply can’t find in a book — they are living memories passed down from one generation to the next.

We are incredibly thankful for Dot and for everything she has given to the Meadowbrook Museum and our community. At 96, she is a true treasure — and we hope she knows just how much she is appreciated and loved. ❤️

And a reminder that the Meadowbrook Museum will be OPEN this Saturday from 10:00 AM–1:00 PM! Come visit us, take a step back in time, and enjoy the history of our community.

We hope to see you Saturday! 🏛️❤️

08/27/2026

🚂 A Glimpse Into Elliston’s Railroad History

The railroad was once the heartbeat of communities like Elliston, Virginia. These photographs give us a wonderful look at the Elliston train station in 1943, when the Norfolk and Western Railway was an important part of everyday life in the area.

One fascinating piece of railroad history pictured at the Meadowbrook Museum is the train order hoop. Before modern communication systems, written instructions for train crews could be handed to a moving train without it having to stop. A station attendant would place the written order in a metal clip attached to the flexible wooden hoop and hold it beside the passing train. A crew member would reach out and catch the hoop as the train went by. The hoop was then tossed to the ground and retrieved by the station attendant for the next train.

The 1943 photograph shows just how busy and hands-on railroad operations could be. The station wasn’t simply a place where passengers boarded a train—it was an important part of the communication and transportation network that connected Elliston with the surrounding communities and the larger Norfolk & Western system.

At the Meadowbrook Museum, we love preserving these tangible pieces of our local railroad story. The train order hoop may look like a simple wooden object, but it represents an era when timing, skill, and teamwork kept the trains moving. 🚂

Come see this piece of Elliston’s railroad history and discover more stories from our community’s past at the Meadowbrook Museum! We are open Saturday’s 10am to 12pm.

08/21/2026

🚗 A Trip Down Route 11 Memory Lane!Longtime locals will instantly recognize this vintage postcard of Wilson’s Place, famously known as "The Home of Good Food," located just 2 miles east of Elliston, VA!Back in the golden era of highway travel—before Interstate 81 took over—this bustling roadside diner and filling station was the ultimate community hub. Travelers, truckers, and neighbors regularly packed the place out for hot coffee, hearty country cooking, and classic Southern hospitality.While the highway slowed down, this historic landmark didn’t fade away. Today, the completely renovated building is keeping the tradition of great food alive as the home of Camino Viejo Mexican Grill & Bar!
Come by on Saturday from 10am to 12pm and see more cool local history!

08/13/2026

Are you a mountain beauty? If you are, you need this t-shirt! The museum is raffling this one off and taking orders in all sizes at the Tomato Festival on Saturday. Be sure to visit the our booth and check out all the fun items we have for sale.

Address

267 Alleghany Springs Road
Shawsville, VA
24162

Opening Hours

10am - 12pm

Website

https://meadowbrookmuseum.org/

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