Museum of the Shenandoah Valley

10/15/2026

¡Diversión GRATIS para toda la familia este sábado en el MSV! Este 17 de octubre, de 4 a 8 p. m., celebra el Mes de la Herencia Hispana con entrada GRATIS a las galerías y los jardines, además de pintacaritas, manualidades, juegos al aire libre, música y baile.

Explora los jardines con un juego de búsqueda para niños, crea títeres de animales con bolsas de papel, pasa por la cabina de fotos, juega con aros de hula-hula y mucho más.

Disfruta de las presentaciones del grupo de danza tradicional mexicana Alma Y Folklore y de la cantante Yasmin Santamaría, además de música de un DJ y comida a la venta en el camión de comida Mimi’s.

Las galerías permanecerán abiertas durante todo el evento; los jardines y la casa Glen Burnie estarán abiertos hasta el anochecer. La entrada y todas las actividades son GRATIS.

Consulta el programa completo aquí: https://www.facebook.com/events/1080877268053440

📍Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, 901 Amherst St., Wi******er

10/15/2026

FREE family fun this Saturday at the MSV! October 17 from 4–8 p.m., celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month with FREE admission to the galleries and gardens, plus face painting, crafts, lawn games, music, and dance.

Explore the gardens with a seek-and-find game for kids, make paper bag animal puppets, stop by the photo booth, play with hula hoops and more.

Enjoy performances from traditional Mexican dance group Alma Y Folklore and singer Yasmin Santamaría, music from a DJ, and food available for purchase from Mimi’s food truck.

The galleries will be open throughout the evening; the gardens and Glen Burnie House will be open until dusk. Admission and all activities are FREE.

See the detailed schedule here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1080877268053440

📍 Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, 901 Amherst St., Wi******er

10/14/2026

Do Wi******er’s deer read Facebook? After this summer’s sunflower crop disappeared, it seems possible.

Last year’s sunflower meadow along The Trails was such a community favorite that the MSV expanded it this spring. We planted 75,000 seeds (!) and shared the excitement on Facebook. Apparently, word spread to the deer. Just as the sunflowers began to sprout, they ate the entire crop—in two days.

So, when life gives you lemons…plant mustard?

The MSV horticultural team came up with a Plan B: mustard plants! Their bright yellow flowers promised another way to bring a field of gold to The Trails, and their peppery, bitter taste makes deer think twice about a second bite. The crop will also help improve the soil when it’s eventually tilled into the ground.

With the mustard flowers expected to reach peak bloom sometime in the next week, it’s finally time to share the news. (Deer, please scroll past.)

Stop by in the days ahead to enjoy this splash of fall color! The Trails at the MSV park is open daily, 7 a.m. to dusk. Admission is free.

10/07/2026

Spend Sunday afternoon with art—and the artists who created it!

Meet Tiffany Budzisz and Robert Ballard at the MSV this Sunday, October 11, from 3–5 p.m., for a free “Art in the Halls” Closing Reception. Chat with the artists, enjoy refreshments, and browse their works—many available for purchase and ready to take home that afternoon.

On view on the first floor of the galleries building, the “Art in the Halls” exhibitions feature Budzisz’s intricate hand-cut paper works in “Skillfully Curled” and Ballard’s vibrant paintings inspired by the Valley’s ridges and skies in “Love is a Place.” Sunday is the final day to see both exhibitions!

Explore more of Tiffany Budzisz’s work on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tiffanybudzisz/

The reception is FREE. Advance registration also includes complimentary admission to the MSV galleries and gardens during the event. Registration by October 10 is appreciated to help plan for refreshments. Register here: https://www.themsv.org/AIH101126

📍 Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, 901 Amherst St., Wi******er

10/06/2026

Banana trees in Wi******er? Yes, those are banana trees in the MSV’s Vegetable Garden!

Their story began decades ago when Lee Taylor (1924–2000), the Museum’s first curator of gardens and partner of MSV benefactor Julian Wood Glass Jr., rescued a banana tree from a local nursery’s discard pile. That tree has been tended in the MSV greenhouse for years.

Last summer, MSV horticulturist Chantal Ludder tried an experiment: she took side cuttings from the tree, rooted them, and planted them in the garden. They were a hit, so this year she planted more—a dozen in all! About two feet tall when planted in May, they are now over 10 feet tall.

While banana trees might not make the typical fall foliage bucket list, these leafy surprises will be around until the first frost.

Chantal plans to root cuttings for next year’s garden, and if all goes well, a few banana trees may be available for purchase at next spring's MSV Plant Sale (May 22 & 23, 2027).

Stop by for a little tropical flair this fall! The MSV gardens are open Tuesday–Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

10/02/2026

LOVE has arrived at the MSV!

Virginia Tourism Corporation’s Pride-themed LOVEwork was installed today in preparation for Pride at the MSV this Saturday, October 3! The traveling letters put a colorful spin on the state’s iconic slogan: “Virginia is for Lovers.”

October is LGBTQ+ History Month, and Wi******er is celebrating Pride throughout the weekend. Part of the weekend lineup, Saturday's Pride at the MSV features FREE admission to the gardens and galleries, plus activities from 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Browse nearly 50 vendors and information booths, enjoy a curator’s talk about the region’s LGBTQ+ history, and make a “grow your pride” seed bomb for colorful blooms next spring. Watch a live makeup transformation as part of a panel discussion, enjoy drag performances (2:30–4 p.m.), see a balloon artist in action, go on a rainbow gnome hunt in the gardens, and more. Food and drink will be available for purchase. Admission and activities are free thanks to sponsor Procter & Gamble.

Get the Pride at the MSV details and a listing of all weekend activities here: https://www.themsv.org/PRIDE26

The LOVEwork will be at the MSV through Monday, October 5. Stop by and snap a photo with these 7-foot-tall letters!

📍Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, 901 Amherst St., Wi******er, VA

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09/28/2026

FREE ADMISSION to the MSV’s gardens & galleries this Saturday, October 3!

Celebrate LGBTQ+ History Month with Pride at the MSV, a day of free activities and community celebration from 10 a.m.–5 p.m.

Nearly 50 vendors and information booths will bring together artists, small businesses, nonprofit and faith-based organizations, and advocacy groups. Shop for candles, jewelry, crafts, and more, connect with community resources, and stop by for “Mom Hugs.” Wi******er’s AIDS Response Effort (ARE) will also offer free, private, and confidential STI/HIV testing throughout the day.

Enjoy music, storytime, balloon art from Lady Bladie, and a rainbow-themed gnome hunt in the gardens. Make a “Grow Your Pride” seed bomb to plant for spring blooms and take photos with the Virginia is for Lovers Pride LOVEwork. At noon, “From Face to Stage: A Live Makeup Transformation” offers a behind-the-scenes look at drag through a panel discussion and live makeup demonstration. Drag performances take place from 2:30–4 p.m.; bring a chair or blanket for the show. Food and drinks will be available for purchase.

With roots in q***r history, the MSV will also unveil "One Valley, Many Voices," a new traveling banner exhibition exploring the Shenandoah Valley’s LGBTQ+ history, with a curator’s talk at 10:30 a.m.

Admission and activities are free to all thanks to sponsor Procter & Gamble.

Pride at the MSV is part of a weekend of Wi******er Pride events throughout the community, including a Pride Stride at The Hideaway Cafe and Open Mic Pride Kickoff at ARE's RISE Center on Friday evening, a Pride Afterparty at 5050Taphouse on Saturday night, and a Pride Multi-Faith Worship Gathering at Wi******er Brew Works on Sunday.

See the full schedule and all the weekend activities: https://www.themsv.org/PRIDE26

📍Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, 901 Amherst St., Wi******er, VA

09/20/2026

Pokémon is celebrating 30 years—and the search for Pokémon can lead to the MSV!

Download the Pokémon GO app to find and catch virtual Pokémon on the MSV campus while exploring art, nature, and history. It’s another reason to head outside and see what’s waiting to be discovered.

For more Pokémon fun, stop in the Garden Shop to browse a selection of Pokémon Croc charms and Poké Card lenticular pins.

What Pokémon have you spotted at the MSV? Share recent catches in the comments!

09/17/2026

The MSV’s first-ever Plant Clearance Sale takes place this Saturday, September 19, from 9 a.m.–noon! Discover hidden garden gems starting at just $4.

We're making room in our greenhouse, offering discounted perennials and a small selection of shrubs and small trees—all selected by MSV garden staff as suitable for planting this time of year. Highlights include native roses grown from seed collected in Virginia and dawn redwoods grown from seeds produced by trees in the Glen Burnie Gardens.

These fall finds may look a little less than perfect now, but they have plenty to offer next year’s garden. Quantities are limited—shop early for the best selection!

Plants range from $4–$30, and MSV members save an additional 10%. Free to attend. The sale takes place on the patio beside the galleries building. Sale proceeds support maintenance of the MSV gardens.

📍Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, 901 Amherst St., Wi******er, VA

Save on garden perennials as the MSV clears out its greenhouse for the season.

09/15/2026

A broken piece of pottery connects generations in September’s “Shenandoah Collection Spotlight.” MSV Curator of Collections Nick Powers highlights two objects linking contemporary artist Scott Suter with his ancestor, Rockingham County potter and farmer Emanuel Suter (1833–1902).

On view are a two-gallon jar made between 1866 and 1902 and attributed to Emanuel, and “Unearthed,” a contemporary sculpture by Scott Suter that combines a stoneware fragment from Emanuel’s former pottery site with an abstract form made of found and soldered iron.

How did a childhood discovery become a work of art—and a “collaboration” with an ancestor? Watch the video to find out.

“Shenandoah Collection Spotlight” features a different object—or group of objects—from the Shenandoah Valley Collection each month. It might be a recent acquisition or something rarely on view, but it will always tell a fascinating story.

Objects in this month’s spotlight will be on view through September. The MSV is open Tuesday–Sunday from 10–5.