Historical Society of Western Virginia

Historical Society of Western Virginia Museums with a past and a future

Only 1 day left to register for Preserving Your Past: Family Photographs.Join the Museum’s Curator for a hands-on worksh...
06/03/2026

Only 1 day left to register for Preserving Your Past: Family Photographs.

Join the Museum’s Curator for a hands-on workshop focused on safely preserving your family photographs using professional archival techniques. Participants will receive archival-quality supplies to use during the session and take home afterward.

Registration closes tomorrow so there is enough time to order and prepare the specialty preservation materials included with the workshop.

Space is limited. Register now: https://square.link/u/7fUV3Ooz

June’s programs offer three very different ways to engage with history, creativity, and the museum’s mission.Looking for...
06/01/2026

June’s programs offer three very different ways to engage with history, creativity, and the museum’s mission.

Looking for a creative night out? After Hours Makers Series: Embroidered Memories on June 12 invites participants to transform vintage and found photographs into embroidered works of art in a relaxed, beginner-friendly workshop. Registration required: https://square.link/u/JRvpGhSM $20 for HSWV members / $25 for non-members.

Want to support local history while enjoying live performance? Music for the Museum: A Concert for Collections on June 14 combines music by Schubert, Bernstein, Rodgers & Hammerstein, and more with stories from Roanoke’s cultural past. All proceeds benefit the Historical Society of Western Virginia’s collections endowment. Tickets are $10 at the door.

Interested in learning professional preservation techniques for your own family photographs? Preserving Your Past: Photographs on June 27 is a hands-on workshop where participants will learn archival handling and storage methods while working with museum-quality preservation supplies they can take home afterward. Registration required: https://square.link/u/7fUV3Ooz $125 for members / $150 for non-members. Please note that registration closes June 4 so specialty materials can be ordered in time for the workshop.

Image of the WeekChildren in 1955 are seen interacting with the bear enclosure at Mill Mountain Zoo.See this photograph ...
06/01/2026

Image of the Week
Children in 1955 are seen interacting with the bear enclosure at Mill Mountain Zoo.

See this photograph and more in our digital collections – http://hswv.pastperfectonline.com/

Just 2 weeks until Music for the Museum: A Concert for Collections.Join us for an afternoon of live music featuring Adel...
05/31/2026

Just 2 weeks until Music for the Museum: A Concert for Collections.

Join us for an afternoon of live music featuring Adelaide Trombetta, Kevin Matheson, and Melia Garber performing works by Franz Schubert, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Leonard Bernstein, and Rodgers & Hammerstein. Historian Nelson Harris will also share stories from Roanoke’s cultural history throughout the program.

All proceeds benefit the Historical Society of Western Virginia’s Sara Airheart Endowment for Collections, helping support the care and preservation of the region’s history.

Sunday, June 14 at 3pm
Heights Community Church
$10 tickets available at the door

Opening weekend is here at the Crystal Spring Pump Station.Step inside one of Roanoke’s most remarkable industrial landm...
05/30/2026

Opening weekend is here at the Crystal Spring Pump Station.

Step inside one of Roanoke’s most remarkable industrial landmarks and experience the historic Snow Steam Pump, which supplied water to downtown Roanoke from 1905 to 1959. Built around the massive machine itself, the station tells the story of how Crystal Spring helped shape the city’s growth and development.

Visitors can see the pump in motion, explore exhibits on Roanoke’s early water system, view historic maps and photographs, and learn how this site continues to connect the city to its oldest source of drinking water.

Free tours are offered Saturdays from 12pm–4pm and Sundays from 1pm–4pm throughout the summer. The building is ADA accessible and air conditioned.

Join us this weekend for the first tours of the season.

Just 2 weeks until After Hours Makers Series: Embroidered Memories.Join us for a creative evening of stitching, storytel...
05/29/2026

Just 2 weeks until After Hours Makers Series: Embroidered Memories.

Join us for a creative evening of stitching, storytelling, and artistic experimentation as we transform vintage and found photographs into one-of-a-kind embroidered artworks.

Whether you are experienced with embroidery or trying it for the first time, this relaxed after-hours workshop is a chance to unwind, get creative, and make something uniquely your own.

Friday, June 12 | 5:30–7:30 pm
Registration required. Space is limited. Register at https://square.link/u/JRvpGhSM

Looking for summer activities for children? Registration is now open for two museum programs that combine hands-on learn...
05/27/2026

Looking for summer activities for children? Registration is now open for two museum programs that combine hands-on learning with exploration and fun.

STEM at the Station takes place Wednesdays at the Crystal Spring Pump Station and features a different activity each week. Participants will tackle STEM challenges, build, experiment, and discover how innovation and engineering helped shape Roanoke's growth. $5 per student, per session. Advanced registration is encouraged and cash will not be accepted on site.

Kids on the Caboose gives children the chance to get an up-close look at vehicles used by firefighters, EMS, and police before hearing a story and climbing aboard the museum's historic caboose for a special tour. $5 per child.

Registration links are included below. We hope to see you this summer.

STEM at the Station:
June 10- https://square.link/u/WEmWYyri
June 17- https://square.link/u/zmVTEnXM
June 24- https://square.link/u/VMKCa9gZ
July 1- https://square.link/u/sBVIHSLa
July 8- https://square.link/u/6QjnmdvE
July 15- https://square.link/u/4vAWiVyV

Kids on the Caboose:
June 18 (Fire Department): https://square.link/u/2LzFDhVg
July 16 (EMS/Ambulance): https://square.link/u/PrOsweQH
Aug 20 (Police Department) : https://square.link/u/f012JEih

One day left.Submissions for On the Rails close tomorrow for the second iteration of the photography exhibition at the O...
05/26/2026

One day left.

Submissions for On the Rails close tomorrow for the second iteration of the photography exhibition at the O. Winston Link Museum.

The Roanoke History & O. Winston Link Museums is accepting final entries featuring trains and railroad subjects for this exhibition, on view June 25 through November 8, 2026.

Photographers of all levels may submit up to two images inspired by railroading, whether contemporary, historic, or influenced by O. Winston Link. Youth photographers under 17 are encouraged to apply.

If selected, works must be exhibition-ready at the time of drop-off.

Final deadline: May 27, 2026

Submit now: [email protected]

Questions: 540.982.5465

Don’t miss your chance to be part of this exhibition.

Image of the WeekMemorial Bridge replaced the Woodrum Bridge, which was constructed in the early 1890s. The Roanoke City...
05/25/2026

Image of the Week

Memorial Bridge replaced the Woodrum Bridge, which was constructed in the early 1890s. The Roanoke City Council named the new bridge the "Memorial Bridge" in honor of the Roanoke service men who died in World War I. The bridge opened in May 1926 and a dedication of Memorial Bridge, seen in this photograph, was held in August 1926. The bridge features five plaques - four placed on the ornamental pylons at each end of the bridge, and a smaller one containing the names of city officials and the contractor. The four larger plaques feature quotations selected by
the city council from notable historic figures -- Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Robert E. Lee, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson. One of the plaques has the inscription "They have crossed the river, now they rest in the shade of the trees" with the names of fifty-two soldiers from Roanoke who died in World War I.

See this photograph and more in our digital collections – http://hswv.pastperfectonline.com/

The Crystal Spring Pump Station reopens for the season next week.Step inside one of Roanoke’s most remarkable pieces of ...
05/23/2026

The Crystal Spring Pump Station reopens for the season next week.

Step inside one of Roanoke’s most remarkable pieces of industrial history and experience the massive Snow Steam Pump that supplied water to downtown Roanoke from 1905 to 1959. Purchased from Buffalo, New York and brought to Roanoke by train, the pump was so large that the building itself was constructed around it.

The steam-powered Snow Pump is recognized by the Smithsonian as one of the last known examples of its kind and the Crystal Spring Pump Station is listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and the Virginia Landmarks Register.

Pump Station visitors can see the historic pump in motion, explore exhibits on Roanoke’s early water system and development, view historic maps and photographs, and learn how Crystal Spring continues to play a role in the region’s water supply.

Free tours begin next weekend and are offered Saturdays from 12pm–4pm and Sundays from 1pm–4pm throughout the summer. The building is ADA accessible and air conditioned.

Address

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

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