Roanoke History Museum Education

05/28/2026

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

05/28/2026

Forgotten photographs. Unknown faces. Lost stories.

Join us for the next After Hours Makers Series: Embroidered Memories at the Roanoke History Museum. **Registration Link: https://square.link/u/JRvpGhSM

This month, we’ll explore the strange beauty of found photography — abandoned portraits, anonymous snapshots, and discarded family images untethered from their original stories. Removed from context, these photographs become mysterious artifacts: fragments of lives once lived, waiting to be reimagined.

Participants will stitch directly onto vintage photographs, using embroidery to add texture, symbolism, and new meaning to forgotten images — flowers blooming from faded portraits, constellations stitched across worn skies, threads connecting strangers across time.

No embroidery experience needed — just curiosity and creativity. All materials provided. Come give a discarded photograph a second life.

05/26/2026

Join us Wednesday mornings at 10:00 am for six weeks of hands-on STEAM fun as we explore the science, engineering, and history of water through experiments, challenges, and creative activities.

Programs will meet Wednesdays from June 10–July 15. Cost is $5 per student and includes all supplies for learning fun, plus a chance to tour the working 1909 Snow Steam Pump!

Perfect for curious kids who love to build, discover, experiment, and explore.
Pre-registration preferred. Day of registration will need to be completed online as cash payment on-sight is not available.

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

*The Crystal Spring Pump Station is located at 2012 S Jefferson St, Roanoke, VA 24014 on the same property as the Western Virginia Water Authority.

05/20/2026

For the kid who’s always taking pictures . . .

The On the Rails exhibition at the O. Winston Link Museum includes a Junior Division for photographers under 17. Snap a photo featuring trains or railroad life, and your child’s work could be displayed in the museum this summer. See details below.

All aboard for On the Rails, returning this summer to the O. Winston Link Museum.

Submissions are now being accepted by the Roanoke History & O. Winston Link Museums for the second iteration of the On the Rails photography exhibition, on view June 25 through November 8, 2026.

Photographers of all experience levels are invited to submit up to two photographs featuring trains or railroad subjects for consideration. Your work might draw inspiration from O. Winston Link, reflect contemporary trainspotting, or highlight historic railroad imagery. Youth photographers under 17 are encouraged to apply.

There is no submission fee. Selected works must be ready to display, either framed or printed on a suitable medium.

Submission deadline: May 27, 2026
Artist drop-off (if accepted): June 10 and 11

To participate, email your images to [email protected]. For questions, contact Ashley Webb at 540.982.5465.

Help bring the story of the rails to life through your lens.

05/15/2026

Big trucks, flashing lights, and caboose adventures are rolling in this summer at the Roanoke History Museum!

Join us every third Thursday in June, July, and August at 10:00 am as kids meet the community helpers who keep Roanoke safe. Students will explore real fire trucks, ambulances, and police vehicles, enjoy a special story time with local first responders, and climb aboard the Museum’s historic caboose for a hands-on tour.

Admission is $5 per student, and adults are free! Registration includes all crafts and take-home activities, an exclusive caboose tour, and admission to the museum. Perfect for curious kids who love big vehicles, exciting stories, and hands-on exploration!

Registration required:
June 18th (Fire Department): https://square.link/u/2LzFDhVg
July 16th (EMS/Ambulance): https://square.link/u/PrOsweQH
Aug 20th (Police Department) : https://square.link/u/f012JEih

05/13/2026

As summer activity calendars begin to fill up, save the dates for our Summer STEAM Series at the Historic Crystal Spring Pump Station*!

Join Museum Educator Jennifer Daniel on Wednesday mornings at 10:00 am for six weeks of hands-on STEAM fun as we explore the science, engineering, and history of water through experiments, challenges, and creative activities.

Programs will meet Wednesdays from June 10–July 15. Cost is $5 per student and includes all supplies for learning fun, plus a chance to tour the working 1909 Snow Steam Pump!

Perfect for curious kids who love to build, discover, experiment, and explore.

Pre-registration preferred. Day of registration will need to be completed online as cash payment on-sight is not available.

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

*The Crystal Spring Pump Station is located at 2012 S Jefferson St, Roanoke, VA 24014 on the same property as the Western Virginia Water Authority.

05/05/2026

🚨 Calling all photographers—especially young creatives! 🚨

Got a great train shot? We want to see it. Submit your best work by May 27, 2026 for a chance to be featured in On the Rails, our upcoming community photography exhibition.

📸 Up to 2 submissions
📍 No entry fee
🖼️ Exhibit runs June 25 – November 8, 2026

Ready to get your work on the walls? Send your photos and be part of this community showcase.

04/17/2026

Join us Wednesday at 10:00 for a morning of Earth Day fun. Learn how the trees hold the stories of our histories then make a tree ring print to take home.

Registration: https://square.link/u/wGqTJ5ji

04/07/2026

Join us tomorrow for Homeschool Days and explore the life of early coal miners and their families.

Registration: https://square.link/u/u3JLhX2G