Isle of Wight County Museum

Isle of Wight County Museum Smithfield, Va.'s, Isle of Wight Museum shares its history through its pre-colonial, colonial, Civil War, ham industry and country store exhibits.

Founded in 1976, the Isle of Wight County Museum tells the story of the county through its interactive exhibits including a turn-of-the-century country store as well as displays interpreting colonial history, the Smithfield ham industry, the Blackwater River, the Civil War and the Cold War.

Chubby in snow, February 1937.
05/29/2026

Chubby in snow, February 1937.

05/28/2026

LIVE at 12:05: Dumpster Diving for History

We love trash.

Archaeology and trash are intertwined as trash can function as a tool for understanding past societies, history and culture. Archaeologists often study discarded items to learn about daily lives, social structures and cultural practices.

Curator Rachel Popp highlights some of the artifacts in our collection which either were trash or could have been trash.



Recorded and produced May 28, 2026.

Embossed seal from Little Zion Lodge No. 3253 on a letter dated 1893. The lodge, a part of the Grand United Order of Odd...
05/28/2026

Embossed seal from Little Zion Lodge No. 3253 on a letter dated 1893.

The lodge, a part of the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows in Isle of Wight County, was instituted on July 17, 1890. The GUOOF was a prominent fraternal order particularly within Black communities during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Whazzit Wednesday?Submit your guess about this object in the museum's collection.(This is the Game of Smithfield. Based ...
05/27/2026

Whazzit Wednesday?
Submit your guess about this object in the museum's collection.

(This is the Game of Smithfield. Based on the game of Monopoly. it was a project sponsored by the Real Smithfield Jaycees in 1994.)

Blackwater River exhibit care and maintenance by Ernest White of VA Displays, LLC.
05/26/2026

Blackwater River exhibit care and maintenance by Ernest White of VA Displays, LLC.

The museum is closed today. Visit us tomorrow!
05/25/2026

The museum is closed today. Visit us tomorrow!

License to drill!Volunteer Chris Torre used his carpentry skills to stabilize a staved barrel with wooden hoops in our c...
05/22/2026

License to drill!
Volunteer Chris Torre used his carpentry skills to stabilize a staved barrel with wooden hoops in our collection as we prepare to use it in our 17th and 18th century to***co exhibit.
Volunteers make it happen!

05/21/2026

LIVE at 12:05: Some Like It Hot

Today Registrar Sheila Williams-Morales showcases printing plates from the 1960s including a copper plate for hot and mild sausage from Gwaltney of Smithfield, a brand owned by Smithfield Foods as of 1981.

Electrotypes, flongs and half-toning are just some of the materials and techniques used to reproduce an image. View some of the artifacts associated with advertising trends of the period as well as the different processes that created a printing plate.



Recorded and produced May 21, 2026.

Curator Rachel Popp visited Smithfield High School yesterday for a discussion of historical preservation in the modern e...
05/21/2026

Curator Rachel Popp visited Smithfield High School yesterday for a discussion of historical preservation in the modern era.

Whazzit Wednesday?Submit your guess about this object in the museum's collection.(This is a copper advertising plate for...
05/20/2026

Whazzit Wednesday?
Submit your guess about this object in the museum's collection.

(This is a copper advertising plate for Gwaltney of Smithfield sausage, 1960s. Tune in tomorrow to LIVE at 12:05 to learn more about it!)

Address

103 Main Street
Smithfield, VA
23430

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 4pm
Tuesday 10am - 4pm
Wednesday 10am - 4pm
Thursday 10am - 4pm
Friday 10am - 4pm
Saturday 10am - 4pm
Sunday 12pm - 4pm

Telephone

+17573561223

Website

http://www.hamcamva.com/

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