VA, Preserving 300 Years of History

(540) 389-6760

Salem Museum in Salem, Virginia

Preserving 300+ years of history, art, and sports in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains

Andrew Lewis Weekend

Saturday & Sunday, June 7 & 8 from 10am to 4pm

Join us to celebrate 250 years since Andrew Lewis expelled Lord Dunmore from Williamsburg.

The Fincastle Company Living Historians will be on site all weekend.

Meet Andrew Lewis and learn about his life.

Attend lectures about the events in Williamsburg and beyond.

See the new VA250 exhibit "Salem's Forgotten Hero: Andrew Lewis and the Revolutionary War"

Sponsored by Virginia is for Lovers (virginia.org) and VA250 (Va250.org)

Glenvar Art Show on Display

On display in our Main Gallery through May 15

The annual Glenvar Student Art show returns to Salem Museum this April! New this year are entries from elementary school students, joining the many fabulous and unique creations of Glenvar High and Glenvar Middle School students. See examples of both 2D and 3D art, including drawings, paintings, collages, photography, ceramics, and digital creations!

Celebrating 30 Years of Carilion Clinic Field

On display in our Lobby through September

The Salem Museum celebrates the 30^thAnniversary of Carilion Clinic Field with the Salem Red Sox!

Visit us this summer to see artifacts from the 1995 inaugural season, and the past 30 years of Salem baseball history.

More Events Here!

Homeschool Days at Salem Museum: RSVP required

Homeschool Days Return

The Salem Museum is pleased to announce the return of Homeschool Days for the 2024-25 school year. Homeschool Days will take place monthly for students ages five and up, giving students an opportunity to explore local history this semester.

Students will learn interesting stories from our past, and get to hold pieces of history in their hand. Each program will include an hour of hands-on history instruction and group discussions, followed by a scavenger hunt to encourage exploration of the Salem Museum’s exhibits. The schedule is designed to give participants an opportunity to get to know other students.

Programs will be held on the third Wednesday of each month at 11:00am and 2:00pm, with a new topic each month.

RSVP in advance is required. The fee is $4 per student per session. All parents/ teachers/ chaperones are free. Registration for Museum members is free. Please call 540-389-6760 or email [email protected] to register.

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Collage of historical and contemporary figures.

Through Their Eyes: The Moments That Made Salem

Over a year in the making, this Gallery highlights sixteen major events, dating back to 1671, that have shaped Salem and the Roanoke Valley into the community it is today. History gets personal as seen ‘through the eyes’ of men and women who lived here at the time. Visitors will experience the emotional, life-changing impact of each of these events—including the coming of the railroad, the end of the Civil War, desegregation, the Flood of ’85, and so many more. The Gallery features personal narratives, pictures, maps, artifacts, and hands-on elements.

HOURS OF OPERATION

Open Tuesdays — Saturdays, 10 am to 4 pm.

Closed on July 4; Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and the day after Christmas; New Year’s Eve, New Year’s Day, and the day after New Years.

If the City of Salem Schools are closed for inclement weather, the Museum does not open.

LOCATION & DIRECTIONS

Located next to Longwood Park in Downtown Salem
801 East Main Street
Salem, Virginia 24153

From I-81, take exit 140 and head toward Salem on Thompson Memorial Blvd. At Main Street (US 460), turn left. Go .3 mile; the Salem Museum is located at the top of the hill on the left. Our entrance is across from the Berglund Ford service entrance. Look for the “OAKEY FIELD” sign. There is plenty of free, on-site parking.

ADMISSION IS FREE.
DONATIONS ARE
APPRECIATED!

Admission is FREE for all self-guided visitors.

Guided tours are $10 per adult age 15+, and $5 for children. For school groups and educational groups, students are $3 and chaperones are free. Group visits are available when booked at least two weeks in advance.