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

Holiday Hours

Salem Museum will be closed

December 24-27

and

December 31 - January 2

We hope everyone has a safe and happy holiday season

Readjusting the Old Dominion

Tuesday January 13, 7pm at the Roanoke County Civil War Roundtable

Explore the powerful story of the Readjusters, a long-forgotten 1880s Virginia political movement that achieved remarkable socio-economic reforms for whites and African Americans. Formed to battle the Commonwealth’s crippling debt crisis and its impact on public services, the Readjusters oversaw a transformative period in the state’s educational and infrastructural development that welcomed and benefitted citizens of all races and backgrounds. However, following four years of political dominance from 1879-1883, the movement met a history-making end that, for more than a century, was stricken from Virginia history books. Who were these incredible Readjusters, and what legacy do they leave us today?

Held at the Friendship Retirement Community Chapel, 397 Hershberger Road, Roanoke, VA 24012. Roanokecwrt.com

"The Candidates" Staged Reading

Saturday February 21, 2pm

Join us for “The Candidates, or The Humours of a Virginia Election”, a staged reading of this Colonial era play in three acts by Col. Robert Munford.

Volunteers willing to read roles in the play are needed! Please contact us if interested.

The event is free and open to the public.

More Events Here!

The First People of the Roanoke Valley

On Display in the Feature Gallery through Spring 2026

In 1671, European explorers Thomas Batts and Robert Fallam encountered Totero Town, a village believed to have been located in present-day Salem and inhabited by Eastern Siouan-speaking members of the Tutelo tribe. Centuries later, the remains of this village were uncovered during archaeological excavations conducted during the construction of the James I. Moyer Sports Complex on the same site.

Visitors will look back into the time of the Tutelo and learn about the thriving world of the early Roanoke Valley. Drawing on archaeological artifacts, maps, and interpretive displays, the exhibits reveal how the Tutelo and other Eastern Siouan peoples shaped the land long before European settlement. Examine tools used in hunting, view pottery once storing a winter’s meal, and discover the many uses of animal hides and bones!

The Eastern Siouan of the Roanoke Valley

On Display on the Ground Floor through Spring 2026

Explore stories of Indigenous resistance and persistence in a dynamic new timeline display. Over the last 400 years, the Tutelo and Monacan Alliance have met challenges and created victories for themselves as they adapted to the changing world around them. Featuring illustrations and photographs of significant moments in Tutelo and Monacan history, this display reveals how their communities endured and evolved through centuries of transformation.

Celebrating 20 Years of Gingerbread Festival

On display downstairs through December

The Chamber of Commerce celebrates 20 Years of hosting the annual Gingerbread Festival! The Salem Museum also celebrates their 5th Anniversary of hosting the Gingerbread House Competition.

Come see a modest display looking at the Festival's history and previous contestants' skills.

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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.