Salem Museum in Salem, Virginia
Preserving 300+ years of history, art, and sports in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains
Gingerbread Festival
Saturday December 6, 10am-2pm
The Gingerbread House Competition returns to the Salem Museum on December 6!
Come see the creativity of local bakers of all ages, from youth to adult master chefs. They will be on display throughout the Museum with voting downstairs. Previews begin December 3 (voting only available on December 6).
One part of the Chamber of Commerce's Gingerbread Festival! Visit Longwood park to meet Santa, explore vendors, see performances, and more! For more information click HERE
Nelson Harris Book Signing
Author and historian Nelson Harris will be at the Salem Museum to sign copies of his books and discuss his latest literary projects on Saturday, December 13, 2025, from 10 to 11:30 AM. Proceeds from the sale will go to the Salem Museum.
Harris is a former mayor of Roanoke. He has served as the pastor of Heights Community Church since 1999 and is an adjunct faculty member at Virginia Western Community College. Harris is a past president of the Historical Society of Western Virginia and the president-elect of the Salem Historical Society. He is the producer, writer and host for the award-winning Eye on the Past with Nelson Harris on Blue Ridge PBS and a columnist for The Roanoker magazine.
Wreathes Across America
Saturday December 13, 12pm
On December 13, 2025 at 12:00 pm (Wreath Placement Immediately Following Ceremony), Wreaths Across America will be at East Hill Cemetery - Salem, VA to Remember and Honor our veterans through the laying of Remembrance wreaths on the graves of our country's fallen heroes and the act of saying the name of each and every veteran aloud.
Please note, our ceremony will be held starting at 12 Noon at the Salem Museum Veteran's Plaza located at 801 E Main St, Salem, VA, 24153.
Hosted by Fort Lewis Chapter NSDAR
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.
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.
The Salem Museum & Historical Society is an independent nonprofit organization preserving and celebrating the history of Salem, Virginia, founded in 1802, as well as the surrounding areas.
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Sun - Mon: Closed
Tue - Sat: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
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Sun - Mon: Closed
Tue - Sat: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
© 2025 Salem Museum. All Rights Reserved.