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Tuesday 10am - 4:30pm Wednesday 10am - 4:30pm Thursday 10am - 4:30pm Friday 10am - 4:30pm Saturday 10am - 4:30pm

Historical Society of Western Virginia

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Historical Society of Western Virginia

Museums with a past and a future

08/18/2026

O. Winston Link might be the most famous, but he wasn't the first photographer to capture the Norfolk & Western Railway.

Long before Link became aware of the Norfolk & Western Railway, a small group of talented photographers were documenting the railroad, its employees, and the communities along its lines. Their work includes several remarkable night photographs taken nearly two decades before Link shot his first N&W Project image in 1955.

Join Norfolk & Western Historical Society archivist Ken Miller for a fascinating look at these often-overlooked photographers and a deeper dive into Roanoke's rich railroad history.

Tuesday, August 25 | 7pm
Roanoke History and O. Winston Link Museum
$5 at the door

08/17/2026

Image of the Week
Three men are seen working in the Norfolk and Western Railway Superintendent Medical Director's office. Blair Lee Cook is the man in the middle of the photograph. The 1937 Jefferson High School graduation program lists Cook as one of the graduates earning a "General Diploma."

See this photograph and more in our digital collections - https://hswv.pastperfectonline.com/

08/15/2026

Three exhibitions. One evening to celebrate them all.

Join us Saturday, September 19, from 6-8pm for a special reception celebrating three exhibitions that offer very different perspectives on the people, places, and stories that shape our communities:

📷 Kindly Mirrors takes us to nearby Floyd County through photographs documenting one family's life in rural Appalachia around World War I. The exhibition invites us to look at how life has changed over the past century while reflecting on the moments and traditions that still connect us.

🚂 On the Rails brings together railroad photography from 30 regional and national photographers, ranging from youth to seniors and from amateur enthusiasts to professional photographers. Together, their diverse perspectives offer a fascinating and varied look at rail photography.

🎨 Rooted in Roanoke features work by artist Bryce Cobbs and geospatial analyst David Massey inspired by the perspectives and hopes of students from Noel C. Taylor Academy as they consider Roanoke today and the future of their neighborhoods.

During the reception, meet photographers, artists, and exhibition curators, ask questions, explore all three galleries, and enjoy light refreshments and beverages with friends.

Come early! At 4pm, join Ricky Cox, Alice Slusher, and Catherine Pauley from Old Church Gallery for a special talk about Kindly Mirrors. Your admission to the talk also includes the evening reception.

September 19 | Gallery Talk 4pm | Reception 6-8pm
$5 for non-members | Free for HSWV members
RSVP requested: https://forms.gle/NeDkr7fiCNAHPwYF8

Come celebrate the exhibitions, meet the people behind them, and spend an evening discovering new stories about our region.

08/12/2026

August is packed with opportunities to learn, explore, and enjoy history at the museum. Here are three events to put on your calendar for the rest of the month:

🚂 Kids on the Caboose | August 20 at 10am
Our final Kids on the Caboose of the summer takes a closer look at police vehicles and the important work of local police officers. Designed for preschool and elementary-aged children, the program includes a special tour of our historic caboose. $5 per child. Registration required: https://square.link/u/f012JEih

📷 N&W Company Photographers | August 25 at 7pm
Long before O. Winston Link began photographing the Norfolk & Western, company photographers were documenting the railroad and its surroundings, including remarkable night photographs taken nearly two decades before Link's first N&W images. Norfolk & Western Historical Society archivist Ken Miller explores these photographers and the history they captured. $5 at the door.

🏛️ Local Saturday | August 29
Our final Local Saturday of the season offers FREE ADMISSION to residents of Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Salem, Botetourt, Bedford, Craig, Franklin, Floyd, and Montgomery counties with proof of residency. Explore both museums, see artist Bryce Cobbs creating in the Trackside Gallery, and from 1-3pm, join Museum Educator Jennifer Daniel to learn about cyanotypes and create your own for $3 each.

There's plenty to discover this August. We hope you'll join us!

Our Summer Saturday Series is generously sponsored by Spectrum Design.

08/10/2026

Image of the Week
This mid-1950s photograph captures the Mick-or-Mack store on Winborne St. in Grandin under construction. This location was the last Mick-or-Mack in operation, and is now home to Cardinal Bicycle.

See this photograph and more in our digital collections - https://hswv.pastperfectonline.com/

08/04/2026

Homeschool Days are back!!!!

Building a Boomtown invites students to become historians, city planners, and community leaders as they explore how real Appalachian towns grew, changed, and survived. Using history as their guide, students will build their own communities, solve real-world challenges, and discover how the choices people make shape the places we call home.

Each week brings a new build, a new challenge, and a new chapter of Appalachian history to explore. Join us on the first three Wednesdays of each month. While each session builds on the story of the semester, every program offers a complete, hands-on experience—so whether you join us once or all fall long, there's always something new to discover.

Registration is required:

September- Why here?
2- https://square.link/u/VzipVmHo
9- https://square.link/u/HGFsOykT
16- https://square.link/u/S1PBFE7M

October- How do we grow?
7- https://square.link/u/Xys2knnj
14- https://square.link/u/vwzFlEDX
21- https://square.link/u/xdowaWle

November- What happens when everything changes?
4- https://square.link/u/iE9n0eeG
11- https://square.link/u/fsKeJiCQ
18- https://square.link/u/oy8byhv6

December-What comes next?
2- https://square.link/u/cXcASqXl
9- https://square.link/u/HjYGLKKg
16- https://square.link/u/wuxjlBLN

07/30/2026

Visit the Roanoke History Museum to discover additional interesting moments from Roanoke's past - or explore our digital collections at https://hswv.pastperfectonline.com/

07/27/2026

Image of the Week
Amateur photographer Philip H. Trout of 502 King George Avenue captured this image of neighborhood girls looking at a book in the front yard of the home at 530 King George Avenue in 1928. The back of the photograph lists the girls as Irma Carpenter, Ruth Lester, Mary Louise McBroom, Ophelia Balthis, and Nancy Barnett (standing).

See this photograph and more in our digital collections - https://hswv.pastperfectonline.com/

07/13/2026

Image of the Week
This is the 1898 team photo of the Alleghany Institute baseball team. On the reverse, the individuals are identified as (back row) William Stewart, Victor Accorsini, Corbin Glass, Will Peck, Phil Meade, (middle row) Prof. Kingman Handy, Chas. Withers, Joe Turner, and (front row) Walter Engleby. Alleghany Institute opened in 1896, and by the time of this photograph, was operating under the leadership of Kingman Handy and his brother, Spieden Handy.

See this photograph and more in our digital collections - https://hswv.pastperfectonline.com/

Address

Roanoke, VA
24016

Opening Hours

Tuesday	10am - 4:30pm
Wednesday	10am - 4:30pm
Thursday	10am - 4:30pm
Friday	10am - 4:30pm
Saturday	10am - 4:30pm

Telephone

(540) 982-5465

Website

http://roanokehistory.org/

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