Steamboat Museum
Chief among the new exhibits at the Steamboat Era Museum is a video oral history presentation describing life on the water, the country stores and canneries that lined its banks, and the floating theater.
Steamboat Era Museum
Named by Virginia Living magazine as the Best Historic Museum in eastern Virginia for two years in a row, Irvington’s Steamboat Era Museum isn’t resting on its laurels. Under new executive director Barbara Brecher the Museum has been given a fresh look. Chief among the new exhibits is a video oral history presentation describing life on the water, the country stores and canneries that lined its banks, and the floating theater. On August 8, the museum will host the annual Irvington Crab Festival from 4:00 to 8:00 pm. The event is always a sellout, so tickets should be purchased in advance.
Location: 156 King Carter Drive, Irvington
Hours: Friday, May 22 – Saturday, May 23, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, Between May 26 and September 5: Tuesdays thru Saturdays, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Admission: $5 adults; children under 12 and active-duty military free
Contact: 804-438-6888
Website: steamboateramuseum.org
Deltaville Maritime Museum
The Deltaville Maritime Museum, dedicated to preserving and interpreting the town’s famous boatbuilding industry, has a busy schedule of summer activities planned. On Memorial Day weekend (May 23) the museum hosts the Deltaville Seafood Festival. On the last Saturday in June, July, and August, the grounds will be the site of the Holly Point Market during the day and Groovin’ in the Park, a musical entertainment series, in the early evening. The highlight of summer activities is Family Boatbuilding Week, July 12 – 18. Although this event is sold out for 2015, participating families will be racing their newly built skiffs on Saturday. The museum is colocated with Holly Point Nature Park.
Location: 287 Jackson Creek Road, Deltaville
Hours: Daily, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Admission: $15 for adults; active duty military and those 17 and under free
Contact: 804-776-7200
Website: deltavillemuseum.com
Reedville Fishermen’s Museum
Visitors to the Fishermen’s Museum can learn about the families who have lived and worked on the region’s waterways for centuries. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, visitors may see ongoing restoration in the Boat Shop. The museum is home to several boats on the National Historical Register and a replica of the barge John Smith used to chart the Chesapeake Bay in 1608. The museum sponsors a Family Boat Building weekend (June 26 – 28), a three-day Fourth of July celebration (July 3 – 5), a summer concert series (June 21, July 16, and August 16), and a children’s model workshop (August 3 – 7).
Location: 504 Main Street, Reedville
Hours: May thru October: Tuesdays – Saturdays, 10:30 am – 4:30 pm; Sundays 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Admission: $5.00 adults, $3.00 seniors; children under 12 free.
Contact: 804-453-7159
Website: rfmuseum.org
Northern Neck Farm Museum
The museum tells the story of agriculture on Virginia’s Northern Neck, housing an array of farm equipment and implements used through the centuries on the region’s arable soil. The museum also offers a number of educational programs geared to children. On July 11, the museum will hold its second annual Threshing Day, when visitors can watch as farmers operate threshing machines. Young Farmers Day on August 8 will give youngsters a chance to learn techniques of farming.
Location: 12705 Northumberland Highway, Heathsville
Hours: May thru October: Saturdays 10:00 am – 2:00 pm; Sundays 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Admission: $2 for adults, $1 children ages 6 – 18.
Contact: 804-761-5952
Website: thefarmmuseum.org
Kilmarnock Museum
The Kilmarnock Museum celebrates the history of the town, which traces its roots to the old commercial center of Steptoe’s District, where farmers and watermen came to sell their wares and purchase supplies as far back as the seventeenth century. The museum documents everyday life in Kilmarnock, which suffered three major fires that destroyed many buildings in the commercial district during the twentieth century. The museum is housed in the oldest house in town.
Location: 75 North Main Street, Kilmarnock
Hours: Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. 11:00 am – 4:00 pm
Admission: Free
Contact: 804-436-9100
Website: none
Westmoreland County Museum
The oldest continuously operating museum in the Northern Neck houses a number of important paintings and historical artifacts, including memorabilia about the life and times of notable figures born in the county, including three US presidents (George Washington, James Madison, and James Monroe) and Confederate General Robert E. Lee. Monthly First Friday Art Walks, open-air movie nights, and Art & Wine sessions with local artisans (cosponsored with the Inn at Montross) highlight the summer program. A Kids Day Camp will be held July 31 – August 1. The second annual Artisan/Craftsman Fair, featuring old-world trade demonstrations, craft vendors, and a Civil War encampment will take place August 1.
Location: 43 Court Square, Montross
Hours: 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Admission: Free
Contact: 804-493-8440
Website: westmorelandcountymuseum.org
Richmond County Museum
Located in the county seat of Warsaw and housed in a nineteenth-century jail, the Richmond County Museum contains exhibits on the history of the county from prehistoric times to the twentieth century. Highlights include information on Francis Lightfoot Lee, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, and William Atkinson Jones, the US representative responsible for legislation granting autonomy to the Philippines. Visitors can also see a recreated country store and a rural post office.
Location: 5874 Richmond Rd., Warsaw
Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Admission: Free
Contact: 804-333-3607
Website: co.richmond.va.us/visitors/richmond-county-museum
Mathews Museum and Mathews Maritime Museum
The Mathews County Visitor & Information Center houses a museum featuring artifacts about life in the region. Located nearby, the Mathews Maritime Museum includes more than two thousand artifacts documenting the rich maritime and cultural heritage of Mathews County. The museum is also engaged in an ambitious oral history program to document life in the county in decades past. The Mathews Maritime Museum sponsors a summer kayak camp.
Location: Visitors Center: 44 Church Street, Mathews; Maritime Museum: 482 Main Street, Mathews
Hours: Visitors Center: Monday–Saturday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm; Sunday noon – 3:00 pm
Maritime Museum: Fridays and Saturdays, 10:00 am – 2:00 pm
Admission: Free
Contact: Visitors Center: 804-725-4229
Maritime Museum: 804-725-4444
Website: visitmathews.com
Kinsale Museum
Housed in a historic building in the town of Kinsale, the museum showcases the growth of this important Chesapeake Bay port since its founding in 1706. Housed in the museum is an extensive collection of photos, scrapbooks, and mementos of life in the region. July Fourth is a very special day in Kinsale, and the museum is part of the celebration. Visitors are welcome to join in the excitement, which starts around 5:00 pm in Kinsale Park. The event features a bike parade, games for kids, great food, great live music, and a fireworks display.
Location: 449 Kinsale Rd., Kinsale
Hours: Friday and Saturday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm
Admission: Free (donations gratefully accepted)
Contact: 804-472-3001
Website: kinsalefoundation.org
Mary Ball Washington Museum
Named for George Washington’s mother, who was born eight miles away, the Mary Ball Washington Museum is home to a collection of artifacts and historical documents that chart the lives of residents of Lancaster County and Virginia’s Northern Neck. The museum complex maintains several historic buildings, including the circa 1820 jail, the 1797 Clerk’s office, gardens, and grounds. A Genealogy and History Library, part of the museum, contains records dating back to the seventeenth century and is available for research. Currently, Lancaster House is closed for renovations, but other buildings in the complex will be open throughout the summer.
Location: 8346 Mary Ball Road (Route 3), Lancaster
Hours: Complex open for tours Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday 10:00 am – 4:00 pm Genealogy & Research Library open Tuesday–Friday, 10:00 am – 4:00 pm, Saturday 11:00 am – 3:00 pm
Admission: $3 (free to members)
Contact: 804-462-7280
Website: mbwm.org
Middlesex County Museum
At the Middlesex County Museum, a bounty of historical artifacts tells the story of Middlesex County since its founding in 1669. The collection includes memorabilia from famous Middlesex County military veterans, including Marine Corps General Chesty Puller, and a textiles collection featuring two centuries of fashions. The museum also has an exhibit of documents kept by the clerk at the Middlesex County Courthouse that date back 200 years.
Location: 777 General Puller Hwy., Saluda
Hours: Wednesday–Saturday, 10:00 am–3:00 pm
Admission: Free
Contact: 804-758-3663
Website: middlesexmuseum.com
Morattico Waterfront Museum
Located in the Morattico Historic District, the museum is housed in the old general store. From the front porch, expansive views of the Rappahannock River make it apparent why this site has been home to watermen for centuries. In the museum, artifacts and photographs document the life of the watermen and the general store that provisioned the community. The museum sponsors events on the last Saturday in June, July, and August ($10 each, $25 for series).
Location: 6584 Morattico Road, Morattico
Hours: Saturdays, noon – 4:00 pm; Sundays, 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Admission: Free
Contact: 804-462-0532
Website: morattico.org
Rice’s Hotel/Huglett’s Tavern
Rice’s Hotel/Huglett’s Tavern (RHHT), a restored 1795 tavern, operates a blacksmith shop complete with working forge, and a venue for quilters, spinners and weavers, and woodworkers. RHHT sponsors a farmer’s market on the third Saturday of each month. At the June 20 market, artists will be painting outdoors; the July 15 market is Kids Day; the theme of the August 15 market will be “Going to the Dogs” and will spotlight canine-related activities. A beginning-weaving workshop is scheduled for June 12 – 14; Grandparents Camp will be held during the week of July 6 – 10. Details about both events are available on the museum’s website.
Location: 73 Monument Place, Heathsville
Hours: Heritage Arts Center open Wednesday–Saturday 10:00 am – 2:00 pm; Demonstrations by weavers and spinners (Wed., Sat.), blacksmiths (Tue., Thurs., Sat.), quilters (Thurs.), and woodworkers (Fri.)
Admission: Free
Contact: 804-580-3377
Website: rhhtfoundation.org
James Mills Scottish Factor Store, Urbanna
The James Mills Scottish Factor Store, built in the 1760s and known to locals as the Old Tobacco Warehouse, was a place where local plantation owners and farmers could exchange tobacco for goods imported from Europe. Fully restored and serving as the visitor’s center for the town of Urbanna, the Scottish Factor store contains exhibits from the town’s early history, including a map of the American colonies made by John Mitchell and considered the most important colonial-era map extant.
Location 130 Virginia Street, Urbanna
Hours: Friday and Saturday, 11:00 am – 4:00 pm; Sunday 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Admission: Free
Contact: 804-758-8181
Website: urbanna.com
This article appeared in the Summer 2015 issue of The Local Scoop Magazine, pgs. 32-33.