The 10 Best History Museums in Shenandoah Valley, Shenandoah Valley

See vivid evidence of the history behind the scenes -- the real history veiled by the powerful in Virginia. A Winchester resident wrote the Fugitive Slave Act. Another ran Virginia for 40 years but isn't spoken of. Another went from slavery to Congress. Proprietor and writer Larry Yates is there 11 am- 7pm Friday-Sunday with exhibits, videos and publications.

Located at Luray Caverns, this specialty museum features rare antique autos.

The Frontier Culture Museum is an outdoor living history museum that tells the story of the thousands of people who migrated to colonial America and of the life they created here for themselves and their descendants. The Museum shows how a new and unique culture evolved in early America from its roots in the Old World. Living History interpreters work in original and reconstructed buildings from Europe, Africa, and America to illustrate how diverse people and cultures blended together into a new American way of life. The Museum operates on about 200 acres with 11 major exhibits divided into 2 sections: The Old World, and America. The Old World exhibits show rural life and culture in four homelands of early migrants to the American colonies. The American exhibits show the life these colonists, slaves, and their descendants created in the colonial back-country, how this life changed over more than a century, and how life in the United States today is shaped by its frontier past.

Season: Open Daily April 1 to October 31 BE SURE LISTING SHOWS WE ARE CLOSED FOR THE OFF SEASON. Wartime home of Stonewall Jackson in wintertime of 1861-62. Contains numerous Jacksonian items, including furniture, prayer table and desk. His well worn daily prayer book , a gift from his sister, is also on display.

The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) is dedicated to preserving and enriching the cultural life and heritage of the Valley. This regional history complex includes a house dating to the eighteenth century, six acres of spectacular gardens, and a 50,000-square-foot museum featuring changing exhibitions, a permanent display of miniature houses, and an expansive gallery exploring the history and decorative arts of the Shenandoah Valley. The galleries are open year-round; the house and gardens April through October. The property was passed through generations of Wood and Glass families until being acquired by Wood descendant and MSV benefactor Julian Wood Glass Jr. (1910–1992) between 1952 and 1955. Glass and his partner at the time, R. Lee Taylor (1924–2000), worked together to transform the site and its Glen Burnie House—built in 1794 by James Wood’s son Robert—into a country retreat where the couple entertained in high style.

The Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center shares and celebrates the historical and spiritual legacies of Brethren and Mennonites in the Shenandoah Valley. These two faith traditions emphasize peace and non-violence, the priority of spiritual over material values, disaster relief and voluntary service, care for neighbors, stewardship of the land, and the role of the faith community in discernment and practice. At the Brethren & Mennonite Heritage Center, visitors and volunteers alike engage with these values and faith traditions through stories, artifacts, historic buildings, and experiential learning opportunities. The 24-acre campus of the Heritage Center features historic buildings from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries, interpretive displays, and stunning panoramic views of the Shenandoah Valley--a hidden gem that is not to be missed!