One of the best ways to dive into Virginia’s Eastern Shore is to learn about our history. Check out some of our museums around the Shore!
Photo Credit: Cape Charles Museum
Cape Charles Museum & Welcome Center
capecharlesmuseum.org
814 Randolph Ave, Cape Charles, VA 23310
Explore the museum and learn about the history of the railroad and the town of Cape Charles! Check out the model of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel as well as steamers, ferries, barges, and trains.
Photo Credit: Cape Charles Rosenwald School
Cape Charles Rosenwald School
ccrosenwaldschool.org
1200 Old Cape Charles Rd, Cape Charles, VA 23310
Originally named Cape Charles Elementary, the school was affectionately called “the school over the hump” by its students because of its location just outside of town. It was built in 1928 as part of a movement inspired by a partnership between Jewish philanthropist, Julius Rosenwald, and education pioneer, Booker T. Washington, to educate African-American children during legalized segregation. Over 5,000 “Rosenwald Schools” were constructed in the rural south. Incorporating state-of-the-art elements of school design, our brick school had four class-rooms, an auditorium and office and was staffed by 3 teachers and a principal/teacher. It taught children in grades 1-7 and served as an important part of local African-American life for many years. The school closed in 1966, and the property was converted to a seafood processing plant that closed in 1977. (ccrosenwaldschool.org)
Barrier Islands Center
www.barrierislandscenter.org
7295 Young St, Machipongo, VA 23405
Learn about the history of the Barrier Islands that span the seaside of the Eastern Shore, as well as learn the story of the old Almshouse farm and see what live was like in the early days of farming the Shore.
Photo Credit: Peninsula Tractor Organization
Peninsula Tractor Organization
peninsulatractor.org
10150 Mill St, Nassawadox, VA
The Peninsula Tractor Organization members display their vintage equipment at various events throughout the region. Demonstrations of plowing, grinding or shelling corn or other activities recognizes the hard work and dedication of the area’s farmers and ensures that these attributes will not be lost to future generations. (peninsulatractor.org)
Photo credit: Locustville Academy
Locustville Academy
www.facebook.com/Locustville-Academy-269781780134461/
28055 Drummondtown Road Locustville, VA 23404
By appointment only, a historic two room schoolhouse on Virginia’s Eastern Shore.
Harborton History Museum
harbortonhistmuseum.wixsite.com/harborton-museum
14207 Junior & Dockview Street, Harborton VA
Features the first screwpile lighthouse built on the Chesapeake Bay.
Northampton Historic Preservation Society’s Court Green Historic Exhibit
1731 Historic Northampton County Courthouse, Eastville, VA
Debedeavon Ln, Cape Charles, VA 23310
The historic grounds host 3 historic buildings and historic displays inside the courthouse which are available to view during open hours.
Historical Society of the Eastern Shore/Ker Place
shorehistory.org
69 Market St, Onancock, VA 23417
The federal style mansion has been home to many influential figures in Eastern Shore and American history over the years. Take a tour and learn the stories of the residents and their impact on the world around them.
Waterman’s Heritage Museum and Research Center
Inside the Historic Onancock School
www.historiconancockschool.org
6 College Ave, Onancock, VA 23417
Featuring exhibits about Chesapeake Bay watermen, their culture and oral histories, and a research library in the Historic Onancock School.
Samuel D. Outlaw Blacksmith Museum
Boundary Ave, Onancock, VA 23417
Samuel D. Outlaw was born in North Carolina; in 1920 he enrolled in a 4-year program in blacksmithing and wheelwrighting at Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute. He graduated in 1925, and in 1927 built his industrial shop on Boundary Avenue, serving watermen, farmers, neighbors and friends from 1927 until 1991. The Museum, a rare intact Blacksmith Shop, includes a display of actual tools used by Mr. Outlaw. Tours and school groups are welcome by appointment – 757-656-3460. (outlawblacksmithshop.org)
Eastern Shore Public Library
espl.org
23610 Front St, Accomac, VA
Read all about Eastern Shore history and genealogy in the Eastern Shore Public Library!
Eastern Shore Railway Museum
www.facebook.com/Eastern-Shore-Railway-Museum-642326862627001/
18468 Dunne Ave, Parksley, VA 23421
See railway history up close at the Eastern Shore Railway Museum!
Francis Makemie Society
www.francismakemiesociety.org
7492 Monument Rd, Sandford VA
The Francis Makemie Society gives recognition to the life and work of the Rev. Francis Makemie as it maintains Makemie’s burial place on Holden’s Creek. The Society is an active member of the Eastern Shore of Virginia Museum Network. (www.francismakemiesociety.org)
Saxis Island Museum & Old Crockett Store
saxisislandmuseum.org
20101 Saxis Rd, Saxis, VA 23427
The Saxis Island Museum was created to preserve the history of Saxis Island and to document the lives of the people that made a living in the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. While documenting the fading lifestyle of the Saxis Island watermen, the museum will help educate current and future generations on the dangers of misuse of the Chesapeake Bay and its ecosystems. (saxisislandmuseum.org)
Tangier Island History Museum
www.virginia.org/listing/tangier-history-museum/15746/
16215 Main Ridge Rd, Tangier, VA 23440
The Tangier History Museum and Interpretive Cultural Center welcomes all to come and learn about the history of Tangier and its people and to aid in their interpretation. THMICC has a museum/visitors center, a walking history trail, a nature trail and water trails, with free use of kayaks and canoes. Come and learn about Tangier’s special role in the history of aviation, our unique language and how we face the challenges of a rising Bay, a shrinking island and a dwindling population. Learn about how the British forces used Tangier as a base during the War of 1812, how Billy Mitchell proved airplanes could sink ships, and how a small island creates its own recreation and amusement. Get the mud of Tangier’s pristine sandy beach between your toes and you’ll always come back! (virginia.org)
Photo credit Virginia Tourism Corporation
Captain Timothy Hill House
www.virginia.org/listing/captain-timothy-hill-house/4888/
5122 Main St, Chincoteague, VA 23336
Built circa 1800 and the oldest house on Chincoteague Island…it is a rare example of early long plank construction, once common in the early days of our country. Originally built to have a wooden chimney…also a common feature of early homes…this is one of only two houses to survive in Virginia that were so built. The replica of the wooden chimney was added in 2017. A brick chimney hides underneath it so there is a legal working fireplace.
The house was listed on The Virginia Landmarks Register and The National Register of Historic Places in 2011…a first for Chincoteague Island. (virginia.org)
Museum of Chincoteague Island
www.chincoteaguemuseum.com
7125 Maddox Blvd, Chincoteague, VA 23336
Inside the Museum of Chincoteague Island you’ll discover the 1st Order Fresnel Lens from the Assateague Island Lighthouse, the iconic Chincoteague ponies known as Misty and Stormy, models of vessels that plied the Chincoteague waters long ago, items that washed ashore from shipwrecks, a decoy carver’s workshop, and oral histories, documents, and artifacts that tell the story of Chincoteague Island life throughout it’s long and varied existence. (chincoteaguemuseum.com)
NASA Wallops Flight Facility Visitor Center
www.nasa.gov/content/nasa-wallops-visitor-center-2
Building J20 Route, 175 Chincoteague Rd, Wallops Island, VA 23337
The Visitor Center features exhibits about aeronautics, orbital and sub-orbital rockets, scientific balloons, current missions, and the history of Wallops Flight Facility. In addition to exhibits, the Visitor Center also features an auditorium, a Science on the Sphere Theater, an observation deck, as well as numerous free public programs, events, and group tours of the facility. The Visitor Center also serves as the viewing site for rockets that launch from Wallops Island. (www.nasa.gov/content/nasa-wallops-visitor-center-2)
No matter where you wander, you are always one step from rich history here on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Add a museum to your bucket list and let’s get to exploring!
The Eastern Shore of Virginia Tourism Commission is your guide to all things Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Plan your trip and find the best things to do on our gorgeous peninsula at visitesva.com.
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