Exhibitions
Permanent Galleries:
Invincible Spirit: History in the Heart of the Shenandoah
"Invincible Spirit: History in the Heart of the Shenandoah " tells the history of Rockingham County and Harrisonburg from pre-Columbus times to the recent past. Here, you can learn which Native American groups moved and lived along the Valley, understand the local impact of our…
The Cromer-Trumbo House
The Cromer-Trumbo House is the largest artifact in the Historical Society collection. The historic home was gifted to the Harrisonburg-Rockingham Historical Society by the estate of Shannon Trumbo. Trumbo’s grandmother Sarah Cromer purchased the home in 1889, and Shannon enjoyed growing up in Dayton. Adjacent…
Folk Art
This distinctive collection carefully weaves a story that spans more than two centuries and focuses on folk art from this cultural region of the Shenandoah Valley. Included are examples of textiles, ceramics, painted surfaces, wood, and metals.
The traditional arts reflect the ethnic and…
Exhibit Highlights:
Electric Map
The Electric Map is a vertical 14-foot relief map of the Shenandoah Valley stretching 150 miles from the Pennsylvania line to Staunton, Virginia. More than 300 LED lights illuminate the Valley Campaign of General Stonewall Jackson during 1862 as an accompanying soundtrack describes the action…
On the Homefront WWI & WWII
The permanent gallery was renovated in early 2017 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of World War I and 75th Anniversary of World War II.
Learn about activities of the Red Cross, State Normal School students, Boy Scouts, and other local citizens during these times…
Rockingham’s Railroad
The imagination of three local railroad enthusiasts generated an idea that led to the creation of the Shenandoah Central Railroad, a one mile, narrow gauge line, in Penn Laird in Rockingham County in 1953. It was intended to be an operating museum, but was often…