Shenandoah Germanic Heritage Museum (Hottel Keller Inc.)

The name for two adjoining historic Hottel-Keller family homesteads that form the “Germanic Heritage Museum” is significant, because the families that migrated here were from European principalities that had existed before the country of Germany ever existed.  One of the homesteads had been destroyed in a fire, but the other still stands, now as a form of “living history.” that shows how Germanic families lived and farmed. The surrounding farmland is still worked by local families, and fabric is still hand-woven on a wooden loom. Bread is still baked in an outdoor, wood-fired oven.  The home provides unique examples of early Germanic farm architecture. 

The public is admitted by appointment only, but the relative isolation and tranquility of the hidden-away buildings and grounds offers an experience quite unlike anything ever encountered at larger and more commercial museums.

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Historic Courthouse of Shenandoah County

This 1795 Federal style stone building is the oldest Virginia courthouse still in use, west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The museum and visitor center are located in the oldest part of the building, and the 1871 and 1886 sections are actually still used for court purposes.  Courthouse history goes back to the early days of the Republic, and its location on the Old Valley Pike made it become a strategic outpost during the Civil War. Both Union and Confederate troops had been housed there at various times, and the wall graffiti left by the solders has been preserved and can still be seen today. 

Visitors can sense a genuine 18th century atmosphere whenever they step into the old, darkly-paneled courtroom.  Historic Courthouse areas open to the public have been operated by the Shenandoah County Historical Society since 2014 and can be visited during scheduled days and times.

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Fort Valley Museum

Fort Valley could be thought of a unique sort of “Brigadoon” place. This “Valley Within a Valley” indeed lies hidden between tall Massanutten Mountain ridges.  As recently as the 21st century, the community had lived in relatively peaceful isolation.  In fact, many families living here have roots extending back to when it had once been surveyed by George Washington -- and some even before that time. Accordingly, much of the history at the Fort Valley Museum is about family history, although a number of exhibits interpret other aspects of community history.  

Visitors often stop in from different parts of the country to research their own roots that extend back to Fort Valley. Others simply are delighted to discover it along a scenic road journey.  Actually, the scenic beauty of Fort Valley has always attracted visitors, including to a 19th century tourist getaway once known as Seven Fountains. 

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Woodstock Museum of Shenandoah County

The large old limestone home that houses the Woodstock Museum is just one block up Court Street from the historic 1795 Shenandoah Courthouse and the tie that binds these two buildings includes the circuit court-riders who would stay at the house while doing court business in Woodstock.  Two floors of the Woodstock Museum display items that are all exclusively tied in some way to the town and its generations of families.  In recent years, many irreplaceable items there had been saved in the nick of time from being auctioned off. 

Although the exhibits are all authentically local, they attract interest from visitors who see it come from all over the world. Their questions often focus on Woodstock town history and local family genealogy.  Exhibits include antique toys and other childhood memorabilia that can appeal to a wide range of ages. 

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Hupp’s Hill Museum at the Strasburg Visitor and Information Center

The Hupp family was one of the early groups of Shenandoah Valley settlers. The hill overlooking what is now Strasburg had been part of a huge land tract they purchased from Thomas Lord Fairfax. The caverns had been of particular interest as they served as a form of natural refrigerator. What became known as Hupp’s Hill later became a military hotspot during the Civil War, and several battlefield earthworks are still plainly visible. The location of Hupp’s Hill along the Old Valley Pike, now U.S. Route 11, eventually led to it becoming a tourist attraction.

Today, the museum and visitor center continues to attract visitors, many of whom like the authenticity of the historic items on display. They also like to walk the lovely hilltop grounds, enjoying the scenic views. It’s a small, intimate place, complete with items for sale by local artisans, as well as a working beehive.

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Strasburg Museum

The thing that often surprises people about the Strasburg Museum is how much diverse history is there to discover.  The building itself has a diverse past, originally built as a steam-powered pottery factory before it became a railroad depot. 

The two story building has a wide, open center area, ringed by two floors of exhibits.  Various large collections of historic pottery are on display, along with authentic exhibits representing various periods of Shenandoah Valley life. 

Several old rail cars are parked at the train platform, along with a replica steam engine that was built for a 2011 event held to commemorate Stonewall Jackson’s legendary Great Train Raid of 1861.  All of that, and a model train that is set up in one of the rail cars, depicting the town of Strasburg during the 1930s.

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Shenandoah Valley Cultural Heritage Museum at the Edinburg Mill

Back when the museum at the 1848 Edinburg Mill was taking shape, it seemed that the story that would be told there would be bigger than that of an old mill located a small Shenandoah Valley town. The three floors of exhibits that are packed into every nook and cranny now reflect a diverse cultural history. Spend time there and very soon some item on display will evokes a particular memory of the past or a personal historical connection.  To that end, it’s not unlike a Smithsonian experience, but it's on a smaller scale.  People just always seem to be pleasantly surprised at the incredible amount of items that are there to be seen.

Visitors from at least 40-50 countries have been noted; others stop in from nearby I-81 to visit.  No matter how many times one visits this museum, it seems that there likely will always be something new to see.

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Mount Jackson Museum

The Mount Jackson Museum is located in the town building at the center of town. Two floors of historic collections and artifacts interpret the Mount Jackson’s unique Shenandoah Valley history, most notably the woodcraft that had been produced by a 1920s-era community located nearby, known as Birdhaven; as well as the artwork by Billy Landis, that includes a large-colorful wall mural. 

Civil War-era ammunition, firearms and memorabilia, along with service uniforms and memorabilia representing both World Wars highlight military history. 

The museum had been established in 1997 by a group of dedicated citizens. Visitors are always made to feel at home by friendly volunteers who will often research a visitor question and follow up on it, if they can’t ever answer it on the spot.  

More information: (540) 477-2121

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