Exhibits at The Salem Museum & Historical
Society
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Look and
Play Grandma's Way! An
exploration of how
things used to be
done...
this hands-on exhibit
for children (and former
children) allows
visitors to see some of
the forgotten technology
that was oncde in every
home--rotary dial
phones, laundry tubs,
vinyl records, etc. Come
relive the good-old-days
and see how much better
a these days are!
The Brand
Collection: Aboriginal
Artifacts from across
the Globe
A collection of exotic
pieces from Third World
cultures, reflecting the
travels and tastes of
Cabell and Shirley
Brand, two of Salem's
leading citizens.
Favorite Son: The Hometown Art of
Walter Biggs: The best
known artist from the
Roanoke Valley
was famed illustrator
and Salem native Walter
Biggs. His worked graced
many a national
magazine,
advertisement, and book,
and his local scenes are
especially prized today
in his hometown.
The Fashion
Dolls of Pete Ballard: West Virginia artist and
fashion historian Pete
Ballard created these
lovely ladies especially
for the Salem Museum, to
highlight women’s
fashions in bygone days. |
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Salem’s Attic:
Amazing Artifacts from our
Archive-- an
exhibit of some of the
really cool stuff from the
Salem Museum collection
History in Oak
Frames: The Courthouse
Portraits of 1910--
for the new Roanoke County
Courthouse in 1910, a local
judge commissioned the
creation of one of
Virginia’s finest
collections of historical
portraiture. Come learn more
about these local notables!
The Fiery Ordeal
Through Which They Passed:
Salem and the Civil War--
an exhibition commemorating
the 150th Anniversary of the
American Civil War, this
exhibit chronicles the
surprisingly active role
Salem and Roanoke County
played in the war, as well
as how it has been
remembered through the
years.
Pre-Salem: What was
here before 1802?
-- An informative exhibit
highlighting what happened
in our valley long before
Salem began as a town in
1802. Learn more about local
Native American evidence and
the lives of the earliest
pioneers, including General
Andrew Lewis.
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Seven Lives, One Hometown:
A Biographical History of
Salem-- an exhibition
chronicling the lives of seven
significant Salemites through
the past 210 years. As you learn
about their lives, the history
of Salem itself unfolds!
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The Brown House Parlor
A late Victorian
parlor furnished with
antiques original to the
house during the Brown
family's residence. |
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Lakeside! Sixty Summers of
Ups and Downs
In In the hot
summer of 1920, a mammoth
swimming pool named Lakeside
opened just east of Salem.
Soon the resort added a
Thriller (roller coaster),
Twirl-Around (Ferris wheel),
and other rides until
Lakeside became the
destination for summer fun
in western Virginia. From
1968 until the park’s demise
in the mid-80s, the
centerpiece of Lakeside was
the Shooting Star, a wooden
roller coaster that at the
time was the fastest in the
world. Photographs,
souvenirs, a scale model of
the Shooting Star, and a
million fond memories tell
the exhilarating history of
Lakeside’s sixty summers. |
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