The Roanoke History & O. Winston Link Museums will offer free admission to visitors from Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Salem, Botetourt, Bedford, Craig, Franklin, Floyd, and Montgomery Counties on Saturday July 18 and Saturday August 29, 2026.
The museums’ Summer Saturday Series is part of a larger initiative to provide greater access to the region’s history, art, and material culture. New exhibitions include interactive experiences with hands-on discovery stations for everyone to explore. Additionally, the museum’s artist-in-residence Bryce Cobbs will be onsite from 10-3pm both Saturday July 18 and August 29 creating art in the galleries.
Our Summer Saturday Series is presented by Spectrum Design, and is free for local residents with proof of residency with a valid ID. Regular admission pricing applies at $6 for adults, $5 for seniors & military, $3 for 12-17, and under 12 free.
Current exhibitions at the museums include:
Kindly Mirrors: From the collection of the Old Church Gallery in Floyd County, this exhibit displays a remarkable snapshot of one family’s life during America’s pivotal years surrounding World War I. The landscapes, daily chores, social gatherings, and quiet family moments captured on Gertrue’s Brownie 2A offer a unique view into the moments that mattered most to those in rural Appalachia.
On the Rails: Featuring submissions from more than 30 regional and national photographers, this exhibition celebrates the enduring influence of O. Winston Link, steam locomotives, and the railroad on contemporary society.
Rooted in Roanoke: In partnership with Roanoke Arts Commission & Noel C. Taylor Academy, the museum’s educator Jennifer Daniel explored what it means to be part of a community with 8th grade students at Noel C. Taylor Academy – an alternative school providing an integrated transitional program to meet the academic and social needs for students, gaining skills necessary to become productive citizens. Working with artist and muralist Bryce Cobbs and geospatial analyst David Massey, the museum’s next Rooted in Roanoke exhibition explores this topic from the eyes of students from some of Roanoke’s most underserved communities. Learn their unfiltered view on how they view Roanoke currently, and the hopes for their neighborhoods in 25 years.
Join the museum on September 19 from 6-8pm for a reception celebrating all of the above community exhibitions! Registration and RSVPs for the reception are not required, but highly encouraged. Come early for a lecture at 4pm with Ricky Cox, Alice Slusher, and Catherine Pauley from the Old Church Gallery, Floyd, to hear about the Kindly Mirrors exhibit – then stay for the reception celebrating all our summer exhibitions! Meet the artists, hang with friends, and learn something new.
More information on exhibits and upcoming events can be found at the museum’s website www.roanokehistory.org, or by calling 540-982-5465. The History and Link museums are housed in the historic train passenger station across from Hotel Roanoke. The museums are operated by the Historical Society of Western Virginia and are open Tuesday through Saturdays, 10 am – 4:30 pm.
