The Frontier Culture Museum tells the story of the thousands of people who migrated to colonial America, and of the life they created here for themselves and their descendents. These first pioneers came to America during the 1600s and 1700s from communities in the hinterlands of England, Germany, Ireland, and West Africa. Many were farmers and rural craftsmen set in motion by changing conditions in their homelands, and drawn to the American colonies by opportunities for a better life. Others came as unwilling captives to work on farms and plantations. Regardless of how they arrived, all became Americans, and all contributed to the success of the colonies, and of the United States.
To tell the story of these early immigrants and their American descendents, the Museum has moved or reproduced examples of traditional rural buildings from England, Germany, Ireland, West Africa, and America. The Museum engages the public at these exhibits with a combination of interpretive signage and living history demonstrations. The outdoor exhibits are located in two separate areas: the Old World and America. The Old World exhibits show rural life and culture in four homelands of early migrants to the American colonies. The American exhibits show the life these colonists and their descendents created in the colonial backcountry, how this life changed over more than a century, and how life in the United States today is shaped by its frontier past.
Come see how our nation was settled in this wonderful outdoor museum of the American frontier. You'll get interactive fun for the families, groups and classes as you tour and learn about early American life from many cultural vantage points. Our villages include the styles of West Africa, England, Ireland, and Germany and examples of early American dwelling from 1740 through the mid 19th century.
Our educational Programs conform to Virginia Standards of Learning and include the following modules for field trips and learning experiences:
From Germany to the Valley
* From Ireland to the Valley
* Frontier Settlement to Farmstead: Becoming an American Farmer
* Logs & Rakes, Rails & Shakes: Working with Wood and Iron
* First, Catch your Hare: Historic Foodways on the Farms
* Early to Rise: The Life of an Historic Farmer
* People on the Move: Immigrants to America
* The Thread That Binds: Flax and Wool Processing
* West Africa: Daily Life and Culture
* Go West!
Visit our website for more information and check our calendar for seasonal events including Special Programs for Christmas, Halloween, Fourth of July and various festivals for the entire family!
Research:
Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia conducts research in support of its current and future exhibits and programs.
The Museum maintains a non-lending, research library of over five thousand books.
* Food
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