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Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park, Big Stone Gap, VA

Photo: Blackoffee, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Museums

Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park

Victorian stone mansion museum in Big Stone Gap that tells the story of Southwest Virginia's history, from pioneer settlers to the coal boom.

10 West First Street North, Big Stone Gap, VA 24219 · Big Stone Gap, VA

About Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park

Run by Virginia State Parks, this museum occupies an 1890s stone mansion with original oak interior woodwork and holds the National Historic Landmark designation. Its collection includes more than 60,000 pieces, though only a fraction is on display at any time. Exhibits trace the region's exploration and growth, from 1700s frontier life to the late 1800s mining boom and bust. Visitors can also browse a gift shop stocked with regional crafts and local history books, enjoy the grounds, which are an Audubon Bird Sanctuary, and see the Southwest Virginia Walk of Fame. The museum hosts annual events such as a quilt show, a bluegrass festival, and a holiday tree display, and the Victorian Parlor and Poplar Hill Cottage are available for rent.

  • #museum
  • #state park
  • #history
  • #Victorian mansion
  • #National Historic Landmark

What's around here?

The closest stops to Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park, ordered by straight-line distance.

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Outdoor Adventure

    Natural Tunnel State Park

    Under $25

    Ride a chairlift or hike down to a limestone tunnel more than 850 feet long that is so big freight trains still run through it.

    12 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors

  • Sports & Outdoors
    Outdoor Adventure

    Breaks Interstate Park

    Under $25

    Look down into a five-mile canyon on the Russell Fork from park overlooks, then hike, camp or stay at the lodge on the Virginia-Kentucky line.

    40 mi awaySwitch it up: Sports & Outdoors

  • Theater & Events
    Date Night

    Barter Theatre

    Under $25

    The State Theatre of Virginia, staging plays and musicals on two stages in historic downtown Abingdon.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    46 mi awaySwitch it up: Theater & Events

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