On a very chilly day, looking for something to change up the routine of virtual school and expand our horizons a little, we hopped in the car and drove to Staunton to experience the Frontier Culture Museum.
This was a great laidback outing for our group. And while COVID has changed the experience, we still enjoyed exploring the grounds and the homesteads. Plus, we got out of our own house and explored some new frontiers in a way that felt safe.
The Frontier Culture Museum was a pretty bold proposal back in the 1970’s. As the Museum’s website says:
“… in 1975 a group of ambitious individuals proposed the creation of an expansive outdoor museum that would interpret the contributions made by settlers from backcountry communities of England, Germany, Ireland, and West Africa that pioneered our Western frontier in the 1700s.”
I can imagine that such a proposal was met with a bit of skepticism. (‘You want how many acres of land to do what now?’) But they persisted and their vision has provided a way for kids of all ages to learn through experience. It is such a unique place.
Today, the Museum sits on about 200 acres of land where I-64 and I-81 meet. With 10 permanent exhibits, visitors can see what life was truly like for those living on the frontier and paving the way for new horizons. From a 1700s Irish farm to an 1850s American settlement (think Little House on the Prairie), there was so much to take in.
The entire Museum can be done in a circle, starting with the Igbo homestead. This is an important nod to the slaves brought here against their will – understanding how different their culture and environment was. And going from home to home, we were able to really see how many different people contributed to life as we know it and what we’ve kept from each unique situation of living.
(And on a cold day, our group spent a lot of time remarking on whether the homes of yesteryear would be warm enough for us to be comfortable! There was a heavy dose of reality for kids in that of itself.)
The Museum continues to improve and grow. Recognizing that the Igbo West African Farm isn’t holding up well to the elements (the raw materials are authentic but not necessarily conducive to ice and snow), they are working to renovate. Museum guides on our visit also told us that they are expanding the museum, but after some research I can’t find any details on this.
Given that we visited during COVID, the Museum was a little different. There weren’t any live demonstrations of any kind. Guides were available to give walking tours, but we elected (given the energy level of our kids) to walk at our own pace (which with our kids ended up being a sprint), using the literature and the signage available around the grounds.
Yet all of the animals are on grounds (including the pig I really wanted to take home). And the houses are available to walk into and through, staged with period-appropriate furniture, bedding, clothes, tools, and more.
Plus, farmhouse rustic is all the rage in interior decorating these days, so feel free to be inspired.
Some of the frontier homesteads on the grounds are originals that have been moved to the Frontier Culture Museum. Others are replicas. But they are all so interesting to see. We had fun noticing the differences between the homes – and seeing the growth and the change in the American frontier homes especially. I’ll tell you my favorite homestead if you tell me yours.
The drive to the Frontier Museum was, for us, around 45 minutes and a very easy shot down the interstate. The kids were simultaneously able to get some hands-on education while getting outdoors and running around. (And as Norwegians apparently say, “there is no bad weather, only bad clothing,” so bundle up and go explore!)
At the time of publication, tickets are $12/adults, $11 for kids ages 13 to college, $7 for kids ages 6 to 12, and free for kids under 6.
Strollers built for off-road would work, as would a carrier. The path itself was very easy to walk, but we found ourselves walking through the houses and into the exhibits’ yards quite often. We also covered a fair amount of ground walking/sprinting madly-wise, so wear good shoes! Our entire visit was over an hour so we had snacks and water in the car.
During COVID, the small museum shop with some exhibits are open yet with limited entry.
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– Charlottesville kid “C,” 11-years-old
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More on the Frontier Culture Museum:
- Official website
- Map of the museum grounds
- Read the Little House on the Prairie to prepare!
- A fun website to learn about life on the frontier
Raising Charlottesville is a website dedicated to highlighting fun & local activities for families living in the Charlottesville, VA area.