The Monacan Indians still live in the Bedford and Amherst Counties. This exhibit was put together by a committee of local residents, many of whom have Indian ancestry. On exhibit is a stone initialed by the father of George Washington in 1740. There is a touch table where you can grind corn and play Indian games. This exhibit is now on the second floor.
This exhibit was put together by a committee of local residents and showcases a number of prominent former residents of Bedford like Susie Gibson. This exhibit is on the second floor.
This exhibit was assembled with the help of Major Bill Brown, a local Civil War expert. He assured us we have a fine collection of Civil War artifacts on par with many larger museums. Please be sure to stop by and see if you agree! On display is a set of four Confederate States Navy buttons. These buttons actually crossed the Union's blockade of Southern ports to arrive and be placed on a Confederate uniform. Also on exhibit is a trunk owned by Major General J.C. Robinson, a very decorated member of the Union Army.
We are VERY pleased to announce the addition of the restored 2nd Virginia Cavalry Flag to our Civil War exhibit. Restoration was made possible through the very generous donations of our members and many others. New lighting has been added to the Civil War exhibit. Another new item in the exhibit is a doll. It originally had been on the Christmas tree at St. John's Church in 1861 and given to Mora Hurley. Photos of these additions are below.
This exhibit includes some incredible "trench art" created by soldiers out of shell casings. The center photo is uniforms of Basil D. Murray who served in both WWI and WWII.
This exhibit has a section specifically regarding D-Day, a B-17 bomber pilot's leather coveralls and a number of other artifacts from local people who served in World War II.
This newly completed exhibit is filled with information about D-Day, June 6, 1944. There are many items from our collection on display for the first time. Below are a few photos from the new exhibit. The Army photograph is of the members of the 116th Infantry, which landed at Omaha Beach on D-Day.
Third Floor Meeting / Exhibit Room
On your way up to visit this room, you will see a mounted elk rack from Bedford County. This room was originally used by the Masons as their meeting room. The platforms they used are still here and have various items from the Museum collection on display. The room is used for changing exhibits, some examples have been a quilt display, a wedding dress display and a model train setup. This room is available for rental. Please contact the Museum if you are interested.