Southwest Virginia Museum, Historic State Park

Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park is housed in a mansion built in the 1880s by Rufus Ayers, a Virginia attorney general. The museum was bequeathed to the Commonwealth in 1946 by C. Bascom Slemp, private secretary to President Calvin Coolidge and a member of the U. S. Congress. The museum was officially dedicated by the state in 1948. It features a collection comprised of more than 20,000 pieces, about one third of which is on display at any given time. The museum chronicles the exploration and development of the region during the 1890s coal boom, as well as the pioneer period. Part of Southwest Virginia Museum state Park.



It offers activities for kids, scout and school programs, workshops, an annual Festival of Trees program, a quilt show, a music festival and outdoor exhibits. The museum sells archival supplies and offers the opportunity to have pictures of collection pieces copied, as well as copies of reference files. Also offered is a unique gift shop and a Victorian Parlor Conference Room available for rent by calling the museum.



No camping but overnight facilities at Poplar Hill Cottage. No swimming, fishing or boating is allowed. The museum is an Audubon Bird sanctuary and many birds can be seen on the grounds.



CONTACT INFO: Southwest Virginia Museum, Historical State Park, 10 West First Street, Big Stone Gap, VA 24219; Phone: 276-523-1322; Email: swvamuseum@dcr.virginia.gov.