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Waynesboro Heritage Museum | 420 W. Main Street, Waynesboro, Va. 22980
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 10am – 5pm | Admission: Free! | 540-943-3943
Welcome.
At the Waynesboro Heritage Foundation and its museums, we preserve the history of Waynesboro and the immediate surrounding area.
Come visit us.
The Museum
The Waynesboro Heritage Museum portrays the history of Waynesboro through permanent and rotating exhibit galleries at two museums: the Waynesboro Heritage Museum in downtown Waynesboro and the early-19th century Plumb House. Permanent panels within each gallery reiterate the city’s history from the Beverley Grant under King George II of England in 1797, early Teasville (Teesville), and Waynesboro’s namesake, Brigadier General Anthony Wayne, Basic City, Railroads, Education, Industry, Memorable Waynesboro, Postcard Gallery, Fishburne Drug Store, and Banks of Waynesboro.
Current Exhibits
The Waynesboro Heritage Museum’s permanent gallery is complemented by a newly renovated rotating modular exhibit space that allows the museum to display several temporary rotating exhibits simultaneously, as well as a new “Out of the Archives” permanent exhibit space. The following exhibits are currently on display in the rotating gallery:
- “Foundations of Hope: Celebrating a Century of Waynesboro’s Rosenwald School and its Community”
- “Until the Cows Come Home: The Lost Town of Basic City and the Struggle that Built a Consolidated Waynesboro”
- “Out of the Archives”
Plan Your Visit
Admission
Always free!
Main Museum Hours
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Wednesday
- 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Thursday
- 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Friday
- 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Saturday
- 10:00 am – 5:00 pm
- Sunday
- Closed
Plumb House Hours
From April 11, 2024 until October, the Plumb House will be open every Thursday from 10am – 1pm. You can also call the museum at 540-943-3943 to make an appointment.
- Monday
- Closed
- Tuesday
- Closed
- Wednesday
- Closed
- Thursday
- 10:00 am – 1:00 pm
- Friday
- Closed
- Saturday
- Closed
- Sunday
- Closed
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A group of men in front of partially constructed Lambert Manufacturing building in Waynesboroo. This firm was first established in 1870 by T.W. Lambert on the banks of the South River. In 1881 T.W. Lambert was bought out by S.H.R.B. and C.H. Lambert. An 1884 map shows a Lambert warehouse at Spring Alley and North Wayne Avenue. In 1889 the brothers moved to a larger factory at First Street and Ohio Avenue. In 1900 the name of the firm was changed to Lambert Manufacturing Company, Inc.
Color tinted postcard of the front o the General Wayne Hotel, Waynesboro, VA.![]()
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On May 3, 1938 the Waynesboro Hotel opened for viewing. It was later named the Hotel General Wayne and finally, The General Wayne Motor Inn. It was a resting place for many travelers, as well as a popular meeting place for local businesses over the years. At the turn of the millennium, the building was donated to Fishburne Military School. It was called Barger Hall after the Fishburne alumnus C.P. Barger, who, with his son-in-law John Conrad, donated the General Motor Inn to Fishburne Military School.
Who remembers the beautiful garden that was locted where 'Under the Roof' is now located? This 1952 image is of the garden that was located behind the old Withrow House. This garden ended at Federal Street and this photo was taken from the balcony at the back of the house looking toward Federa#waynesborovay#waynesboroheritagemuseumt#FromTheArchiveshearchives
Latest News & Events
New Plumb House Hours
As we make our way out of another winter hibernation, the Waynesboro Heritage Foundation is reopening the Plumb House Museum on a scheduled basis. Beginning April 11, 2024, the Plumb House will be open from 10am-1pm each Thursday. These hours will run from April through October 2024. As always, the Plumb House is also open…
New Exhibit: “Foundations of Hope”
“Celebrating a Century of Waynesboro’s Rosenwald School and its Community” When Booker T. Washington, who had a vision to improve education facilities for rural African-American communities in the American South, joined forces with Julius Rosenwald (president of Sears, Roebuck & Co.) who was looking to find new ways to extend his philanthropic generosity, their partnership…
New Exhibit: “Until the Cows Come Home”
“The Lost Town of Basic City and the Struggle that Built a Consolidated Waynesboro” Opening October 14, 2023, in conjunction with a renovated temporary exhibit space, is a brand new exhibit at the Waynesboro Heritage Museum that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the merger of Waynesboro and Basic City. On August 7, 1923, the townspeople…
New permanent exhibit: “Out of the Archives”
Waynesboro has a deep and rich history. The Waynesboro Heritage Foundation has been fortunate over the years to have been entrusted by the community with its many artifacts, records, stories, and memories that document our city’s collective history. In fact, did you know that the Museum holds over 13,000 items? However, with limited exhibit space…
‘The Timeless Tunnel’
The Blue Ridge Tunnel recently opened as a new and amazing attraction in Virginia by using a long-abandoned and almost forgotten feat of engineering.
Membership Meeting
Walter A. Wilson, III received his B.S. in political science from James Madison University and his J.D. from the George Mason University School of Law in 1982.