ocated in the town of Winchester, the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is probably unlike any stuffy museum you’ve been to before, offering a blend of indoor and outdoor activities that appeal to people of all ages and interests. Whether you like looking at art, are a history buff, a garden enthusiast, or someone that enjoys hitting the trails for a walk or run, there’s something for everyone at this unique cultural heritage center!
The museum, gardens and walking trails sit on land that can trace its history back to Colonel James Wood, who settled the land in 1735 and donated portions of his land to establish the city of Winchester, Virginia in 1744. His son, Robert Wood, replaced the original wood home with a large brick mansion in 1794. During the ensuing years the Glen Burnie home and property were passed through generations of Wood descendants until inherited by Julian Wood Glass Jr., the last Wood descendent to live in the home, in 1952. By the Julian Glass moved in the home was in poor shape, so he and his partner at the time, R. Lee Taylor worked together to restore the home and gardens into a country retreat where the couple entertained in high style. They furnished the property with Glass’ fine art and furniture collections, many of which are now on display in the museum.
Before his death in 1992, Julian Wood established the Glass–Glen Burnie Foundation and the house and gardens house and gardens were opened to the public on a seasonal basis starting in 1997. Taylor continued to live at Glen Burnie until his death in 2000. In 2005 the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley was built to expand Glass’ vision to share his vast art collections with the public, as well as the unique history and craftsmanship of those who have called Shenandoah Valley home for generations.
Exploring the Art Galleries
The museum is comprised of four main galleries that house both permanent and temporary exhibits displaying objects collected by Glass and Taylor as well as museum curators, all located on the museum’s second floor. However, before heading upstairs we walked through the Art in the Halls exhibits located on the first floor of the museum in the Lewis and Glaize Halls on either side of the main lobby. Here the museum gives space for artists from around the region to showcase (and sometimes sell) their artwork. These exhibits change every few months, so every time you go there’s bound to be new art work to admire! While all of the artwork was impressive, these were my two favorite pieces:
The one on the left because it reminds me of Emma, who one year on a camping trip found a baby field mouse on a hiking trail and nursed it overnight until she and Peter could take it to a wildlife rehab center the next day. The one on the right because…well…dogs.
After that we headed upstairs to check out the rest of the museum. Our first stop was the R. Lee Taylor Miniatures Gallery. Glass’ partner, R. Lee Taylor, was a talented miniaturist and created beautiful miniature houses and rooms which are now on display in the aptly named gallery. One of the most impressive is a miniature version of the O’Hara family mansion from the novel Gone with the Wind. These are not typical doll houses, they are miniature recreations of historic homes and places. Even if you aren’t into miniature homes, the tiny details you see in each room like books with real writing on the pages and candles made of wick and wax will draw you in. The more you look, the more there is to see!
I was really excited about this gallery as I love looking at anything miniature, especially doll houses. When we were young children my dad made my sister and I a wooden Barbie house complete with light fixtures that worked and sliding pocket doors for the rooms. Walking through the room brought back memories of playing Barbies in that house with my sister.
After that we walked through the Shenandoah Valley Gallery, where you learn about the rich history of the Shenandoah Valley region through artifacts, furniture, paintings, and multi-media presentations.
While walking through the gallery a particular painting caught our eye. After a minute of looking at it, Peter remarked that it reminded him of a Danish Impressionist painting. Then we read the information plaque next to the painting and guess what – it was painted by the Danish artist Joachim Ferdinand Richardt!
After that we went through the Founders Gallery and the Changing Exhibits Gallery, both containing rotating displays of objects from the MSV Shenandoah Valley Collection and the collection acquired by Julian Glass throughout his life. During our visit in the Changing Exhibits Gallery there was an interesting hodgepodge of furnishings such as chairs, grandfather clocks and many paintings and other artworks as well as beautiful collection of handwoven baskets.
Exploring the Glen Burnie Gardens
The Glen Burnie Gardens comprise seven acres of lush green space surrounding the Glen Burnie House. They are just as impressive as the collections inside the museum! Within these seven acres are a Grand Alee, a statue garden, a rose garden, an Asian garden complete with tea house, a perennial garden, a kitchen herb garden and much more! Even though it was so hot the day we visited, we still took our time walking around looking at everything that was still in bloom. However, like most gardens I am fairly certain spring and early summer really are the best times to visit.
The last part of the garden we walked through was Kathie’s Spring Garden. Despite being at the edge of the property next to a busy road, as you walked and looked at all of the flowers and sculptures along the path the noise from flow of traffic faded into the background.
Trekking the Trails
Open year-round from 7:00am to dusk with free admission, the trails surrounding the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley feature outdoor art installations and miles of trails for walking, running and biking across 90 acres of fields, woodland and marshland. Leashed pets are welcome! As you make your way along the trails keep an eye out for various sculptures. Since it was super hot the day we visited we didn’t make it very far, but I plan to go back in the fall to explore more of the trails!
DON’T MISS SCRAPOSAURS!
One of the really unique features of the museum are the temporary outdoor art exhibits nestled within the gardens. From now until October is Scraposaurs, a traveling art exhibition featuring 14 amazing dinosaur and other prehistoric animal sculptures made by Minnesota artist Dale Lewis out of recycled scrap metal and other found objects. This exhibit is actually the reason why I wanted to to go the museum in the first place. It was really fun to spend some time walking around the garden and admiring all of the craftsmanship that went into creating each creature, from the forks turned into teeth and a John Deere rotary hoe turned into a rib cage!
The Scraposaur exhibit ends October 19, 2025 so if you want to see it, you better head up there soon!
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO
As you can see, The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley in Winchester, Virginia is far more than a history or art museum – it’s a wonderful cultural center for people of all ages that offers visitors an ever-changing program of activities and events! Check out the museum’s website or follow them on social media in order to stay informed of all the events and special exhibitions. The museum is also an expansive space, so plan to give yourself enough time to see everything you want to see – you can easily spend an entire day here! There are two museum shops on the property, one in the main museum building and one near the gardens. Both offer small snack and beverages, but there is no café. There are picnic tables in the garden, so bringing your own food and having a picnic is highly encouraged!
The museum is located at 901 Amherst Street, Winchester, VA 22601
Opening Hours:
January through March: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
April through December: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Admission:
Admission includes access to the Museum, Glen Burnie House Gardens.
Adult: $15
Seniors: $10
Youth (13–18): $10
Ages 12 & under: free admission
MSV members: free admission
Trails: free to all
Admission is FREE on Wednesdays.
