Craig County residents will be able to experience the role of Southwest Virginia in the American Revolution when the VA250 Mobile Museum Experience, “Out of Many, One,” visits the county.
This innovative traveling exhibit will bring the story of the nation’s founding directly to McCleary Elementary and Kindling School students on Thursday February 19. Middle and high school students will tour the facility Friday, Feb. 20.
The Mobile Museum will be parked on the Craig County Public School campus on Rt. 615 at 25345 Craig Creek Road. The public is cordially invited to visit on Thursday afternoon from 4-6 p.m. Overflow times may be scheduled on Friday afternoon. Call Diane Givens at 540-580-3745 for updates.
“Out of Many, One” is a cutting-edge, immersive, and hands-on exhibition housed inside a custom-built 53-foot expandable tractor-trailer. Utilizing high-tech displays, interactive exhibits, and compelling artifacts, the museum offers visitors of all ages an engaging journey through the pivotal events, groundbreaking ideas, and diverse individuals who shaped America in its earliest days. It highlights Virginia’s contributions as the birthplace of the nation and its ongoing pursuit of a more perfect union.
A ribbon-cutting for the Mobile Museum was held at the O. Winston Link Museum in Roanoke on Jan. 18, 2025 and the Museum has been touring the state visiting fairs, festivals, and libraries, as well as schools. Due to its popularity and high demand, a second unit with emphasis on Southwest Virginia history was introduced by the Virginia250 Commission early this year.
The interactive displays of the Museum highlight key figures in Virginia’s history and even some overlooked stories. One exhibit is devoted to women who contributed to the fight for independence. Another exhibit features stories of the Battle of Kings Mountain, highlighting Southwest Virginia’s role and the bravery of the Overmountain Men. As visitors enter the mobile museum, they are greeted by a hologram of Patrick Henry delivering his famous speech “Give me liberty or give me death.”
Susan Stimeling, principal of Craig County High School and Middle School, is pleased to bring this opportunity to Craig County students. “We are grateful to the Virginia250 Commission and our local 250 committee to make this happen for us,” she said.
In addition to the Mobile Museum a display of six pop-up panels will be on view in the hallways near the school’s cafeteria. This exhibit focuses on Southwest Virginia history during the American Revolution and is on loan from the Wilderness Road Regional Museum in Dublin.
For more information, visit the Craig250 Commission on Facebook and Va250.org.
-Submitted by Craig250
