Blacksburg Museum Fall/Winter Events

We welcome our community to experience the following events during the fall and winter months. Most events are free and open to the public. For the gravestone rubbings and haunted history tours, please visit October Exhibit Events – Blacksburg Museum and Cultural Foundation or call (540) 443-1600.

October Exhibit – The Art of Goodbye
Exhibit Run: September 30 – November 18 Place: The Alexander Black House | 204 Draper Road SW, Blacksburg
Time: Tuesday – Saturday | 10am-4pm Partners / Contributors: Botetourt County Historical Society, JH Bards, McCoy Funeral Home, New River Art & Fiber, NRV Historical Costume Society, Taubman Museum of Art, and Westview Cemetery This exhibit explores the ways in which mourning and death rituals have evolved through the Colonial, Victorian and Modern eras. On display are local gravestone rubbings, mourning attire, hair jewelry on loan from the Botetourt County Historical Society, items from the McCoy Funeral Home private collection, and a 19th century painting by Lilly Martin Spencer, on loan from the Taubman Museum of Art. The events throughout October provide context and depth to the exhibit theme.

Gravestone Rubbings
Date: Every Wednesday in October
Place: The Alexander Black House | 204 Draper Road SW, Blacksburg
Time: 3:00pm
Fee: $25
Take a walk with us to Westview Cemetery and create grave rubbings with supply kits from New River Art & Fiber. We will walk from The Alexander Black House at 3pm to NRAF to pick up your kit and then head to the cemetery. You may alternatively pick up your kit at NRAF with proof of your ticket purchase and meet us at the cemetery at 3:30pm. We request that you purchase your kit at least three days prior to the event.

Haunted History Tours
Date: Every weekend in October
Place: The Alexander Black House | 204 Draper Road SW, Blacksburg
Time: various times listed on our website
Fee: $25
Take a tour of historic downtown Blacksburg with a ghostly twist! On this 60-90 minute tour, renowned ghost tour guide T.J. Prosalenti will take you to four locations – the Alexander Black House, The Lyric Theatre, the Thomas-Conner House, and Stroubles Creek. The stories at each stop will range from 5-10 minutes in length. The tour begins and ends at the lawn between The Thomas Conner House and The Alexander Black House at 204 Draper Road. Each tour is limited to 15 people and needs a minimum of 2 people to proceed. In the event of a cancellation on our end, you will be refunded. Rain does not cause automatic cancellation. Ages 8+

Scott Crawford Talk: “The Exhumation”
Date: Wednesday, October 22 Place: The Alexander Black House | 204 Draper Road SW, Blacksburg
Time: 6:30pm
Scott Crawford will explore how 19th century mourning culture helped decode a late 19th century painting, leading the National Gallery of Art to change the painting’s name. This talk will dive deeply into the 19th century concept of the “Good Death” and how the American Civil War upset this understanding of death, as well as the driving forces behind the National Cemetery Movement. Light refreshments provided.

An Autumnal Appalachian Evening of Ballads & Stories with Ash Devine
Date: Tuesday, October 28 Place: The Alexander Black House | 204 Draper Road SW, Blacksburg
Time: Doors open at 6pm, Show runs from 6:30-7:30pm
For spooky season, Ash is bringing us ballads & songs of transition, haunting, death, mourning, and creatures of the night. Between songs, we also wantyou to share stories of any hauntings you’ve experienced in the NRV! Doors open at 6pm and show runs from 6:30-7:30pm. Free but donations encouraged.

Mike Hudson Talk: Postmortem Photography
Date: Thursday, October 30
Place: The Alexander Black House | 204 Draper Road SW, Blacksburg
Time: 6:30pm
Mike Hudson, Historic Smithfield’s Executive Director, will discuss Victorian-era postmortem photography and mourning practices. Mike also contributed to a book entitled “Beyond the Dark Veil” which will be available for purchase during the exhibit run. Light refreshments provided.

Dan Thorp Book Talk and Signing
Date: Wednesday, November 5 Place: St. Luke & Odd Fellows Hall | 203 Gilbert Street, Blacksburg
Time: Doors open at 5pm, Talk begins at 5:30pm Before the Civil War brought emancipation to the South, some enslaved people managed to use the legal system – the same one that had concocted and long perpetuated their bondage – to sue for their freedom from owners who unlawfully held them in slavery. In his newest book, Seeking Justice, Thorp tells the story behind Unis v. Charlton’s Administrator, one of the most extensive of these freedom suits in all of American history. Blacksburg Books will be on site to sell copies.

Holiday Trees at the Blacksburg Museum
Place: The Alexander Black House | 204 Draper Road SW, Blacksburg
Dates: November 29 – January 3 (see description for all dates) Downtown Blacksburg, Inc. (DBI) is hosting a holiday wonderland in the Blacksburg Museum throughout the month of December. All are invited to decorate a tree to showcase their business or organization at no cost. The community will be invited to vote for their favorite tree. The participant with the winning tree will receive special promotions on social media. Participants must set up/furnish their tree between November 20 through the 26th. Trees will officially go on display from November 29th through January 3rd. Please keep your design family-friendly and representative of your organization and the holiday season. You do not have to be a DBI member to participate! For an entry form, email Tracie Hughes at dbi@downtownblacksburg.com. Entry deadline is Wednesday, November 12th.

Holiday Ukelele Jam with Ash Devine
Date: Saturday, December 13, 2025 Place: The Alexander Black House | 204 Draper Road SW, Blacksburg
Time: 2:00-4:00pm
Fee: suggested donation of $10-$20 per person but no one will be turned away
Join us for music, community, and merriment at the second Annual Uke-Xmas Uke-led string jam and sing along. For this session we will sing traditional December holiday songs, featuring classic carols, but not limited to. Some other themes may be solstice, peace and justice, winter, friendship, and more! Bring your uke, bring a song, or other stringed instrument, and play along or just come to listen or to sing along. Hot cocoa and light refreshments will be provided. But feel free to bring your favorite holiday finger food or non-alcoholic beverage.
All song sheets are digital. Email Ash Devine at bookashdevine@gmail.com if you would like your own copy.