Exhibits
Discover stories, objects, and moments that shaped Mathews County, from everyday life to extraordinary history.
On View Now
Step into 1776: The Battle of Cricket Hill Diorama
Experience Lord Dunmore’s last stand in Virginia through a detailed scale model of Gwynn’s Island, Fort Cricket Hill, and the waters of Hills Bay.
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100 Hours Beneath the Chesapeake
Before ROVs or scuba, there was Gilbert Klingel—a man who welded curiosity into steel and gave the Chesapeake a voice.
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Bay Quilters Guild Annual Quilt Show
Hosted by the Mathews Museum & Bay Quilters Guild
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Tom Hunley General Store
Step into a recreated country store—every jar, scale, and sign is original, sparking memories of community life in rural Mathews County.
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Carriage House: Medicine on Wheels
Before there were hospitals and corner pharmacies, there was a man, a horse, and the will to heal.
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Sally Tompkins: Angel of the Confederacy
From Poplar Grove in Mathews County to the wards of Robertson Hospital in Richmond, Captain Sally saved hundreds of Confederate soldiers through faith, discipline, and remarkable skill.
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The Campeche Chair: Fit for a President
A courthouse chair with Jeffersonian echoes—and more questions than answers.
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Sound & Story: The Pump Organ
Before amplifiers, power cords, or digital sound, communities gathered around an instrument powered only by breath and feet.
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Home & Handwork: Vintage Housewares
From scrub boards to spin cycles, discover how homemaking evolved in Mathews County—one appliance at a time.
View exhibit →Past Exhibits
Country Critters: Our Wild Neighbors
Explore the fields, forests, and marshes of Mathews—without leaving the museum.
Revisit →
Stitched Stories: Quilts of Mathews
A centuries-old craft that turns scraps into stories, quilting in Mathews reflects survival, creativity, and community—from isolated farms to today’s vibrant quilting guilds.
Revisit →
Threaded Through Time: Women’s Fashion
From bonnets and bustles to lace and linen, explore how women’s fashion reflected changing roles, identities, and eras in Mathews County.
Revisit →
Founding Frenemies
A special exhibit from our past program.
Past exhibit →