Because History Matters

What’s Waiting For You At Rocktown History?

Buy a book, or make a day of it!

Whether you’re just passing through or you’re a regular visitor to our museum and library, a fascinating experience always awaits at Rocktown History. Take some time to enjoy a self-guided tour of the many exhibits, and you will encounter precious objects of days gone by and discover stories of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County that can’t be found elsewhere.

You’ll also want to join us for special events and educational programming like Third Thursday Talks, exhibit openings, and workshops. You’ll learn from insightful and engaging experts on topics related to our rich local history and their relevance to life today.

If your own roots are what you seek, Rocktown History is your research headquarters. We’re home to an extensive genealogy library with access to national ancestry databases. Our knowledgeable staff and volunteers are ready to help you, no matter where your roots were planted.

Plus, you won’t want to pass up the opportunity to dive deeper into the topics that interest you. The bookstore offers unique history titles and research resources to take home.

The treasures of the past are waiting for you at Rocktown History.

Plan your visit today.

Upcoming Events

Restor(y)ation at the Lincoln Homestead

Restoring House and History Thursday, July 17, 2025, 7 pm When Sarah and Benjamin Bixler purchased the Lincoln Homestead in 2019, they knew the house would require an enormous amount of work. But more than restoring the building itself, they found an invitation to…

Fourth Friday Open House

Family-friendly discovery and connection! Fourth Fridays (Jun 27, Jul 25, Aug 29, Sep 26), 5-7 pm Join us for a fun and casual visit to Rocktown History!Whether you are a history buff or just looking for a new activity, there’s something for everyone: Sponsored…

Civic Season 2025

Discover Your Community’s Story June through July 5, 2025 Join us for a powerful journey through local Civil Rights history! Explore the museum galleries, including the featured exhibition Resilience Amid Resistance, with Pay as You Can admission (regular fees waived!). About Civic Season Civic…

History Book Club

Let’s gather to explore America’s history together. In 2024, Rocktown History and the Massanutton Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution invited the community to join a new history book club. Early attendees adopted the general rule to read titles related to American…

Rocktown History Coffee Mill

The Rocktown History Coffee Mills are brewing up stories from the past! This series of informal gatherings offers you a unique museum experience with Rocktown History’s own curator, researcher, historians, and other local history and genealogy friends. Come get a peek at a featured…

Featured Exhibit

Resilience Amid Resistance

History Made by Students—History Told by Students May 17, 2025 – September 20, 2025 Now in its tenth year, the Farmville Tour Guides Project, a student-led independent study in Rockingham County high schools, has long served as a powerful platform for students to explore…

BROWSE NOW

Featured Book

Lucy Frances Simms: From Slavery to Revered Public Service, by Dale MacAllister

Learn more

Short preview of Lucy Simms’ life created for the 2020 book launch.

Research family and local history at Rocktown History

Genealogy

Family and Local History Research

Whether or not you are Harrisonburg-Rockingham rooted, experienced staff and volunteers are waiting to help you with your family tree or your topic of historical interest.

ORDER RESEARCH

Collection Highlights

The collection of objects and ephemera are the primary source for connecting to the stories of the past.

VIEW COLLECTIONS

Klingstein Collection

During WWI, a French family nursed soldier Emmanuel Klingstein (1894-1971) during the 1918 influenza outbreak. The family donated letters and photos in 2020.

Fraktur Document

Pennsylvania Germans brought the tradition of recording significant life events on decorated documents to Rockingham Co. Fraktur are valued for artistic and genealogical details.

Toy Automobile

During the Great Depression, the Sharon Corporation produced toy cars at Eastern Mennonite University as a work study program to help students stay enrolled.

“What A Gem!”

Bumped into this place from a conversation at a hotel in Harrisonburg. This is a great Historical Society. The displays were wonderful and the archive room was filled with valuable genealogy information.

Would never have known about this place! What a gem. And the lady that volunteers was incredibly informative and nice! Worth the time!

Pamela Perdue

Out of the way

We visited on a week day an they where very nice, lots of history and very welcoming staff, easily spent two hours with my kids being entertained and learning. Awesome kids specific activities too!

Tysseer Harak

“Many Informative Displays”

Worth a stop. Museum looks small on the outside but is a bit bigger once you get in. Many informative displays on the Civil War and also some of the other local history.

They also offer lots of brochures about activities in the area. I ended up doing a walking tour of Dayton based on a brochure I found and really enjoyed it. Plan on 45 minutes.

Michael Miller