Sky Parlor History

01/03/2024

Exciting news! The Stories Within These Walls, the documentary commissioned by the Salem Museum and Salem Historical Society will premiere on YouTube and Vimeo on Monday, March 4! Locals, if you've ever been curious about the history of this house, this film takes you from its construction all the way up to today! It has a special place in my heart, for sure!

28/02/2024

Many of Virginia's old railroad grades have been converted into multi-use recreation trails perfect outdoor lovers who prefer more moderate and leisurely outdoor experiences. The routes' gentle, mostly flat trails range from a few miles to more and wind...

14/02/2024

Take a look at this funny but historically accurate look at Victorian Courtship advice, filmed in Roanoke and Salem, VA!

Happy Valentine's Day! 💝 Please, go watch 📖Gentlemen's Guide here: https://youtu.be/xMZvQsFwmz4 Don't forget to let us know what you think in the YouTube comments, and, share with anyone you think might enjoy it, too! 💘

28/11/2023

16/11/2023

After Frederick J. Kimball rejected the idea of re-naming Big Lick "Kimball," the citizens of the up-and-coming town decided a new name was still in order if it was to become a hub of two major railroads. They just had to look around to see the Roanoke River that surrounded the town and decided on the name Roanoke, after the Algonquian word for shell money. The Native Americans wore the rawrenoke around their necks and they named the river after the clam shells they harvested from the river!

09/11/2023

Roanoke was NEARLY called Kimball, VA when in 1881 Frederick J. Kimball, the president of Norfolk and Western Railways, selected Big Lick as the junction between the Shenandoah Line and N&W Line. (Under Kimball, N&W became famous for the manufacturing of the steam locomotives in the Roanoke Shops!) The little village of Big Lick was so grateful to him they offered to rename the town Kimball in his honor! He declined. But, they DID build a fountain in his honor in 1907. The red marble "Man, Bird and Beast" fountain still stands today at the intersection of Williamson and Church Avenue.

08/11/2023

Big Lick was the name of the town until 1882 when it officially became "Roanoke." The big salt lick was located right about the current intersection of Campbell and Williamson Roads, where "Big Lick Junction" is located today. AND, the streams that pushed the Big Salt Lick to the surface all those years ago are still running underneath the city today!

08/11/2023

What's in a name? Turns out...a lot! This week we'll be exploring the many names of Roanoke, Virginia and how they came to be!

03/11/2023

02/11/2023

Happy Birthday, Cookie Monster!

What better way to celebrate Cookie Monster’s birthday than to… put him on display! That’s right! Starting today, Cookie Monster is now on display in our “Entertainment Nation”/“Nación del espectáculo” exhibit!

Covered in blue fur with large googly eyes, Cookie Monster is one of the main characters on Sesame Street.



The Museum cares for the Henson collection with generous support from the Jane Henson Foundation.

The Television Gallery in Entertainment Nation is generously supported by Tom and Karen Rutledge.

Gift of the Family of Jim Henson: Lisa Henson, Cheryl Henson, Brian Henson, John Henson and Heather Henson.

31/10/2023

27/10/2023

Mmmmm...Duncan Hines cake mixes! What a chef he must have been, huh?! Nope! He could barely cook! To learn more, here's an article from NPR: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/03/26/520866833/duncan-hines-the-original-road-warrior-who-shaped-restaurant-history #:~:text=But%20Duncan%20Hines%20wasn't,unlikely%20author%20and%20homegrown%20connoisseur.

25/10/2023

The original Haunted Attraction opened in 1969 in Disneyland.

25/10/2023

Desperate mothers of teenage boys invented Haunted Houses during the Great Depression! There is no force equal to a determined mom!

24/10/2023

1960s vintage Dr Pepper Commercial

24/10/2023

The Jacksons' Dr. Pepper Song

24/10/2023

It's Dr Pepper Day! Where did the 10 2 4 come from anyway?

24/10/2023

It's Dr Pepper Day! 10-24! And, in Roanoke, Virginia, The Dr Pepper Capital of the World, we're celebrating! Check out the connection that the small town of Christiansburg, Virginia, next door to Virginia Tech, has to the origins of Dr Pepper!

23/10/2023

Mamie Eisenhower decorated the White House for the first time in 1958. According to WhiteHouseHistory.org, “she hosted a lunch for the wives of staff members in the State Dining Room of the White House. Decorations included skeletons hanging from the wall lights, yellow jack-o'-lanterns, and shocks of dried corn in the corners of the room, and State Dining Room columns that were decorated at their bases with brown corn stalks, pumpkins, and red apples. The tables had miniature witches on broomsticks and 16 silver bowls filled with yellow and bronze chrysanthemums. Scattered on the tables were autumn leaves and autumn nuts, ears of dried corn, as well as dried gourds and dried squash. Black cats, black owls, disembodied witch heads, and goblins hung from the chandeliers in the foyer.”

22/10/2023

Rockledge Inn (not to be confused with the still existent Rockledge Mansion) sat high atop Mill Mountain from 1891 until 1976 when it burnt down. It served as a summer resort, although much more rustic accommodations with just 2 baths to the 20 guest rooms. It had big fireplaces and a large dining room and a wonderful wrap-around veranda with dining available in the open air. By 1909 the Incline could bring guests up the mountain for dinner.

21/10/2023

Trick-or-Treat Origins