The Salem Museum is featured as a destination in the newly launched Virginia 250 Passport Program. This collaborative, statewide initiative — organized by the Virginia Museum of History & Culture (VMHC), Colonial Williamsburg, George Washington’s Mount Vernon, the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation (JYF) and Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello — encourages Virginians and visitors to commemorate America’s 250th by engaging with the commonwealth’s foremost historic sites and museums. The project is supported by the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commission (VA250) and the Virginia Tourism Corporation (VTC).
Beginning Nov. 11, Passport booklets are available free of charge at signature sites — VMHC, Colonial Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, Monticello and the JYF’s Jamestown Settlement and American Revolution Museum at Yorktown — as well as at the Salem Museum in limited supply, the VA250 Mobile Museum, select VA250 events and all 12 Virginia Welcome Centers, each located at gateways along interstate highways. A total of 250,000 copies will be distributed.
“This statewide partnership between some of the finest history institutions in the nation is an example of how, when we work together, we can create engaging, meaningful experiences for our fellow Virginians,” said Rita McClenny, president and CEO of the Virginia Tourism Corporation. “We encourage you to pick up your passport while supplies last and spend a year with us traveling around our great Commonwealth.”
The Virginia 250 Passport serves as a travel guide, discount book and keepsake. The 64-page commemorative booklet features descriptions of the 70 participating museums and historic sites across five regions of the Commonwealth: Central Virginia, Northern Virginia, Shenandoah Valley, Southwestern Virginia and Tidewater.
Travelers can collect unique stamps while visiting each passport site. Once they have secured a stamp in their passport, they can receive up to a 15% discount at future participating locations that charge admission. Collecting at least five stamps makes them eligible to enter the prize drawing. Prizes will be drawn in December 2026 and include yearlong museum memberships and cash awards up to $2,500.
“We are thrilled to be included in the VA250 Passport Program!” said Garrett Channell, executive director of the Salem Museum. “We look forward to welcoming visitors from across Virginia and surrounding states. This is an exciting way to explore the Commonwealth and learn all of our collective history. We look forward to welcoming passport holders and bringing Roanoke Valley history to life for these visitors.”
The Virginia Department of Education will be partnering with superintendents across the Commonwealth to ensure that schools and teachers are aware of the passport, and are sharing it with students and families statewide.
“The Virginia 250 Passport is a wonderful tool that can be used both inside and outside the classroom to inspire curiosity, learning and civic pride as it makes history come alive across the Commonwealth,” said Aimee Rogstad Guidera, Virginia secretary of education. “By exploring the people and places that shaped our nation, young Virginians and their families can connect more deeply with our shared story and gain a greater appreciation for the ideals that continue to define the Commonwealth and our country.”
The Virginia 250 Passport program runs from Nov. 11 to Dec. 31, 2026. More information, including sweepstakes rules, is available at VirginiaHistory.org/250Passport.
-The Salem Times-Register
