on our way back to NC from Charlottesville was super excited to go the extra ten miles out of the way to this place. Love the Waltons show! They were closed! Their website said nothing about this, or am I blind? I was so disappointed. If I had made it the highlight of my entire trip it would have been a big let down To end on a positive note: the scenery from Scottsville to the mountain was beautiful
Keep in mind, the Walton's has been off the air for more than 30 years and you wonder how long the museum is going to last. As others have said, the museum's best feature is the recreated sets. It's hard to see things like the Walton's Christmas album and an old People magazine qualify as museum exhibits when you can buy them on eBay for less than $10 (total). Wish they would combine the museum with the house; that might give it a little more life. If you are a big fan of the show and happen to be in the area, go, but don't make a special trip. Better to watch reruns of the show on YouTube.
The family home was very well restored, and we were allowed the freedom and privacy to tour it on our own and take photos. I just felt like I had stepped back in time. Ike Godsey's store was just up the road. We are so happy we got the chance to visit.
If you are a fan of "The Waltons" TV show this is a must visit for you and your family. The museum is set in the old elementary school with rooms setup as they looked in the Walton's home. There is also a military, recipe, and script room. Your visit starts with a film that brings you back to the cast of the TV show. You will find a lot of Waltons information throughout the museum. There is also a gift shop set up as Ike Godsey's store. You will find the post office there also with a door off of John Boy's bedroom where you can have your picture taken with Mr. and Mrs. Godsey. Good night John Boy, goodnight Jim bob, goodnight Elizabeth, goodnight everyone.
Seeing this place brought me back to my childhood when life was easy, fun and safe and all about family! Definitely recommend, especially for those craving a little nostalgia in their lives!!!
Enjoyed the authentic, unpretentious nature of it - casual, self-paced, with church and store nearby.
Walton's Mt.takes a little getting to but the end result is more than worth it. We've visited twice and hope to go back again.....Earl Hamner is a delightful writer and he captured his family and the Blue Ridge Mountains with great wit and candor without intruding in their private lives. Simply delightful and a pleasant trip back in time.
Both my husband and I loved the museum. My husband, who is not a Walton's fan, was fascinated with the soldier museum which is part of the Walton museum. They have thousands of WWI and WWII memorabilia, much of which we have never seen in any museum. I am a Walton's fan and it was everything and more I could wish for. They had history of Earl Hamner Jr as well as pictures and details about the TV show and the actors/actresses that played the Walton's. The museum is in the former schoolhouse that was attended by Earl. They have replicas of John Boy's room, the kitchen and the living room. They also have an excellent 20 or 30 minute video on the making of the Walton's with interview by Hamner and the cast. Definitely see that. The only disappointing part is that, although the original Hamner house still stands, it is run by the local bed and breakfast company and not the museum. They charge extra to tour the inside, which we did not do. And it is right down the street from the school house. I like the idea of all the kids having to walk through the forest to get to school (per the TV show), rather than walking 1/2 a block! But the town is just as he described; out in the middle of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mts. If you are going to be in the vicinity of Charlottesville, I highly recommend it. BTW, we spent 3.5 hours there and I had to drag my husband out of the war room!
I took my mother on a Walton's pilgrimage for her birthday. We ate in Charlottesville and then enjoyed the beautiful 40 minute drive to Schulyer. We first stopped at the Museum that's in an old school building. The $8.00 admission gives you entry to the rooms where they have several sets from the Walton's TV show set up. There is also a gift shop in the Godsey's Store set, a room with scripts and a war memorabilia room. Seeing the sets is interesting and you can also see a 20 minute DVD. Sadly, the staff wasn't very friendly and some of the displays are less than museum quality. After the visit to the museum, we went down the hill to the store at the crossroads by the Hamner Home. The prices and quality of their goods were excellent and the proprietor was a great source of information. We paid $7.50 each to visit the Hamner Home that has been restored and decorated. We were given a key and told we could stay as long as we liked, take pictures and even use the facilities. Seeing the actual home was a real treat. So glad it was saved from demolition by a Hamner family friend. All in all, it was an enjoyable experience. FYI, using your phone or gps might be problematic depending on your provider. AT&T service was sporadic once off Rt. 29.
We enjoyed the museum. We were disappointed to learn the house from the show never really existed. The actual home is much smaller. Learning about the characters and the writer was interesting.