reedville fishermen's museum

The Reedville Fishermen's Museum really captures the flavor and history of the Northern Neck. A large volunteer base has made this museum a community centerpiece. Anyone visiting this area should make an effort to visit RFM to see the history of the fishing industry that put Reedville on the map in the early 20th c. We always take our guests and direct anyone who stops by our business to this little gem. Special exhibits are always interesting and well done. Docents are welcoming and enrich the exhibits. If the model train exhibit is open, don't miss it. On the docks - see the replica of John Smith's barge that was the means for exploring the Chesapeake Bay, the Claud Somers, an authentic skipjack (oystering boat) and the Elva C, an authentic buy-boat - all restored by volunteers in the boat shop. Children through seniors would enjoy RFM. On the website are all the events.

We escaped life for a day with our teenage boys and decided to drive around the Northern Neck. We meandered down some beautiful Virginia roads and ended up in Reedville. What a lovely little town. On a whim we visited the Reedville Fisherman's Museum. WHAT A TREAT! Inside the main building there is a museum that details the history of the town and you learn a great deal about fishing in general. The cost is $5 for adults, but if you like this sort of thing it is definitely worth it. Plus, the money goes to help upkeep the museum - it's a win-win. The docents were very nice and offered to take us on guided tour. The tour included the fisherman's house, the train depot, and a dockside history of the restored boats on the property. The docent was great and answered all of our questions. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit and highly recommend it for anyone who is out wandering for the day!

The importance of the Fisherman's Museum is that it reflects a past that most of us have never experienced. It gives us an idea of what it was like to live on the Chesapeake well over a hundred years ago to the present. How fortunes were made (once the richest town in America) to the economic downturn in the fishing industry to the hopeful rise in the economy today. You will see restored watercraft and equipment. Take your time and walk the town to the waters edge to see the sights.

My husband and I visited the museum by one of the lovely volunteers we met at lunch. It was a wonderful experience visiting the museum and I can't wait to visit again.

The Reedville Fishermen's Museum not only tells the story of the menhaden fishing industry in it's heyday and how important the menhaden are not only for the products fish oil is in today, but also for the important part menhaden play in the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem. The museum is run by dedicated volunteers. They even have workshops for families to build and and/or refurbish old Bay boats. Many are on display that are very impressive. Visitors can even arrange to take a skipjack tour. The exhibits inside change periodically. The current exhibit focuses on water catastrophes on the Chesapeake Bay and other nearby waters throughout the last couple of centuries. There is a small gift shop with an impressive collection of children's coloring books!The museum is in the heart of Reedville which has a mile long main street lined with sumptuous old victorian homes - all built by menhaden sea captains in the late 1800's, and a couple of decent restaurants. Many of the old homes are now bed and breakfasts.

Reedville used to have the highest per capita income in the US. The big fishing employer here fishes for Menhaden which are used in more products than you can imagine. See the train room!

We came just as they were about to close. No matter! They let us in at no charge, let us wander through all the interesting exhibits and pictures, told us some of the history, let us take our time in the gift shop. Truly friendly wonderful country folks that are very proud of Reedville, it's history, and their museum. I'd recommend it to anyone that enjoys old fishing boats.

This place has a real wealth of materials on display. Lots of pictures, but good to have one of the volunteers along, because you can't learn that much on your own- not a lot of details on the exhibits. A real glimpse of the past history of fishing. Price is $5 per person, which seems a bit high.

My husband and I visited this museum this week on a three day get-away. What a pleasant surprise it was. The museum documents the Reedville fishing industry. We knew nothing about it prior to our visit, but by the time we left we felt like experts. The exhibits were top notch. The docents were totally devoted to the place and gave delightful insights into things. Even the gift shop was full of high quality items, made in USA and very fairly priced. We got there when it opened at 10:30 and left at 1pm. It was the best spent $5 admission fee we've ever spent. Some things to keep in mind if you visit: There is a model train exhibit that you can see any day, but they actually run the trains on Tues. and Thurs. Every other Friday you can go out in one of the restored boats. Check the schedule. We were disappointed we didn't get to do that. Once a month on Saturday you can take a leisurely educational cruise on another of the restored sailing vessels ($25 cost). Check the website for all neat things going on at this great little museum.

This is a very fine museum on many levels. The history of the menhaden fishing industry is hi-lighted by varied exhibits. A pleasant surprise was the model train layout. Wonderful blend of the maritime with the railroad that never came. Great exhibits of bay boats and the lighthouses that protect the fishermen.The level of volunteer involvement is impressive. Model building as well as wooden boat construction are being passed on to the next generation. A riparian buffer garden built along the waterfront is also an exhibit.Well worth a visit.

The Reedville Fisherman's Museum shows what a dedicated group of volunteers with a passion for an area can do. The history of the Manhadden Fishery is well depicted thru photos, documents, film and models. If you enjoy model trains, there's a building dedicated to a model of the train system that was proposed for the surrounding area but never built. A well thought out display on the oyster fishery is included and along the river bank there are boats of an earlier time as well as beautiful gardens. Oh...and also a house depicting the typical home of an earlier time. And did I mention the boat building shop? Spend some time here- well worth it!!!

It is a great place to take visitors who do not know the great Northern neck and no nothing about the menhaden fishing industry and the various types of fishing boats

The is a great little museum with a big heart and they really do "celebrate" Reedville's maritime past in a way that brings it all back to life. Amazingly tiny space, yet packed with a lot of information in a variety of ways, from hands on to historic documents to exhibits and displays. Someone here cares a great deal and has done a fine job over the years in creating and growing this museum. Not your run of the mill local museum by a long shot!

Friendly and knowledgable docents! Always an interesting visit! Reasonable entry fee to support the museum... A must place to see!Child friendly too!

Reedville, Virginia might note seem much at first, no fastfoods, not boutiques, but it has it's Millionarie's Row of Victorian houses and the Fishermen's Museum. If you want to plan a pleasant and different outing, this is the place to visit.