O. Winston Link & Roanoke History Museum — Attraction in Roanoke

I discovered this page via researching the nearby Virginia museum of transportation. I mistakenly assumed this museum would be the lesser of the two, boy was I wrong. I would say they are equal, as they both spectacularly display some amazing pieces that truly capture the incredible pieces of our transportation history. Now I'm the kind of person who reads "art museum" or "photography museum" and I wrinkle my nose, but this is something else. Any railfan will enjoy this museum. They will connect with the work of Winston Link because they too have invested time and staked out the perfect place to take a picture of a train. At the top of the hour they play a short film about the man who captured the N&W's final years steaming through coal country, a must watch. The fact that his work gets to be displayed in an old N&W passenger station, just a few blocks from his favorite steam engine is icing on the cake. Thanks to all the donors who made this possible, if you're in Roanoke and like trains (even a little bit) you will enjoy...

We started at the front desk of the visitors center. Linda was friendly, welcoming and super helpful with suggestions on what to see and where to eat lunch. We chose to purchase the combination ticket for the O. Winston Link Museum and The Virginia Museum of Transportation. We started with the O. Winston Link Museum. It is full of beautiful photos from O. Winston Link and others! There was also a large vintage hat exhibit that was fun to see. My husband and I spent 2 hours here. We learned how Link made his photos and how he got started in photography. The displays of his equipment was fascinating . The 30 minute film about his life at the end of the tour is worth the time it takes to watch it because you learn so much more about him. There was an exhibit of photos from amateur and professional photographers. As well as many other items that reflect the history of Roanoke. Highly recommend a visit here...

Charming museum that was once a train station dedicated to one man’s love of the now gone steam engine train where his passion was captured in the impressive grandeur photographs he took from the 1950’s. A master of light and engineering, Ogle spent much of his life documenting one of America’s lasting splendor in the era of the locomotive not just visually, but w audio as well where he released a number of recordings of the sounds of the traveling train through the West Virginian mountains. One can imagine his excitement from the surviving recordings, where you can here the glee he expressed in his voice while riding atop. You are transposed by his artistry to a time when life was simpler but somehow a lot more evolved than where...