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Become a Member or Renew Membership
Happy New Year. We invite you to become a Museum member or renew your membership for 2025. Click on the Memberships button to purchase, or save the form, print & mail with your check.
Cape Charles Historical Society and Museum
Located inside a historic power plant are displays of photos & artifacts depicting the history of Cape Charles and the railroad and ferry service, a large model collection of Chesapeake Bay steamboats. The campus has a collection of rail cars, a locomotive, jetty house, pilot house of Capt. Edward Richardson RR barge.
Available now
Cape Charles - A Railroad Town
This popular book by Jim Lewis has long been out of print.. Xenophon Press has re-published it for us. It is for sale in Hard Cover or Soft Cover versions.
Purchase at the Museum, or order online. Website orders shipped only.
also, see our permanent exhibits
Our Busch-Sulzer Diesel Generator
Our Busch-Sulzer Diesel Generator
Our Busch-Sulzer Diesel Generator
This engine and generator supplied power to the town and local area during periods of peak demand from 1947 until the mid-1980s.
Our Chesapeake Bay Ferry Models
Our Busch-Sulzer Diesel Generator
Our Busch-Sulzer Diesel Generator
An extensive model collection of Chesapeake Bay ferries and steamboats from the mid-19th Century until the opening of the Bridge-Tunnel. Use the button to see Jim Garrison's video series on the Virginia Ferry Corporation (VFC). SEE MORE ON VFC BELOW
The Virginia ferry corporation
Jim Garrison continues work on his video series on the ferries, and he is looking for more images and film. If you have something you would be willing to share for future productions he would be very grateful.
your donations keep our museum open
Our locomotive and freight cars were donated to the museum at the closure of the Cape Charles rail yard. Moving them to our site strained our finances in 2019, and now we have to begin their restoration. Meanwhile, we receive, archive and display many artifacts related to the history of Cape Charles, as well as maintain an extensive library of historical photographs. Please consider a donation to help us continue to preserve the history of this historic Eastern Shore town..
