15-Minute Drive Back to 1890

Indeed, you can step back to the turn of the 20th century with just a 15-minute drive south of Waynesboro to Humpback Rocks Outdoor Farm Museum. Just a quarter-mile walk from the Humpback Rocks Visitors Center, the historic farm offers a glimpse back in time to life on a mountain farm over a century ago. The farm museum consists of a single-room log cabin, chicken house, root cellar, barn, hog pen, spring house, and rail fencing; and during the summer, costumed interpreters provide demonstrations, including weaving, basket making and gardening. In the 1890s,farms like this one were the family’s sole source of shelter, sustenance, and, if there was surplus, income. Together they learned how to survive. They had no electricity, indoor plumbing, motorized vehicles, interstate highway systems, cell phones, or the internet. You may find the tranquility refreshing, but rest assured, it was a challenging life. The farm is open daily in the summer from 10am to 5pm and is surrounded by 3,000 acres of predominantly forested lands to explore as well. It may be of interest to note that the buildings are original but not in their original locations. During construction of the Blue Ridge Parkway, landscape architects collected historic buildings from the surrounding area and placed them at Humpback Rocks for convenient viewing. For hours of operation and nearby trails click here or find a sketched map of the area here.