O. Winston Link Museum

In a spot overlooking the very tracks that inspired his photographs, the O. Winston Link Museum offers a look into life along the Norfolk and Western Railway during the 1950s as captured by photographer O. Winston Link.

The museum, which opened in January 2004, has galleries of Link's prints. Link is best known for documenting life in communities along the railroads. His famous use of flash photography lends a surreal feeling to some of his nighttime photos.

The landscape, trains and people of the Norfolk and Western Railway are all on display. Several interactive touch screens cover a variety of topics pertaining to the railway and Link's life. Virginia cities are prominently featured, as are areas in and around Roanoke. The museum also has old-fashioned camera equipment and viewing stations where visitors can scroll through Link’s work.

Take the time to see "Gooseneck Dam on the Maury River, with N&W Train No. 2," one of Link's most famous works. It took six days of planning and preparation to capture the final image.

A theater shows a Link documentary on the hour every day, with the last showing at 4 p.m. The gift shop offers posters of Link's prints along with N&W and other railroad memorabilia.

O. Winston Link Museum
Where: 101 Shenandoah Ave., Roanoke, VA 24016
Phone: (540) 982-5465
Fax: (540) 982-5683
Hours: Monday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The Link Museum is closed Easter, Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year's Day.
Admission: $5 for adults; $4.50 for seniors; $4 for children (3-11). Members free
Group tour rates: Group rates are $4 per person for groups of 10 or more.
Joint tickets with the Virginia Museum of Transportation: $12 for adults; $10 for seniors; $8 for children