Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park
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Location
3400 Mountain Road, Glen Allen
Setting
Crump Park
Park grounds
Open daily, dawn to dusk
Visitor center
Seasonal hours; confirm before visiting
Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park brings together an early-19th-century farmhouse, history exhibits, interpretive programs and farm animals. The site looks at the Native Americans who traveled through the area, the Sheppard family, and the African Americans—including enslaved people—whose lives and labor shaped the farm. The county’s permanent exhibits also tell the stories of Gabriel’s Rebellion and the Parsons family.[1]
The museum is within Crump Park, which also has playgrounds, picnic shelters, trails, open fields and a fishing pond. Park grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk, but the Parsons Community Center and farmhouse tours have separate schedules. Check the county’s current visitor information before making plans, especially if a farmhouse tour is the main reason for your visit.[2]
Plan a trip to Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park
Why visit Meadow Farm Museum?
Meadow Farm offers a way to explore local history at the place where it unfolded. Rather than focusing on one family alone, its interpretation connects the land’s Native American history with the Sheppard family, enslaved workers, Gabriel’s Rebellion and the Parsons family. A visit can combine the historic house and exhibits with a walk around the broader park.[3]
Start here
Begin at the Parsons Community Center, where the museum’s permanent exhibits introduce the site’s layered history. If you want to see inside the farmhouse, ask about tour availability and timing when you arrive; the county advises visitors to arrive at the center by 3 p.m. to allow time for a tour. Hours and tour arrangements can change, so confirm details with Henrico County before setting out.[4]
What to see and do
Explore the exhibits
Learn about Native American use of the land, the history of Gabriel’s Rebellion and the experiences of the Parsons family across generations.
Tour the farmhouse
See the historic farmhouse associated with the Sheppard family. Tours are offered during building hours; check current availability and arrival guidance before visiting.
Meet the farm animals
The living-history site keeps domesticated birds and mammals, including sheep, cattle, hogs and poultry. Visitors are asked not to enter animal pastures or feed or touch the animals.
Walk around Crump Park
Make time for the park’s trails, open fields, picnic areas, playgrounds and fishing pond.
History and significance
Archaeological evidence points to Native American use of the waterways around Meadow Farm, including campsites used during seasonal movements between hunting grounds. European settlement on the property began in 1713, when Richard Baker and William Sheppard received land through the headright system. Sheppard later acquired his partner’s share.[5]
The farmhouse was built for Mosby Sheppard around 1810 and expanded over the following decades. From 1800 to 1865, enslaved people lived and worked at Meadow Farm. In 1800, two men enslaved by the Sheppard family alerted Mosby Sheppard to a planned uprising organized by Gabriel, an enslaved blacksmith at a nearby plantation. The plot, known as Gabriel’s Rebellion, was suppressed before it could take place; its aftermath brought new restrictions on enslaved people in Virginia.[6]
The farm passed through later generations of the Sheppard family and eventually to Sheppard and Elizabeth Adam Crump. Elizabeth Adam Crump donated the property to Henrico County in 1975 in memory of her husband. Meadow Farm opened to the public as a museum in 1981. The farmhouse is listed on the Virginia Landmarks Register and the National Register of Historic Places.[7][8]
Planning a visit
Meadow Farm Museum is at 3400 Mountain Road in Glen Allen, within Crump Park. The park and museum grounds are open daily from dawn to dusk. The Parsons Community Center’s hours vary by season: Henrico County lists Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., from March through November, and Saturday and Sunday, noon to 4 p.m., from December through February. Confirm current hours, programs and farmhouse tour availability with the county before visiting.[9]
For a farmhouse tour, the county advises arriving at the Parsons Community Center by 3 p.m. to allow time. The site also has picnic facilities and playground equipment; visitors planning to use park amenities can check the county’s page for current details and program information.[10]
Nearby attractions
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
A botanical garden in Henrico County, a natural companion for a day exploring the area.
Richmond
Explore the nearby city’s museums, historic sites and neighborhoods.
Henrico County
Find more parks, historic places and local discoveries across the county.
Books and useful gear: Browse related travel books and outdoor gear on Amazon
References
- ↑ Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, Henrico County, Henrico County, Virginia. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, Henrico County, Henrico County, Virginia. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, Henrico County, Henrico County, Virginia. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, Henrico County, Henrico County, Virginia. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, Henrico County, Henrico County, Virginia. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, Henrico County, Henrico County, Virginia. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Meadow Farm, Henrico County, Henrico County, Virginia. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Meadow Farm, Virginia Department of Historic Resources, Commonwealth of Virginia. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, Henrico County, Henrico County, Virginia. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
- ↑ Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park, Henrico County, Henrico County, Virginia. Retrieved 2026-10-22.
External links
- Meadow Farm Museum at Crump Park — Henrico County
- Meadow Farm — Virginia Department of Historic Resources