Robert Russa Moton Museum
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Location
Farmville, Virginia
Address
900 Griffin Boulevard, Farmville, VA 23901
Admission
Free for the general public
Guest hours
12–4 p.m., Monday–Saturday; also by appointment
At the former Robert Russa Moton High School, a student-led strike in 1951 brought the struggle over unequal schooling in Prince Edward County into the courts and, eventually, the national desegregation cases decided as Brown v. Board of Education. Today, the Moton Museum interprets that history in the school building where the protest began. [1][2]
Inside, galleries connect the students’ walkout to the segregated school conditions they challenged, the lawsuit that followed, and the wider struggle over desegregation. The museum is at 900 Griffin Boulevard in Farmville, Virginia. General admission is free, and the museum currently lists guest hours as noon to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with visits also available by appointment; check its visitor page before setting out. [3]
Plan a trip to Robert Russa Moton Museum
Why visit the Moton Museum?
This is a place to understand how local students helped challenge a system of unequal, segregated public education. On April 23, 1951, students at Moton High School walked out to protest overcrowded conditions and inadequate facilities. Their protest led to a lawsuit, Davis v. County School Board of Prince Edward County, which became one of the cases considered by the U.S. Supreme Court alongside Brown v. Board of Education. [4][5]
The museum’s setting is part of the experience: visitors explore the school building and galleries that interpret the events, rather than encountering the story only through displays in a separate facility. Its subject reaches beyond one school, linking the students’ actions to civil-rights activism, court challenges, and the consequences of resistance to integration in Virginia. [6][7]
Start here
Begin with the museum’s interpretation of the 1951 walkout, then follow the story through the galleries on segregation, the legal case, and the response to the Supreme Court’s decisions. The exhibits provide context for why the students acted and how their case became part of the larger desegregation story. [8]
What to see and do
Make the museum part of a visit to Farmville, a college town with other historic and cultural stops. The town’s history itinerary also points visitors toward a self-guided downtown walking tour.
Put the Moton story in a wider statewide context by exploring Virginia places associated with the civil-rights movement.
Use the museum as a starting point for learning about other Virginia places connected to the struggle for civil rights.
The student strike and the legal challenge that followed are closely tied to the county’s history and the struggle over school desegregation.
History and significance
Robert Russa Moton High School opened in Farmville in 1939 to serve Black students. The National Park Service describes the school as overcrowded by 1950 and notes that temporary classrooms—remembered as “tar paper shacks”—were added as enrollment grew. Students protested these conditions in their 1951 strike. [9]
Led by 16-year-old Barbara Rose Johns, students walked out on April 23, 1951. With the support of NAACP attorneys and families, their protest developed into a legal challenge to segregation. The case, filed on behalf of students and named for Dorothy E. Davis, was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court and considered with the other cases that became Brown v. Board of Education. [10][11]
The museum now preserves and interprets the former school as a site of civil-rights history. Its galleries trace the walkout, the unequal conditions that students challenged, the court case, and the debate over desegregation. [12]
Planning a visit
The museum lists its address as 900 Griffin Boulevard, Farmville, Virginia 23901. Guest hours are currently listed as 12–4 p.m. Monday through Saturday, with appointments also available. General admission is free. Hours and other visitor arrangements can change, so confirm details with the museum before traveling. [13]
Guided tours for school and other groups can be arranged in advance; the museum asks groups to contact staff at least ten business days ahead. On-site parking is limited, and the museum identifies overflow parking across the street at Southgate Shopping Center. Check the official visitor page for current tour arrangements and parking guidance. [14]
Nearby attractions
Farmville
Explore the town’s historic and cultural sites, shops, and downtown.
High Bridge Trail State Park
A nearby state park offering a rail-trail experience in the Farmville area.
Appomattox Court House National Historical Park
Visit the historic village associated with the end of the Civil War, within driving distance of Farmville.
Travel books and maps: Browse related Virginia travel books and maps on Amazon
References
- ↑ Home, Moton Museum. Retrieved 2026-10-24.
- ↑ Davis v. County School Board, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-24.
- ↑ Visit, Moton Museum. Retrieved 2026-10-24.
- ↑ Davis v. County School Board, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-24.
- ↑ Brown v. Board: Five Communities That Changed America, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-24.
- ↑ Visit, Moton Museum. Retrieved 2026-10-24.
- ↑ History Itinerary, Town of Farmville. Retrieved 2026-10-24.
- ↑ Visit, Moton Museum. Retrieved 2026-10-24.
- ↑ Brown v. Board: Five Communities That Changed America, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-24.
- ↑ Davis v. County School Board, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-24.
- ↑ Brown v. Board: Five Communities That Changed America, National Park Service. Retrieved 2026-10-24.
- ↑ Visit, Moton Museum. Retrieved 2026-10-24.
- ↑ Visit, Moton Museum. Retrieved 2026-10-24.
- ↑ Visit, Moton Museum. Retrieved 2026-10-24.