BUILDING THE MUSEUM OF THE VIRGINIA NATIONAL GUARD
Where will the museum be?
On November 13, 2024, the Adjutant General of Virginia, Major General James W. Ring, announced that the future Museum of the Virginia National Guard will be constructed at S. Gardner Waller Depot in Richmond, Virginia.
“The Virginia National Guard looks forward to bringing this important project to fruition and celebrating our legacy,” MG Ring said.
Why Waller Depot?
Throughout the site selection process, some of the top evaluation criteria were the potential for public access, local tourism and museum data, cost to improve existing facilities or construct new ones, and proximity to Virginia National Guard headquarters and the museum staff’s central operations in Richmond.
Waller Depot’s Central Virginia location, just off I-64 at exit 185 onto Staples Mill Road, offers easy access for both locals and travelers. The Libbie Mill area already features excellent restaurants, breweries, attractions, and hotels, and upcoming real estate and commercial developments will soon further enhance the neighborhood. This location will be convenient for travelers from many directions, including I-64, I-95, I-195, and Routes 33, 250, and 301.
What is Waller Depot’s History?
Waller Depot was the Virginia National Guard’s main distribution and storage depot from the end of WWII through the Cold War. On August 18, 1955, it was officially named the “S. Gardner Waller Depot” after Major General Samuel Gardner Waller, Virginia’s Adjutant General from 1931 to 1955. Major General Waller was Virginia’s Adjutant General for 25 years, the longest unbroken TAG tenure in Virginia history. He served in the position until his death on December 2, 1955. Waller Depot is the only Virginia National Guard facility that has been named for a living person.
Read more about Major General Waller here.
What is there now?
The Virginia National Guard’s Counterdrug Task Force, 34th Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and High-Yield Explosives Enhanced Response Force Package and Virginia Defense Force are currently stationed at Waller Depot. Their vital operations will continue at this location as work begins on the multi-year effort to transform the site into a public museum and education campus.
How can you share your thoughts?
To share what you would like to see at the future Museum of the Virginia National Guard, use the museum’s community survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/MVANG1. For any other thoughts or questions, notes you submit in the “Contact Us” box below go straight to the museum staff.
How can you stay tuned for updates?
Subscribe to the museum’s newsletter here: https://mvang.org/newsletter/. And follow our social media pages:
Instagram: @virginianationalguardmuseum
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