About Christmas TV History

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

Waltons in Virginia

I'm still on vacation.  Last week I shared about my visit to The Jimmy Stewart Museum in Indiana, Pennsylvania.  I've also made trips to A Christmas Story House and Museum in Cleveland, OH and Lucyfest and the hometown museums of Lucille Ball in Jamestown, NY in years past.  Please indulge me while I share a little about my latest stops.


 
I visited friends in Virginia over the weekend.  I first met JA Morris and RigbyMel back in 2010 when I was on a promotional book tour for the encyclopedia, Tis the Season TV.  They are both writers for the website Holiday Film Reviews.  It was nice to talk about our passion for Christmas entertainment.  After we parted, I made an impulsive decision to find the Waltons-Hamner Homestead--also in Virginia. Anyone else ever been to Schuyler, VA?


Earl Hamner's childhood home in Schuyler, VA

Drive up into the mountains just outside of Charlottesville, VA, and you can visit the restored childhood home of Earl Hamner--the writer whose books inspired the Christmas TV movie The Homecoming and the TV series The Waltons.  Check out the links below to see what I've written about each of these Christmas TV programs.
The Homecoming: A Christmas Story (1971) 
The Waltons 1976 episode "The Best Christmas" 
The Waltons 1977 episode "The Children's Carol" Parts 1 and 2 
The Waltons 1978 episode "Day of Infamy" 
and, The Waltons 1979 episode "The Spirit"

I was also lucky enough to be included in the 40th anniversary screening of The Homecoming and The Waltons cast reunion program in 2011. Click here to see that recap again. I'm the biggest fan of the The Waltons so you can understand how excited I was to visit the childhood home of Earl Hamner.


I'm seated at the kitchen's dining table.


The stairwell contains a giant framed photo of the TV show's cast.

The original Hamner family home has been remodeled and re-furnished to serve as a museum for visitors and fans of the TV series.  I took a self-guided tour and tried to soak up as much ambience as possible. Next door there is a gift shop for souvenirs and author-signed books. 

Up the hill is the Walton's Mountain Museum however, Hamner has had a falling out with the organizers of the establishment and no longer has any affiliation with it.  Make of that what you will.  I had a good time at the Waltons-Hamner Homestead--and purchased a Hamner-signed copy of the book The Homecoming which I treasure.


 
Sitting on the front porch, I tried to imagine the people and experiences there during the Depression.

Hamner House selfie

Have you ever made a pop culture vacation stop?



2 comments:

  1. It was great to see you, glad to hear that you made it to the Waltons museum while you were in the state!

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  2. I don't think I knew there WAS a Waltons museum in VA! *blush*
    Very interesting!

    Glad we got to hang out with you and Dom! :-)

    ReplyDelete