Don’t overlook this gem of Hollywood history and memorabilia during your Abingdon visit.  Located across from the Washington County Chamber of Commerce building on East Main Street, Robert Weisfeld’s personal collection of rare musical, cinematic and celebrity artifacts spans most of the 20th century, from Elizabeth Taylor to Elvis Presley and everyone in between.

Weisfeld has collected just about anything he’s been able to obtain since he was a child, to include famous newspapers, articles of clothing and jewelry, and countless artworks and photographs of the stars.  Just a few of the most notable items on display are Elvis’s bathrobe, a news article debating Marilyn Monroe’s cause of death, and a collection of photos chronicling U.S. first ladies visiting Barter Theatre founder Robert Porterfield in Abingdon.

Encouraged to publicly display his remarkable collection by his mother Martha, Weisfeld now welcomes fans of the stars – be they actors, musicians, professional athletes or notable public and political figures – to visit and visit again, as the collection is so large that Weisfeld must rotate certain artifacts in and out of display.

A lifelong passion for preserving the personal effects of timeless celebrities makes the Star Museum a unique find in Abingdon.  It’s not your average antique display, and certainly none of these antiques is for sale.  To see some of the exquisite clothes and accessories worn by Gable, Monroe, Garbo and so many others as many as 50 or more years ago, one would rightly marvel at Weisfeld’s years of persistence and dedication to what is definitely more than just a hobby. 

The Star Museum is one of a kind in Abingdon and in the region, and is definitely worth at least a peek to pique one’s interest.  The curator asks that visitors help him preserve the artifacts by not eating or drinking in the museum, or touching any display pieces.

Weisfeld first began collecting on Barter Green during the early Virginia Highlands Festivals, when he requisitioned several volumes of “Life” magazine from the 1930s-to-1960s.  Now, he hopes to pay tribute to the broader aspects in tourism, offering a window to the glamorous past of 20th-century America, right in downtown Abingdon where he grew up.