Follow WTOP’s Matt Kaufax as he explores hidden gems, local landmarks and unique stories across the D.C. area every week. New episodes of WTOP’s “Matt About Town” segment are released each Tuesday and Thursday. 

About 50 miles outside D.C. sits a treasure trove of rare historical artifacts.

In today’s episode of “Matt About Town,” we’re heading to the Cold War Museum in Warrenton, Virginia!

This free, nonprofit Fauquier County museum has a simple mission: to educate, inform and remind people of the massive geopolitical conflict between east and west — communism and capitalism — that took place between 1945 and 1991; informing the present and attempting to influence the future by reminding us of the past.

The collection of items the museum’s curators have compiled here is totally singular, and it’s what sets it apart as a true hive of forgotten Cold War knowledge.

From a hat worn by a relative of Fidel Castro, a scale model replica of Mao Zedong’s left ear, doodles from President Kennedy, all the way to pieces of the actual Berlin Wall, there’s no telling what you’ll find in every nook and cranny of the exhibits here!

Especially as the years roll on, and living under the threat of nuclear Armageddon seemingly becomes a phenomenon of the past, the museum’s founders say it’s important to remember what once was — and how people felt during that time — to teach future generations.

The Cold War Museum does public and private tours and is open seven days a week most weeks of the year. To schedule a tour, learn more or find out how you can support the museum, visit its website.

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