If you ever roam through western VA, there are many good stopping places: The Roanoke Transportation Museum, The D Day Memorial, Appomattox Courthouse, Poplar Forest, and the Booker T. Washington Monument. All are located within an hour or two of each other.
I walk often at the Booker T. Monument - there is a very pleasant loop trail around the property. The display has been recently redone to be interactive and there are two old, but informative videos to watch.
It’s not the Smithsonian by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a nice tribute to a man who, by sheer determination and persistence, rose from being the son of a slave to being one of the leading black educators and thinkers of his day.
Thanks for the point-outs of those places to visit.