Center in the Square
Museums, Historical Sites, and ZoosVirginia, United States11-50 Employees
Center in the Square, operating as the Western Virginia Foundation for the Arts and Sciences, is a private nonprofit organization based in Roanoke, Virginia. It owns and manages multiple downtown properties, including a signature cultural venue and several museums, theaters, and historic sites, housing independent organizations such as a history museum and historical society, a museum of African American culture, a regional theater, and a science museum, while also providing space for additional organizations. The center functions as a cultural hub that consolidates several independent institutions under one downtown complex, supporting arts, history, science, and live performance, with a mission aligned to revitalizing the downtown area. The organization serves residents and visitors seeking cultural, educational, and historical experiences, and it is anchored by its long-standing facility opened in 1983, which played a central role in the community’s downtown redevelopment effort. It is based in Roanoke, in the Western Virginia region, and operates across four properties that hold museums, theaters, and a historic station housing the O. Winston Link Museum, among others.