MSV Policies
Refund Information
Gardens at Night Tickets
No refunds for Gardens at Night ticket purchases unless the event is cancelled by the MSV prior to the start of the event. In all other instances, sales are final. Concert is rain/shine. Tickets are not transferrable between concerts.
Gardens Lights Tickets
No refunds for Garden Lights ticket purchases unless the event is cancelled by the MSV prior to the start of the event. Garden Lights is rain/snow/shine. In all other instances, sales are final. Tickets are not transferable between Garden Lights days or times.
The MSV will only cancel a night of Garden Lights if a major weather event presents a risk to safety (for example, during severe storms with high winds). If the MSV must cancel a night of Garden Lights, ticket holders will be notified of the cancellation via email. All ticket holders will be automatically refunded. Refunds will only be issued if the MSV cancels the event due to severe weather.
Program Refunds
Programs are held rain, snow, or shine, unless notified otherwise. Cancellations 5 days prior to the program or event date will be refunded, less 20% of the registration fee ($5 minimum). No refunds will be given for cancellations made 1-4 days prior to the program/event date. Allow ten business days for refund processing. Programs cancelled by the MSV due to low enrollment or inclement weather conditions will be refunded in full or given a full credit towards a future program to be used within the year
Online Admission Tickets
No refunds. Sales of discounted online admission tickets are final.
Event Rental Refunds
For cancellations received at least 180 days or more prior to an event, the portion of the rental fee already paid will be refunded less a 30% administrative fee. Allow ten business days for refund processing. Cancellations made less than 180 days to the event will result in forfeiture of the entire rental fee paid to date. Cancellations must be made in writing.
Photography Permission
While at the MSV, you may be filmed, videotaped, and/or photographed by an MSV employee or contract photographer. Your attendance/program participation serves as permission for the use of your image by the MSV and its constituents.
For information about taking photographs at the MSV, click here.
Artwork & Photography Policies
Photography at the Museum
The MSV encourages its guests to take casual photographs and videos of their visit for their own personal, non-commercial use.
All commercial and professional photographers must pay a location fee to use the gardens for photo shoots (see below). Location fees are not required for professional photography at The Trails at the MSV park (fees may apply for commercial shoots, see below).
There are some photography restrictions for all photographers at the MSV:
- Depending on the exhibition, photography may be prohibited in the Changing Exhibitions Gallery. Such restrictions will be posted.
- In the galleries, only non-flash photography is permitted.
- Tripod or monopod use is limited to the gardens and is not permitted in the galleries. Advance reservations/permissions are not required for personal, non-commercial tripod/monopod use.
- Drone photography is prohibited on the entire MSV campus, including The Trails at the MSV.
To take photos at the MSV, amateur photographers/videographers and their subjects must purchase general admission to the MSV or be MSV members. Admission fees are not required on free-admission days. Admission is not required to visit The Trails at the MSV.
Please Note:
- All photography is at the discretion of the MSV.
- All wedding photography in the formal gardens requires a location fee of $100/hour and advance reservations. Email or call 540-662-1473, ext. 208, to make arrangements. This applies to the ticketed areas of the MSV campus only, including the formal gardens & galleries building. Advance arrangements and fees for wedding photography are not required for the free-admission park, The Trails at the MSV.
- Product photography is not permitted.
- Commercial filming and commercial photography/photo shoots are permitted by appointment only and permission is granted at the discretion of the MSV. Location fees are required, and certain restrictions may apply. For information about commercial photography and filming in the formal gardens or The Trails at the MSV, email or call 540-662-1473, ext. 208.
Sketching with Pencils in the Galleries
Sketching is permitted in the galleries. (Some loan and exhibition agreements may prohibit sketching, drawing, or painting. Such restrictions will be posted.) Only graphite pencils are allowed. Pens, markers, crayons, charcoals, colored pencils, chalks or pastels are not permitted. Please use only pencil sharpeners that will contain any shavings.
Please use firm drawing boards, clipboards, and sketch pads as support. These may not exceed 18 x 24 inches. Guests may not use easels.
Painting in the Gardens
Painting in oil, acrylic, tempera, pastel, or watercolor is permitted in the gardens during public hours. Sketching is also permitted. Please keep materials contained and dispose of any waste in proper receptacles. Please use an easel, firm drawing board, or other firm surface as support.
Please do not enter planting beds. We request that painters refrain from interrupting or impeding tour groups or programs. Please check at the Gate House for information regarding the day’s events.
Groups
Groups of three or more individuals intending to draw or paint must make a reservation by contacting Director of Education Mary Ladrick mladrick@theMSV.org or call 540-662-1473, ext. 224. Please check in at the Guest Services desk (located in the galleries building lobby) upon arrival.
If you are interested in drawing or painting in the galleries and would like more information, please download and sign the following Application Form and submit it to the MSV Admissions Desk or Gatehouse:
No Pets Please
Only service animals are permitted inside the gardens and galleries building. Please do not bring your pets with you. Leashed dogs are welcome on The Trails at the MSV.
No Weapons Allowed
For everyone’s safety, the possession, exhibition, or use of dangerous weapons on MSV property is prohibited.
Dangerous weapons include firearms, explosives, knives, and other weapons that might be considered dangerous or that could cause harm.
Guests are prohibited from bringing firearms onto the MSV campus. With the exception of on-duty law enforcement officers and pursuant to VAC 18.2-308.01., the MSV prohibits the possession of any handgun on property, regardless of possession of a concealed handgun permit.
The MSV employs a well-trained security force that is dedicated to providing a safe environment for visitors. The decision to prohibit firearms on the site was taken to limit risks to guests, lower guest anxiety, and to reduce any chance for dangerous confusion during a critical incident.
The Museum of the Shenandoah Valley is privately owned and is not affiliated with any governmental agencies or park systems.
Questions about this policy? email visit@theMSV.org
Privacy Policy
Statement of Privacy
Protecting your private information is our priority. This Statement of Privacy applies to www.theMSV.org and the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley and governs data collection and usage. For the purposes of this Privacy Policy, unless otherwise noted, all references to the MSV include www.theMSV.org. The MSV website is an organizational information and ecommerce site. By using the MSV website, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.
We take precautions to protect your information. When you submit sensitive information via the website, your information is protected both online and offline.
Wherever we collect sensitive information (such as credit card data), that information is encrypted and transmitted to us in a secure way. You can verify this by looking for a closed lock icon at the bottom of your web browser or looking for “https” at the beginning of the address of the web page.
While we use encryption to protect sensitive information transmitted online, we also protect your information offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job (for example, accounting or membership/advancement) are granted access to personally identifiable information. The computers/servers in which we store personally identifiable information are kept in a secure environment.
If you have comments or questions about out these policies, please email lwiley@theMSV.org or call 540-662-1473, ext. 217.
Personal Information Collection
Personal Information Collected
The MSV has a strong commitment to internet privacy. We do not collect any “personally identifiable information” (e.g., data that may be used to identify, contact or locate a person such as name, physical address, email address and phone number) about you unless you voluntarily provide it to us. In general, when you visit our website and access information, we do not require you to register or provide personal identifiable information to us.
However, there are occasions when we will ask for additional information. For example, you may be required to register your name and email address and provide other information if you wish to receive e-newsletters, event information, participate in special initiatives or in surveys or contests. It is your choice to provide such information, and you may opt-out from receiving any of this type of information in the future.
Personally identifiable information such as your name, mailing address, email address, telephone number, and credit card information will be collected if you wish to become a member of the MSV online, register for MSV programs online, receive e-newsletters, or make online donations. Please be advised that we will never share your credit card information. Nor will we ever share your email address or other personal identifiable information provided unless otherwise authorized by you or as stated in this Privacy Policy.
Automatically Collected Information
Information about your computer hardware and software may be automatically collected by the MSV. This information can include: your IP address, browser type, domain names, access times and referring website addresses. This information is used for the operation of the service, to maintain quality of the service, and to provide general statistics regarding use of the MSV website.
Use of Information And Privacy Choices
Use of your Personal Information
If you provide the MSV with your personal identifiable information, we will not share that information with other organizations, unless you have otherwise authorized us to do so or as stated in this Privacy Policy.
The MSV does not sell, rent or lease its customer lists to third parties.
The MSV may share data with trusted partners to help perform statistical analysis and send you email or postal mail. All such third parties are prohibited from using your personal information except to provide these services to the MSV, and they are required to maintain the confidentiality of your information.
If you wish to be removed from one of our email lists or from receiving information from the MSV, you may opt-out at any time.
Links to Third Party Websites
This website contains links to other sites. Please be aware that we are not responsible for the content or privacy practices of such other sites. We encourage our users to be aware when they leave our site and to read the privacy statements of any other site that collects personally identifiable information.
Third Party Advertising
Occasionally, the MSV will use third party advertising companies to service ads when you visit our website. These companies may use aggregated information (not including your name, address, or telephone number) about your visits to the MSV website in order to provide advertisements about programs and events of interest to you.
Other Disclosures
The MSV may disclose your personal information, without notice, if required to do so by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is necessary to: (a) meet applicable law, regulation legal process, or enforceable governmental request; (b) detect, prevent or otherwise address fraud, security, or technical issues; (c) protect and defend the rights or property of the MSV; and/or (d) act under exigent circumstances to protect the personal safety of users of the MSV, or the public.
SECURITY OF YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION
All information provided to the MSV is transmitted using SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption. SSL is a proven coding system that lets your browser automatically encrypt, or scramble, data before you send it to us. We also protect account information by placing it on secure portions of our website that are only accessible by certain qualified employees of the Museum. Unfortunately, however, no data transmission over the Internet is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot ensure or warrant the security of such information.
If you do not wish to use our online payment options, registration payments, membership transactions, and donations may be made by contacting the MSV Guest Services Department at 540-662-1473, ext. 235, or in person in at the Guest Services Desk in the MSV.
Occasionally, the MSV will partner with another organization to present an event or program and the MSV website will include links to online ticket sales or registrations that are operated by third party companies. You should review the credit card security information and the privacy policies of those third party companies before making a purchase.
CHILDREN UNDER 13
The MSV does not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children under the age of thirteen. If you are under the age of thirteen, a parent or guardian must initiate the requests from children under 13 on their behalf.
EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS
From time to time, the MSV may contact you via email for the purpose of providing announcements, promotional offers, alerts, confirmations, surveys, and/or other general communication. In order to improve our services, we may receive a notification when you open an email from the MSV or click on a link therein.
If you would like to stop receiving marketing or promotional communications via email from the MSV, you may opt out of such communications by clicking on the UNSUBSCRIBE button.
QUESTIONS; OPT-OUT
The MSV welcomes comments or questions on this Privacy Policy. We are dedicated to protecting your personal identifiable information and will make every reasonable effort to keep that information secure. If you have any questions or wish to opt-out, please contact us via email, phone or mail at:
Advancement Department
Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
901 Amherst Street
Winchester, VA 22601
membership@theMSV.org
540-662-1473, ext. 213
Opt-out requests should include “Opt-Out” in the email or letter subject line.
Any information you provide to us is covered by this Privacy Policy.
UPDATING YOUR INFORMATION
You can help the MSV ensure the accuracy of your information. If you have any changes to your physical address, title, email address, name, or phone number, please contact us via email, phone or mail at:
Advancement Department
Museum of the Shenandoah Valley
901 Amherst Street
Winchester, VA 22601
membership@theMSV.org
540-662-1473, ext. 213
Changes in this Privacy Policy
We may amend this Privacy Policy at any time. Any material changes in the way we collect, use, and/or share your personally identifiable information will be posted online. You are bound by such revisions and should therefore visit the page to review the current terms from time to time. Your continued use of the website constitutes an affirmative acknowledgement by you of the terms and modifications and your agreement to abide and be bound by the terms as modified.
Solicitation Disclosure Request
A copy of our current financial statement is available upon request by contacting the MSV at 901 Amherst Street, Winchester VA 22601 or at the following links: click here to download the audited Financial Statement; click here to download the most recent Form990, and click here to download the most recent MSV Annual Report.
Donor Privacy Policy
The MSV is committed to respecting the privacy of donors. The types of donor information that it collects and maintains are as follows: contact information to include name, address, telephone number and email address; giving information including information on events attended, publications received and special requests for program information; and information provided by the donor in the form of comments and suggestions. The MSV uses donors’ information to understand their interests in its mission and to update them on the organization’s plans and activities. This information is shared with staff, board members, volunteers and consultants only on a “need-to-know” basis. The organization also assures donors that their names and addresses will not be shared with any third party unless permission has been granted. If you have comments or questions about the MSV Donor Privacy Policy, please contact Sherry Hudson, senior director, institutional advancement at shudson@theMSV.org or 540-662-1473, ext. 211.