By OMSI is an ideal spot for science enthusiasts in Portland. Here, you’ll get to see up close an authentic mammoth skull as well as learn about the geological forces that sculpted Columbia River Gorge and 10,000 years of Indigenous history (with tools and ceremonial objects on display).
The Museum of Chinese American History in Portland honors Portland’s historic Chinatown while also exploring issues of discrimination and xenophobia, while Timber Culture showcases life in a segregated logging town located in Wallowa County.
Baker Heritage Museum
Baker Heritage Museum (formerly Oregon Trail Regional Museum) is housed in a 1920 natatorium listed on the National Register of Historic Places and provides an unparalleled showcase for Baker County history. Exhibits covering mining, timber harvesting, ranching, agriculture, early Baker City life, Chinese culture, wildlife and much more fill this 33,000 square-foot space.
Downstairs, the museum boasts one of the world’s premier rock collections. Illuminated shelves display agates, thunder eggs, picture jasper and other stunning specimens that would put any Smithsonian museum to shame.
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The Baker Heritage Museum stands as a testament to Carolyn Sherrieb, who dreamt of it being an integral part of Baker City and dedicated herself to making that dream a reality. Today, Carolyn’s legacy lives on through The Friends of the Baker Heritage Museum who raise money and volunteer time in support of its mission.
Museum of the Oregon Territory
Near Oregon City, this museum provides spectacular views of Willamette Falls. Exhibits focus on geological history, Native American relics and 19th century American settlement. Furthermore, this museum contains an impressive artifact collection and furnishings such as the Kaegi Pharmacy from early 20th century – complete with all necessary supplies for proper functioning!
The Museum of Oregon Territory provides a genealogical research library that assists visitors in discovering their roots along the Oregon Trail. Their staff is experts at tracking family histories, having files on thousands of families who traveled west through Oregon Territory during its history.
Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum is an exceptional showcase of still-flying antique airplanes and automobiles, providing visitors with an interesting glimpse into transportation history. Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at University of Oregon campus adds academic interest; ScienceWorks Hands-On Museum in Ashland caters specifically to engaging children in scientific discovery and curiosity.
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
OMSI is one of the premier science museums in the country and Oregon’s trusted educational resource, dedicated to cultivating lifelong interest in science and technology for diverse audiences through exhibitions, education programs at the museum, outreach in schools and communities, outdoor school programs, digital learning programs, research & design as well as many other activities.
This museum occupies an expansive industrial building on the east bank of Willamette River and contains three auditoriums – including a large-screen theater and planetarium – as well as exhibition halls that house permanent exhibits on natural sciences, industry, technology and transient exhibits covering various disciplines (there’s even a USS Blueback submarine!).
Food enthusiasts will also love Theory restaurant which sources ingredients from local producers for use in its dishes as well as hosting numerous gastronomic events and workshops.
Oregon Museum of Natural History
On the University of Oregon campus lies this world-class museum featuring both natural and cultural history of Oregon. Ranging from dinosaur bones to ancient sabertooth salmon, visitors can explore over 15,000 years of cultural and 300 million years of geological history all while experiencing a building inspired by Pacific Northwest Native longhouse designs.
The museum boasts the Condon Fossil Collection, an archaeological research division, a herbarium and extensive ethnographic objects and fossil collections from around the globe that inspire wonder and stewardship throughout Oregon and beyond.
Experience Oregon is the museum’s newest permanent exhibit and chronicles the rich, complex history of Oregon both before and after becoming a state. It features artifacts like the Portland Penny coin that was tossed by city founders Asa Lovejoy and Francis Pettygrove to determine their choice for Oregon capital (Portland won two out of three attempts!). A must see for history buffs!
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
OMSI, one of Oregon’s premier museums, can be found near the Willamette River in Portland’s East Industrial district. Here is where robots and inventions come alive while complex scientific phenomena are broken down for kids and adults to make learning enjoyable and understandable.
OMSI boasts five exhibition halls, eight science labs, a planetarium, the Empirical Theater, an outdoor Navy submarine docked for visitors to explore, traveling exhibits and an Empirical Theater; plus over one million visitors annually who come for entertainment and education. Furthermore, this institution hosts in-house science classes as well as outdoor camps, as well as serving as a hub for local science clubs.
Unleashing your inner geek is easy here; even Theory restaurant joins in, featuring color-changing pH paper tablecloth and food demonstrations that illustrate its scientific principles of cooking. It makes for an entertaining way to spend the day.
Oregon State Museum
The museum hosts scholarly visual art exhibitions as an integral component of liberal arts education. Their programming showcases visual-art practices from all cultures over time and space.
Housed within Oregon State Hospital (the former Oregon Insane Asylum), this quirky museum displays an eclectic assortment of artifacts and outdated machines from its farms, workshops and tunnels – some even used as film locations in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975 Oscar Winner).
The museum features rotating exhibits, a planetarium and DaVinci’s Garage: an interactive science museum designed for both children and adults. Admission for UO students, faculty and staff is free while its store provides science gear designed specifically for kids as well as items by local, regional and Native artists along with Northwest-themed books and guides.
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
OMSI stands as one of the country’s premier science centers, inspiring curiosity through immersive learning experiences for visitors of all ages. Boasting five exhibit halls and eight labs spanning 219,000 square feet of mind-power fun.
OMSI boasts not only permanent displays but also hosts various rotating exhibits like Body Worlds 3. Additionally, OMSI features an IMAX theater, planetarium, large-screen theater (Empirical Theater) and has the popular Body Worlds 3 exhibit on display.
OMSI also offers Science Communication Fellowships for STEM professionals looking to better communicate their research. The fellowship program is available through Oregon State’s College of Science.
OMSI serves both Oregon and national communities. As one of the top-rated children’s museums in America and drawing over 1 million visitors each year to its South waterfront location that was once home to a sawdust-fired power plant, its original smokestacks and turbine buildings can still be seen today as part of this museum experience.
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
OMSI is one of the premier science centers in the country, making learning fun through hands-on exhibits and programs that make science enjoyable.
They offer science classes, outdoor camps and serve as a hub for local science clubs – not to mention one of the nation’s largest outreach education programs! OMSI can be found along Portland’s South Waterfront where there are five exhibition halls, eight science labs, an Omnimax theater and even the retired USS Blueback submarine!
Exhibits at this museum cover topics spanning physics, chemistry, biology, design and outer space – as well as food science for both children and adults! There’s even a food science section which introduces kids and adults alike to cooking fundamentals! Their restaurant Theory features meals made from ingredients sourced within 50 miles from its location as well as workshops such as making color-changing berry pH paper or crafting bitters!
Oregon Museum of Natural History
The University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History in Eugene, Oregon is a world-class institution. Celebrating 15,000 years of Oregon culture as well as 300 million years of geology and natural history through striking imagery and artifacts for visitors of all ages to experience, it provides visitors with an unforgettable experience.
The museum can trace its beginnings back to 1876 when Thomas Condon joined the University of Oregon as one of its original professors and brought with him his vast fossil collection. By 1935-36, his two museums – State of Anthropology and Condon Museums – had been combined under archaeologist Luther Cressman to become UO Museum of Natural History.
Now, museum research teams specialize in archaeology, history and paleontology collections throughout Oregon and around the world. It boasts nearly 100,000 fossils; extensive ethnographic collections (such as Fort Rock sandals from 10,000 years ago); as well as thousands of comparative specimens such as modern or historical birds, mammals, reptiles, marine and freshwater shells as well as other organisms.
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), situated along Portland’s south waterfront, is one of America’s top science centers. Home to hundreds of interactive exhibits, a planetarium with laser light theatre, motion simulator, retired submarine docked outside and other special features – OMSI offers educational entertainment and education to over one million visitors annually through in-house and traveling exhibits, science classes and outdoor camps.
From children experimenting in the Turbine Hall to adults sipping beer at its “After Dark” events, OMSI fosters curiosity with history and modern questions presented in an engaging manner. Complex scientific phenomena like physics, wind power, and outer space are explained in ways that make them understandable to both kids and adults alike.
Oregon State University and the Museum have an established partnership, sharing research, educational resources, and public engagement activities.
Museum in Oregon?
If you want to gain insight into Oregon history, OMSI–Oregon Museum of Science and Industry–is an essential visit. Even Newsweek Reader’s Choice awarded OMSI their prize as best science museum nationwide in 2024!
Oregon boasts an abundance of art museums, from specialty galleries specializing in bronze artworks to stereoscopy museums devoted solely to stereoscopy technology. Read on to discover even more fascinating museums in Oregon!
Best Museum in Oregon
Museum visits can provide an ideal way to discover a region’s culture and gain an insight into its past, while providing children with an enjoyable educational activity. However, selecting an appropriate museum can be daunting because there are so many types out there: some focus more on education while others specialize in art or culture.
The Museum of Science and Industry in Portland is an example of a museum designed to engage children through its exhibits. This interactive museum offers hands-on activities for all ages – toddlers to adults. Exhibits range from planetarium shows and submarine displays, plus they also host regular children’s theatre shows.
Other museums in Oregon take an historical approach, like Baker City’s Baker Heritage Museum which tells the tales of its original gold miners and Chinese immigrants. Additionally, there’s an impressive collection of vintage steam locomotives and railroad equipment on display here.
Oregon Museum of Arts and Sciences in Eugene is an established attraction that hosts an impressive range of rotating exhibits, educational programs, lectures for local students and residents, fossil beds dating back to prehistoric times, works by Native Americans as well as other collections that range from ancient fossil beds.
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art at the University of Oregon Campus in Eugene stands out as another outstanding museum in Oregon, boasting permanent and temporary collections by modern American artists as well as an expansive research library and film archive.
Oregon boasts several museums that are worth a visit, with the Columbia River Maritime Museum providing an excellent opportunity for history buffs. Here you’ll find historic artifacts, photographs and a library containing over 10,000 volumes – perfect for exploring Pacific Northwest history!
Other museums in Oregon include the Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay Aquarium, and 3D Center of Art and Photography. One particularly fascinating museum in Oregon is the Museum of Mental Health which explores outdated practices like electroshock therapy and lobotomies at Oregon State Hospital – something many Oregon residents would find amusing!
Oregon can be an incredible state to explore, but to ensure your trip runs smoothly it’s essential that you carefully plan out your itinerary. One way of doing this is making a list of museums you want to see during your journey – this way you won’t miss any incredible museums in Oregon and can learn more about which is the best Museum by reading reviews online.
Popular Museum in Oregon
Museums are an essential component of our culture and history, teaching us much about ourselves as individuals and about society as a whole. Additionally, they play an integral part of communities by helping educate individuals on topics ranging from arts to science to the Oregon Trail. Oregon museums provide numerous learning opportunities with various types of exhibits available.
The Museum of Oregon Territory is an exceptional destination if you want to learn about settler life. There are multiple exhibits, as well as a research library staffed by volunteers that can assist in discovering whether your family roots lie on the Oregon Trail. The museum can be found in Clackamas County just north of Oregon City.
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Oregon boasts many diverse museums, and some are more popular than others. One popular museum is Jensen Arctic Museum with an impressive Arctic collection that draws visitors from all over the world. Another popular museum in Oregon is Baker Heritage Museum which shares fascinating local stories.
Many museums feature fascinating collections that draw in visitors from all over the world, like those at the Museum of Oregon Territory with its collection of Native American glyphs that can be found along the Willamette River and Hallie Ford Museum of Art which houses works by Auguste Rodin including portraits of Queen Marie of Romania as well as Orthodox icons.
One of the best pieces of advice I received when studying for my master’s degree was volunteering and interning in various kinds of museums to see which type best suit me. Anyone considering museum work as a career should do the same and experience several museums to determine their ideal working environment.
Another piece of great advice is not allowing a museum job to dominate your entire life. Though museums tend to fill your evenings and weekends with work-related obligations, it’s essential that you still make time for family and personal interests outside your work life – such as reading non-museum related books and attending concerts that would otherwise go unseen without working in one.
Museums are multifaceted environments that host an assortment of items ranging from historical artifacts to cutting-edge technology. A museum can be both beautiful and frightening depending on its message; each museum must find their own way to accomplish this task.
Famous Museum in Oregon
Museums are an integral part of any city. From art galleries to historical collections, museums provide invaluable sources of knowledge and cultural enrichment that should be experienced first-hand by every citizen and tourist alike. Thus, every individual should visit at least once to witness its beauty and richness of culture.
However, most museums in Oregon focus not only on history or art but also on topics such as industry and science – as well as nature and aviation.
Oregon Film Museum can be found in Astoria along the scenic northern coast of Oregon. Established to commemorate 25 years since The Goonies premiered (it even houses one of their filming locations!), this small but fascinating museum provides plenty of entertainment and knowledge to movie-goers and Oregonians alike.
This museum provides visitors with an immersive understanding of westward expansion from an Indigenous viewpoint. While not shying away from colonization’s miseries – such as disease, war and forced boarding schools that tore families apart – this institution also showcases its unparalleled beauty – the Columbia River Gorge.
This museum has earned widespread acclaim throughout Oregon due to its distinctive specialty – one of the few that blends Art, History and Culture together in an engaging environment. Furthermore, this museum is well known for sharing LGBT stories from the west as well as Natural History pub talks; thus gaining immense popularity and being visited by large numbers of tourists each year.
Portland Art Museum is widely revered for its extensive collections of modern and contemporary art as well as its exceptional Native American basket collection and large outdoor public sculpture garden. Considered the largest museum in the Pacific Northwest, this experience should not be missed by art enthusiasts.
