Last Updated: February 7, 2022
Best Museums In Oregon
On a visit to Oregon, it would be a crime to engage in the state’s history as it’s a rich one full of both old Native American culture as well as modern-day accomplishments as well. Visitors can learn all about Oregon’s state history through all the amazing museums in Oregon.
The museums in Oregon aren’t just about history though, you’ll find museums dedicated to nature, art, science, aviation, and lots more that are all worth a visit.
Join me as we take a look at all the best museums in Oregon for visitors to explore as a break from taking in the stunning Oregon State Parks.
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Portland Art Museum
Image courtesy of Wikimedia
If you’re an art lover then one of the best museums you have to explore in Oregon is the Portland Art Museum. Sitting in southeast Portland, the Portland Art Museum was founded in 892 is the seventh oldest museum in the USA and oldest museum in the Pacific Northwest.
The Portland Art Museum is home to around 42,000 pieces of art spread out over 112,000 square feet, making it one of the 25 biggest museums in the US. The permanent exhibits are home to a huge variety of collections including Native American art, European art, contemporary art, Asian art, and plus modern art and regional artwork as well.
There are also outdoor exhibits in the sculpture garden and the museum prides itself in having rotating exhibits to keep local visitors and tourists consistently interested and entertained. You’ll even find exhibits with stop-motion puppets that are made by the local Portland animation studio Laika.
Oregon Rail Heritage Center
Image courtesy of Wikimedia
The Oregon Rail Heritage Center is quite a unique museum as it’s all about showcasing detailed special exhibits about the old railroads of the west. You’ll find this museum located in Portland and it’s packed full of old railroad equipment, railroad artifacts, old maps, and other memorabilia that is all wonderfully curated across many great exhibits.
Located in South Portland, this museum is in a big old orange and silver warehouse right next to the railroad tracks still in use by freight trains. This only adds to the atmosphere of the museum as you’ll hear the rumbling of locomotives going by as you’re learning about their history in Oregon.
The best exhibit that everyone wants to see features three historic steam locomotives including the Spokane, Portland & Seattle 700, stunning Art Deco-influenced Southern Pacific 4449, and the Oregon Railway & Navigation 197.
While you explore this museum, there are also some interactive exhibits where you can watch volunteers in overalls restoring old parts or doing maintenance.
Columbia River Maritime Museum
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The Columbia River Maritime Museum is another Oregon museum that you must explore while roaming around the Oregon coast. The Columbia River Maritime Museum is located in Astoria right on the mouth of the Columbia River where one of the most dangerous ocean passages in the world lies, the Columbia River Bar.
The Columbia River Maritime Museum opened way back in 1962 in order to preserve the rich maritime cultural heritage of the state. The exhibits include whole ships on display outside, a 44-foot (13.4-meter) Coast Guard rescue boat suspended over fake waves ready for action to save anyone stranded on the Columbia River Bar, as well as a whole host of other maritime artifacts to explore.
The museum also tells the story of the “The Graveyard of the Pacific” where over 2000 boats have sunk due to the danger of the passage of the Columbia River Bar which includes film exhibits as well as other galleries.
National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center
The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center is an Eastern Oregon museum everyone should take some time to see while exploring the Beaver State.
The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center spans some 500 acres and is home to numerous exhibits that bring the rich history of the 2,000 mile Oregon trail to life.
You’ll find around 4 miles of interpretive trails to hike around while at the museum as well as living history demonstrations, media presentations, and interactive exhibits that all tell the natural and cultural history of the Oregon Trail.
The museum tries to use life-size living history demonstrations which include huge displays, live theatre, and film as their mediums to express the story of the pioneers of the trail. You’ll also find remnants of historic places such as the Flagstaff Gold Mine and more that showcase Oregon’s natural history.
This is an awesome museum to go to with kids as all the exhibits are pretty much interactive and they will love exploring all the trails and seeing the actors.
Related: Movies filmed in Oregon
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
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The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is one of the best museums to see in Oregon, especially if you’re traveling with kids or have a deep interest in planes.
The exhibits inside display some amazing planes that span the history of aviation engineering starting off with a replica of the historic aircraft 1903 Flyer that was flown by the Wright brothers all the way to one of the fastest planes ever, the SR-71 Blackbird which tops out at around 2000 miles per hour.
The plane everyone wants to see at the museum is the Spruce Goose. The Spruce Goose was built out of wood during World War II since there were wartime restrictions on metals and it’s very much a reminder of the hard work put in during the war.
My favorite thing about the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is that you can go on a museum tour with one of many veteran pilots who will explain everything about the planes and historical artifacts. You can even go inside the Spruce Goose and get a sense of just how big its 320-foot wingspan is.
Just next to the museum on the same campus, you’ll also find a movie theater and a water park, so your children can have a great day out of learning and fun.
Oregon Historical Society Museum
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The Oregon Historical Society Museum is all about ensuring the state’s natural and cultural history is preserved and showcased for all to see. The museum is located in the old Oregon Historical Society in Portland and is home to over 85,000 artifacts pertaining to the local history of Oregon.
Inside you’ll find a seemingly never-ending amount of artifacts from books to films, manuscripts, maps, photographs, and lots more. There is also a huge research library that is open and free to all to explore.
One of the coolest artifacts to see is the Portland Penny which is the actual penny used to decide on the name of the city. In 1845, the city founders Francis Pettygrove from Portland in Maine and Asa Lovejoy from Boston, flipped the small copper penny to see if the city would be called either Boston or Portland. Francis Pettygrove was the winner of course!
World Forestry Center Discovery Museum
The World Forestry Center Discovery Museum sits in Central Oregon right next to the Oregon zoo and comes a huge 20,000-square-foot of land that is an homage to all the trees of the Pacific Northwest and the world over.
The two-story building sits right next to Washington Park Forest and is a huge center that is all about discovering how forests are formed. The building itself is rather stunning and resembles a log cabin and also houses a beautiful atrium that is full of exposed roots, log tunnels, faux trees, totem falls, and faux Oregon wildlife such as bald eagles and black bears.
Using the forests of the Pacific Northwest as an example, you can learn all about how forests grow and change over time. You’ll also see a gigantic petrified stump of a Giant Sequoia which weighs 10,000 lbs and is over 5 million years old. There is also an old 42-ton Lima Shay-geared locomotive which is said to have hauled over a billion feet of logs.
Oregon Jewish Museum
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Sitting in the Oregon city of Portland is where you’ll find the Oregon Jewish Museum and the Center for Holocaust Education. It’s a very interesting museum to attend if you want to learn about the history of Jews in Oregon and how their lives have been led.
It also has a large focus on the Holocaust and brings to life this awful bit of history so that everyone can learn just how awful the Nazis were and what actually happened.
The final display at this museum is all about discrimination which showcases what the Orgeon Jews have lived through. In addition to these three main galleries, there are also events and seasonal shows put on.
Portland Children’s Museum
Visitors to Portland who are traveling with young ones have to visit the Portland Children’s Museum. Unlike most children’s museums that are geared towards both adults and children, this one is just for the kids.
This museum is all about encouraging imagination, problem-solving, and fun learning through a whole host of events and different collections.
Children can get involved in building workshops in the Clay Studio or Construction Zone. Enjoy a bit of shopping in The Market, help out an animal at the Pet Hospital, and burn off some energy in the Outdoor Adventure Collection. To top it off there are Water Works and Theatre collections as well.
This really is a great place for children to learn and have fun at the same time.
Tamástslikt Cultural Institute
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The Tamastslikt Cultural Institute is one of the most special museums in Oregon as it was is the only Native American museum run by actual tribes in Oregon. You’ll find it near Pendleton in the Umatilla Reservation, land on which the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes have lived for over ten thousand years.
The museum is run by the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes and it showcases Native American history as well as a culture through great collections of arts, and interactive events. You’ll find Native American artifacts such as Native American baskets and lots more to see too.
There are three main galleries in this museum that take you through the history from a Native American perspective stating with We Were, We Are, and finishing with We Will Be. Each collection builds on itself and you’ll learn more than ever about Native American artifacts and history.
Favell Museum of Western Art and Indian Artifacts
The Favell Museum of Western Art and Indian Artifacts is home to a huge number of Native American Indian artifacts as well as swathes of contemporary art too. It’s quite a unique place to see sine the attractions and arts are so different but somehow meet in the middle.
You can see the story of Native American culture through the many pieces, of which there are over 100,000. You’ll find arrowheads, spears, tools, clothing, beadworks, and even some pottery too.
There are also collections of graphic arts, modern art, and contemporary pieces at the art museum too. There are more than 300 different western artists’ pieces on display and all of them tell a story of the west.
You’ll also find works done by famous artists too which include original pieces painted by both Edgar S. Paxson and Charles M. Russell.
High Desert Museum
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The High Desert Museum is an awesome place to spend some time of you’re in central Oregon. The museum is dedicated to bringing together history, art, and nature in order to showcase just why the desert should be appreciated in an experience called “where wild meets west.”
Through indoor and outdoor displays as well as live demos, wildlife habitats, and more, you’ll learn about the harsh realities of life in the desert. You’ll take a look into the lives of settlers and fur trappers who managed to survive in the desert as well as how Native Americans navigated it as well.
Old stories such as how the LGBT communities worked in the Wild West to Natural history talks all bring the desert experience into a great but surprisingly informative one.
About the Author Roger Timbrook
Roger is a little obsessed with travel. He has been to over 40 countries, broken 3 suitcases and owned over 10 backpacks in 12 months. What he doesn't know about travel, ain't worth knowing!
