Discover Oregon's rich heritage through 200+ museums showcasing pioneering history, maritime culture, volcanic geology, Native American heritage, and world-class art collections across the state.
Statehood: February 14, 1859 - 33rd State
Capital: Salem
Nickname: The Beaver State
State Motto: "Alis Volat Propriis" (She Flies With Her Own Wings)
1219 SW Park Avenue, Portland, OR 97205
Oregon's oldest art museum features six stories of galleries with collections spanning Native American art, Asian art, European paintings, contemporary art, and special exhibitions. Founded in 1892.
Hours: Wed-Sun 10am-5pm, Thu-Fri until 8pm
Admission: Adults $25, Seniors $22, Youth (17 and under) Free, Free First Thursday 10am-7pm monthly
Website: portlandartmuseum.org
1945 SE Water Avenue, Portland, OR 97214
Interactive science center featuring five exhibit halls, planetarium, Empirical Theater with Portland's largest screen, and USS Blueback submarine tours. Hands-on exhibits cover natural sciences, technology, and industry.
Hours: Tue-Sun 9:30am-5:30pm, Sat until 7pm
Admission: Adults $20, Seniors (63+) $17, Youth (3-13) $15, Under 3 Free, $5 First Sunday monthly
Website: omsi.edu
1200 SW Park Avenue, Portland, OR 97205
Oregon's premier history museum featuring exhibits on Oregon Trail pioneers, Native American cultures, Lewis and Clark expedition, and state development. Extensive research library and archives.
Hours: Wed-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm
Admission: Always free for Multnomah County residents, $11 Adults, $9 Seniors/Students, $5 Youth (6-18)
Website: ohs.org
3229 NW Pittock Drive, Portland, OR 97210
Historic 1914 French Renaissance mansion built by newspaper publisher Henry Pittock. Features period furnishings, gardens, and panoramic city views from 1,000 feet above Portland.
Hours: Daily 10am-5pm (Feb-Dec), Closed January
Admission: Adults $14, Seniors (65+) $13, Youth (6-18) $9, Under 6 Free
Website: pittockmansion.org
4015 SW Canyon Road, Portland, OR 97221
Interactive museum designed for children through age 10 with hands-on exhibits including clay studio, garage, maker studio, and outdoor play areas. Focus on creative play and learning.
Hours: Tue-Sun 9am-5pm
Admission: $14.50 per person, Under 1 Free
Website: portlandcm.org
4033 SW Canyon Road, Portland, OR 97221
Museum dedicated to forest education with interactive exhibits on Pacific Northwest forests, sustainable forestry, and forest ecology. Features 70-foot talking tree and forest discovery lab.
Hours: Wed-Sun 10am-5pm
Admission: Adults $9, Seniors $8, Youth (3-17) $7
Website: worldforestry.org
724 NW Davis Street, Portland, OR 97209
Museum preserving and presenting Oregon Jewish history and Holocaust education through exhibits, survivor testimonies, and educational programs.
Hours: Tue-Sun 11am-4pm
Admission: $10 Adults, $8 Seniors/Students, Free first Sunday monthly
Website: ojmche.org
121 NW 2nd Avenue, Portland, OR 97209
Museum and cultural center documenting Japanese American history in Oregon, including WWII internment experiences and contributions to Oregon's development.
Hours: Tue-Sat 11am-3pm
Admission: Free, donations accepted
Website: oregonnikkei.org
1430 Johnson Lane, Eugene, OR 97403
University of Oregon art museum featuring 14,000+ works including Asian art, American modernism, contemporary art, and Northwest regional art. One of Oregon's finest university art museums.
Hours: Wed-Sun 11am-5pm
Admission: Adults $5, Students/Seniors $3, Under 18 Free, UO students/faculty Free
Website: jsma.uoregon.edu
1680 East 15th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97403
Oregon's premier natural history museum with extensive collections of fossils, archaeological artifacts, and specimens showcasing 15,000 years of Pacific Northwest cultural history and natural heritage.
Hours: Wed-Sun 11am-5pm
Admission: Adults $8, Seniors/Students $5, Youth (3-18) $5, Free first Friday monthly
Website: mnch.uoregon.edu
2300 Leo Harris Parkway, Eugene, OR 97401
Hands-on science center for children featuring interactive exhibits, planetarium shows, and outdoor science park. Focus on physics, chemistry, biology, and astronomy education.
Hours: Wed-Sun 10am-4pm
Admission: $10 general, $8 seniors, Under 2 Free
Website: sciencefactory.org
303 Willamette Street, Eugene, OR 97401
Victorian mansion built in 1888, known as the "Castle on the Hill," featuring period furnishings and interpretive exhibits about Eugene's pioneer families and 19th-century life.
Hours: Tue-Fri 10am-1pm, Sat-Sun 1pm-4pm
Admission: $5 Adults, $4 Seniors, $3 Students
Website: smjhouse.org
740 West 13th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97402
County museum documenting regional history from Native American cultures through pioneer settlement to modern development. Features photographs, artifacts, and research library.
Hours: Wed-Sat 10am-4pm
Admission: $3 Adults, $2 Seniors/Students, Under 16 Free
Website: lchm.org
700 State Street, Salem, OR 97301
Oregon's third-largest art museum, affiliated with Willamette University. Features Pacific Northwest art, Native American basketry, Asian art, and contemporary exhibitions.
Hours: Tue-Sat 12pm-5pm
Admission: $6 Adults, $4 Students/Seniors, Under 18 Free, Free first Tuesday monthly
Website: hfma.willamette.edu
1313 Mill Street SE, Salem, OR 97301
Five-acre heritage site featuring 14 historic buildings including the 1841 Jason Lee House, Thomas Kay Woolen Mill, and exhibits on Oregon Trail pioneers and Willamette Valley winemaking heritage.
Hours: Wed-Sat 10am-4pm
Admission: Adults $15, Seniors $13, Students $11, Youth $11
Website: willametteheritage.org
116 Marion Street NE, Salem, OR 97301
Interactive children's museum featuring outdoor adventure garden, bubble room, construction zone, and numerous hands-on exhibits designed for children ages 1-10.
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 12pm-5pm
Admission: $10.50 per person, Under 1 Free
Website: acgilbert.org
600 Mission Street SE, Salem, OR 97302
1878 Italianate Victorian mansion with original furnishings, artwork, and decorative arts collection. Set in 100-acre Bush's Pasture Park with rose gardens and conservatory.
Hours: Wed-Sun 12pm-5pm (May-Sep)
Admission: $6 Adults, $5 Seniors, $4 Students, Under 6 Free
Website: salemart.org/bush-house
1116 Mission Street SE, Salem, OR 97302
1894 Queen Anne Victorian house museum with English-style gardens designed by landscape architects Elizabeth Lord and Edith Schryver. Features period rooms and horticultural displays.
Hours: Sun-Sat 12pm-4pm (May-Sep), Gardens open daily
Admission: House tours $8, Gardens Free
Website: deepwoodmuseum.org
2600 Center Street NE, Salem, OR 97301
Museum documenting mental health care history in Oregon through artifacts, patient artwork, and exhibits about the evolution of psychiatric treatment. Located in historic Kirkbride building.
Hours: Wed-Sat 11am-4pm
Admission: Free, donations accepted
Website: oshmuseum.org
22267 Highway 86, Baker City, OR 97814
Premier Oregon Trail museum on 500-acre BLM site featuring life-sized wagon replicas, interactive exhibits, living history demonstrations, and 4 miles of interpretive trails with visible wagon ruts.
Hours: Thu-Sun 10am-5pm (Oct-Mar), Daily (Apr-Sep)
Admission: $8 Adults, $5 Seniors/Students, Under 16 Free, Multiple free days annually
Website: nhotic.com
1726 Washington Street, Oregon City, OR 97045
Museum marking the western terminus of the Oregon Trail with three building-sized covered wagons. Interactive exhibits cover the 2,000-mile journey and pioneer settlement in Oregon Territory.
Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-5pm
Admission: Adults $15, Seniors $13, Students $11, Four free admission days annually
Website: historicoregoncity.org
47106 Wildhorse Boulevard, Pendleton, OR 97801
Museum and cultural center of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes telling indigenous perspectives on Oregon Trail migration and 10,000 years of plateau culture history.
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-5pm
Admission: Adults $10, Seniors $8, Students $6, Under 5 Free
Website: tamastslikt.org
2480 Grove Street, Baker City, OR 97814
Regional museum with mining artifacts, pioneer tools, Native American collections, and exhibits on Chinese immigrant contributions to Baker County development.
Hours: Daily 9am-4pm (Apr-Oct)
Admission: $5 Adults, $4.50 Seniors, $3 Youth (6-16)
Website: oregontrailmuseum.org
59800 South Highway 97, Bend, OR 97702
Premier natural and cultural history museum showcasing high desert ecosystems, wildlife, Native American cultures, westward expansion, and contemporary Western life on 135 acres with indoor and outdoor exhibits.
Hours: Daily 10am-5pm
Admission: Adults $18, Seniors $17, Youth (5-12) $12, Under 5 Free
Website: highdesertmuseum.org
58201 South Highway 97, Bend, OR 97707
Interpretive center for Newberry National Volcanic Monument featuring volcanic geology exhibits, Lava Butte cinder cone, and information about the region's 400,000-year volcanic history.
Hours: Daily 10am-4pm (May-early Oct)
Admission: $5 per vehicle
Website: USFS Newberry Monument
129 NW Idaho Avenue, Bend, OR 97703
Local history museum in 1914 Reid School building documenting Bend and Central Oregon history through logging, ranching, recreation, and community development exhibits.
Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-4pm
Admission: $5 Adults, $3 Seniors/Students, Under 12 Free
Website: deschuteshistory.org
246 N Main Street, Prineville, OR 97754
Crook County historical museum featuring ranching heritage, Paiute culture, rockhound collections, pioneer artifacts, and exhibits on the region's timber and agricultural history.
Hours: Mon-Fri 10am-5pm, Sat 11am-4pm
Admission: Free, donations accepted
Website: crookcountyhistorycenter.org
1792 Marine Drive, Astoria, OR 97103
Oregon's official maritime museum featuring Coast Guard history, Columbia River Bar pilots, fishing industry, shipwrecks, and marine navigation. Includes lightship Columbia, tugboat simulator, and extensive vessel collections.
Hours: Daily 9:30am-5pm
Admission: Adults $16, Seniors $14, Youth (6-17) $8, Under 6 Free
Website: crmm.org
2030 SE Marine Science Drive, Newport, OR 97365
Oregon State University marine science facility with public exhibits on Pacific Ocean ecosystems, marine life, coastal geology, and oceanographic research. Features touch tanks and aquariums.
Hours: Thu-Mon 10am-4pm (Labor Day-Memorial Day), Daily 10am-5pm (Summer)
Admission: Free, donations accepted
Website: hmsc.oregonstate.edu
545 SW 9th Street, Newport, OR 97365
Lincoln County historical museum documenting coastal Native American cultures, maritime heritage, logging, fishing industries, and coastal community development. Features Burrows House Museum.
Hours: Tue-Sun 11am-4pm
Admission: $5 Adults, $3 Students, Under 12 Free
Website: oregoncoasthistory.org
333 SE Bay Boulevard, Newport, OR 97365
Maritime museum on Newport's working wharf featuring model ships, maritime artifacts, art galleries, and exhibits about Pacific commercial fishing and boat building traditions.
Hours: Tue-Sun 11am-4pm
Admission: Adults $10, Youth (13-17) $5, Under 12 Free
Website: pmhc.us
570 Necanicum Drive, Seaside, OR 97138
Museum documenting Seaside's history as Oregon's first coastal resort, Lewis and Clark salt works, Native American culture, and development of beach recreation traditions.
Hours: Daily 10am-4pm
Admission: $5 Adults, $3 Students, Under 6 Free
Website: seasidemuseum.org
1387 S Spruce Street, Cannon Beach, OR 97110
Small museum preserving Cannon Beach history through photographs, artifacts, and exhibits about logging, fishing, art colony development, and the famous Haystack Rock.
Hours: Wed-Mon 11am-5pm
Admission: Free, donations accepted
Website: cbhistory.org
6030 Hangar Road, Tillamook, OR 97141
Aviation museum housed in massive 1942 WWII blimp hangar featuring 30+ vintage aircraft, warbirds, helicopters, and exhibits on Naval Air Station history and coastal defense.
Hours: Daily 10am-5pm
Admission: Adults $15, Seniors $14, Youth (7-17) $8, Under 7 Free
Website: tillamookair.com
1220 Sherman Avenue, Coos Bay, OR 97420
Regional museum documenting southern Oregon coast history including Native American heritage, maritime industries, logging, coal mining, and cultural development of Coos County.
Hours: Wed-Sun 11am-5pm
Admission: Adults $8, Seniors $7, Students $5, Under 5 Free
Website: cooshistory.org
5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles, OR 97058
Official interpretive center for Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area featuring geology, Native American culture, Lewis and Clark expedition, pioneer history, and natural history exhibits.
Hours: Daily 10am-5pm
Admission: Adults $9, Seniors $7, Youth (6-16) $5, Under 6 Free
Website: gorgediscovery.org
1 Portage Road, Cascade Locks, OR 97014
Museum documenting Columbia River navigation history, historic locks and dam system, sternwheeler era, and Native American fishing traditions at the historic Cascade Rapids site.
Hours: Daily 12pm-5pm (Jun-Sep)
Admission: Free, donations accepted
Website: cascadelocks.net/museum
300 E Port Marina Drive, Hood River, OR 97031
County museum featuring Native American artifacts, pioneer settlement, fruit industry development, windsurfing history, and exhibits on Hood River Valley's transformation from orchards to recreation destination.
Hours: Tue-Sat 11am-4pm
Admission: $5 Adults, $4 Seniors, Under 18 Free
Website: Hood River County Museum
Crater Lake Highway 62, Crater Lake, OR 97604
Year-round visitor center featuring exhibits on Crater Lake's volcanic formation 7,700 years ago, deep blue water geology, natural history, and 22-minute orientation film about America's deepest lake.
Hours: Daily 10am-5pm (hours vary by season)
Admission: Park entrance fee $30 per vehicle (7-day pass)
Website: nps.gov/crla
1250 Siskiyou Boulevard, Ashland, OR 97520
Southern Oregon University art museum featuring contemporary art, regional artists, rotating exhibitions, and educational programs in modern facility near Shakespeare Festival theaters.
Hours: Tue-Sat 11am-5pm
Admission: Free
Website: sma.sou.edu
1500 E Main Street, Ashland, OR 97520
Interactive science museum for families featuring hands-on exhibits in physics, biology, earth science, and technology. Includes Da Vinci's Garage makerspace and outdoor science playground.
Hours: Wed-Sun 10am-5pm
Admission: $10 Adults, $8 Seniors/Youth, Under 2 Free
Website: scienceworksmuseum.org
412 Depot Street, Central Point, OR 97502
Railroad museum featuring restored locomotives, passenger cars, Southern Pacific Railway history, and exhibits on the importance of railroads to Southern Oregon's timber and agricultural industries.
Hours: Sat 11am-3pm
Admission: Free, donations accepted
Website: rvry.org
1451 Main Street, Klamath Falls, OR 97601
Regional museum documenting Klamath Basin history, Native American cultures, volcanic geology, wildlife refuges, logging heritage, and agricultural development of south-central Oregon.
Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-5pm
Admission: Adults $5, Seniors $4, Youth $3, Under 5 Free
Website: klamathcountymuseum.org
610 3rd Street, Haines, OR 97833
Comprehensive regional museum with 10,000+ artifacts covering pioneer life, ranching, mining, Native American culture, vintage machinery, and rural Eastern Oregon development.
Hours: Daily 9am-5pm (May-Oct)
Admission: $5 Adults, $4 Seniors, Under 12 Free
Website: easternoregonmuseum.org
333 S Main Street, Union, OR 97883
County museum in historic 1881 Italianate house featuring pioneer artifacts, Native American collections, Victorian furnishings, and exhibits on Grande Ronde Valley settlement.
Hours: Mon-Sat 10am-4pm (May-Sep)
Admission: $3 Adults, Under 12 Free
Website: unioncountymuseum.org
37 SW Emigrant Avenue, Pendleton, OR 97801
Unique walking tour museum through underground tunnels revealing Pendleton's frontier past including Chinese living quarters, Prohibition-era speakeasies, gambling rooms, and Old West history.
Hours: Daily tours at scheduled times
Admission: Tours $20 Adults, $15 Youth (6-12)
Website: pendletonundergroundtours.org
108 SW Frazer Avenue, Pendleton, OR 97801
Railroad depot museum featuring Umatilla County history, Native American artifacts, railroad exhibits, and Pendleton Round-Up rodeo heritage in restored 1909 Union Pacific depot.
Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-4pm
Admission: $5 Adults, $4 Seniors, $2 Youth
Website: heritagestationmuseum.org
500 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR 97128
World-class aviation museum featuring Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, SR-71 Blackbird, 200+ aircraft and spacecraft, space exhibits, and comprehensive aviation history displays.
Hours: Daily 9am-5pm
Admission: Adults $27, Seniors $24, Youth (5-16) $22, Under 5 Free
Website: evergreenmuseum.org
211 Tumwater Drive, Oregon City, OR 97045
County museum documenting Oregon City's role as provisional capital, Oregon Trail terminus, Willamette Falls industries, and pioneer settlement in the first incorporated American city west of the Rockies.
Hours: Wed-Sat 11am-4pm
Admission: $6 Adults, $5 Seniors, $4 Youth, Under 6 Free
Website: clackamascountyhistory.org
713 Center Street, Oregon City, OR 97045
National Park Service site preserving the 1845 home of Dr. John McLoughlin, "Father of Oregon," featuring period furnishings and exhibits about Hudson's Bay Company and Oregon Territory settlement.
Hours: Wed-Sat 10am-4pm (Feb-Oct)
Admission: Free
Website: nps.gov/mclr
1101 Main Street, Philomath, OR 97370
County museum in 1867 Philomath College building featuring exhibits on Native American culture, pioneer settlement, logging industry, agricultural development, and Willamette Valley history.
Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-4:30pm
Admission: $5 Adults, $3 Youth, Under 6 Free
Website: bentoncountymuseum.org
136 Lyon Street S, Albany, OR 97321
Regional museum documenting Linn County history, rare metals industry, Albany's extensive collection of historic buildings, and mid-Willamette Valley cultural development.
Hours: Wed-Sat 11am-4pm
Admission: Free, donations accepted
Website: armuseum.com
1928 SE Ladd Avenue, Portland, OR 97214
Unique museum dedicated to hat history with 1,500+ hats from around the world spanning four centuries, including presidential hats, celebrity headwear, and cultural millinery traditions.
Hours: First Saturday monthly 11am-4pm, by appointment
Admission: $10 suggested donation
Website: thehatmuseum.com
409 Riverfront Way, Reedsport, OR 97467
Interpretive center focusing on Umpqua River Basin natural and cultural history, including coastal Native American tribes, timber industry, Oregon Dunes ecology, and commercial fishing heritage.
Hours: Daily 10am-5pm (Summer), Wed-Sat 10am-4pm (Winter)
Admission: Adults $8, Seniors $7, Youth (6-15) $4
Website: umpquadiscoverycenter.com
3995 Brookside Drive, Brooks, OR 97305
Operating trolley museum preserving Pacific Northwest electric railway history with vintage streetcars, trolleys, and railway equipment. Offers rides on historic cars along museum trackage.
Hours: Sat-Sun 10am-5pm (May-Oct)
Admission: Adults $10, Seniors $9, Youth (5-12) $7
Website: oerhs.org
3995 Brooklake Road NE, Brooks, OR 97303
63-acre heritage park with multiple museums featuring antique tractors, farm equipment, steam engines, vintage trucks, blacksmith shop, and agricultural machinery from Oregon's farming history.
Hours: Daily 10am-5pm (Apr-Oct)
Admission: Free, donations accepted
Website: antiquepowerland.com
125 West Main Street, Klamath Falls, OR 97601
Renowned collection of 100,000+ Native American artifacts, Western art, arrowheads, stone age tools, baskets, beadwork, and contemporary Native American artwork representing tribes across North America.
Hours: Tue-Sat 10am-5pm
Admission: Adults $10, Seniors $9, Youth (6-16) $5
Website: favellmuseum.org
Paulina Lake Road, La Pine, OR 97739
Seasonal interpretive center within Newberry National Volcanic Monument explaining the volcano's 400,000-year history, obsidian flows, lava tubes, and unique high-desert volcanic features spanning 1,200 square miles.
Hours: Mid-Jun to mid-Sep, hours vary
Admission: $5 per vehicle
Website: Newberry Monument
235 Anderson Avenue, Coos Bay, OR 97420
Oregon's third-oldest art museum featuring American and Pacific Northwest contemporary art, photography, printmaking, and rotating exhibitions in historic 1936 Art Deco building.
Hours: Tue-Fri 10am-4pm, Sat 1pm-4pm
Admission: $5 Adults, $2 Students, Free first Friday monthly
Website: coosart.org
113 SW Naito Parkway, Portland, OR 97204
Maritime museum aboard historic sternwheeler Portland featuring exhibits on Columbia and Willamette River navigation, shipbuilding, tugboats, and Portland's maritime heritage.
Hours: Wed-Sat 11am-4pm, Sun 12:30pm-4:30pm
Admission: Adults $10, Seniors/Youth $8, Under 5 Free
Website: oregonmaritimemuseum.org
Explore Oregon's largest city museum concentration including Portland Art Museum, OMSI, Oregon Historical Society, Pittock Mansion, and specialty museums. Allow full day for OMSI with children. Pearl District and downtown museums are walkable.
Maritime heritage route from Astoria's Columbia River Maritime Museum south through Newport's marine centers to Coos Bay history museums. Combine with lighthouses, beaches, and coastal attractions.
Follow historic route from End of Oregon Trail in Oregon City to National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City. Include Pendleton Underground Tours and Tamastslikt Cultural Institute for complete pioneer and Native American perspectives.
High Desert Museum is must-see, combine with Lava Lands Visitor Center, Newberry Volcano exhibits, and Des Chutes Historical Museum. Excellent for families interested in natural history and geology.
Oregon has over 200 museums statewide, ranging from major institutions like the Portland Art Museum and High Desert Museum to small county historical societies. The Oregon Museums Association represents 200+ member museums, while comprehensive directories list 208+ museums including art museums, history museums, science centers, specialty museums, and historic sites across all 36 counties.
Top must-see Oregon museums include the High Desert Museum (Bend) for natural and cultural history, Portland Art Museum for comprehensive art collections, OMSI for interactive science, Columbia River Maritime Museum (Astoria) for maritime heritage, National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center (Baker City) for pioneer history, and Evergreen Aviation Museum (McMinnville) to see Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose. The Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art (Eugene) and Hallie Ford Museum (Salem) are also highly recommended.
Many Oregon museums offer free admission including McLoughlin House National Historic Site, Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State Hospital Museum, Schneider Museum of Art, Antique Powerland, Oregon Nikkei Legacy Center, and most small county historical museums. Additionally, the Portland Art Museum offers Free First Thursday monthly, University of Oregon museums are free first Friday, and OMSI offers $5 admission first Sunday. Multnomah County residents always receive free admission to Oregon Historical Society Museum.
The High Desert Museum near Bend is Oregon's largest museum by acreage, encompassing 135 acres with indoor galleries and outdoor wildlife exhibits. By collection size and visitor capacity, OMSI (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry) in Portland is the largest with five exhibit halls, planetarium, theater, and submarine. The Portland Art Museum is Oregon's largest art museum with six stories and 112,000+ square feet of gallery space, founded in 1892.
Yes, Oregon has excellent natural history museums including the University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History (Eugene) with 15,000 years of Pacific Northwest natural and cultural collections, the High Desert Museum showcasing high desert ecosystems and wildlife, Hatfield Marine Science Center (Newport) for marine biology, and numerous geology-focused sites like the Lava Lands Visitor Center at Newberry Volcano and interpretive centers at Crater Lake National Park. These museums feature fossils, geological specimens, taxidermy, and ecological exhibits.
Oregon has two premier Oregon Trail museums: the National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center near Baker City, featuring life-sized wagon exhibits, living history programs, and 4 miles of trails with visible wagon ruts; and the End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Oregon City with distinctive building-sized covered wagon structures. Other museums with significant Oregon Trail content include the Oregon Historical Society Museum, Tamastslikt Cultural Institute (Native American perspective), and numerous county museums along the historic route through Eastern Oregon.
Oregon's maritime history is best explored at the Columbia River Maritime Museum in Astoria, Oregon's official state maritime museum featuring Coast Guard history, Columbia River Bar navigation, and the lightship Columbia. Other significant maritime museums include the Pacific Maritime Heritage Center and Oregon Coast History Center (both Newport), Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon Maritime Museum aboard the sternwheeler Portland, Coos History Museum, and numerous coastal historical societies documenting fishing, shipwrecks, lighthouses, and maritime commerce.
Oregon's top children's museums include Portland Children's Museum with creative play exhibits for ages 0-10, OMSI with hands-on science for all ages, Gilbert House Children's Museum (Salem) featuring outdoor adventure garden and interactive exhibits, Science Factory (Eugene) with planetarium and science playground, and ScienceWorks (Ashland). Many general museums also offer excellent children's programs including the High Desert Museum's wildlife exhibits and discovery rooms at art museums throughout the state.
Yes, Crater Lake National Park operates two visitor centers with museum exhibits. The Steel Visitor Center at park headquarters is open year-round and features a 22-minute film about the lake's volcanic formation, exhibits on geology and natural history, and interpretive displays. The seasonal Rim Visitor Center operates late May through September near Crater Lake Lodge with additional exhibits. The nearby Sinnott Memorial overlook also contains geological exhibits. Park admission is $30 per vehicle for a 7-day pass.
Premier Native American cultural museums in Oregon include Tamastslikt Cultural Institute (Pendleton) operated by the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla tribes telling indigenous perspectives on 10,000 years of plateau culture; the Favell Museum (Klamath Falls) with 100,000+ Native artifacts from across North America; and the Museum of Natural and Cultural History (Eugene) with extensive Pacific Northwest indigenous collections. Many regional museums also feature significant Native American exhibits including the High Desert Museum, Oregon Historical Society, and Columbia Gorge Discovery Center.
Last updated on November 24, 2025