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List of museums in Oregon facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

This list of museums in Oregon encompasses museums defined for this context as institutions (including nonprofit organizations, government entities, and private businesses) that collect and care for objects of cultural, artistic, scientific, or historical interest and make their collections or related exhibits available for public viewing. Museums that exist only in cyberspace (i.e., virtual museums) are not included. Lists of Oregon institutions which are not museums are noted in the "See also" section, below.

Main list

Name Community County Region Type Summary
A. C. Gilbert's Discovery Village Salem Marion Willamette Valley Children's Hands-on museum that displays several inventions by Alfred Carlton Gilbert inventor of the Erector Set; has world's largest Erector Set tower at 52 feet (16 m)
A. R. Bowman Memorial Museum Prineville Crook Central History - Local Covers Crook County history, including the City of Prineville Railroad, the local timber industry, and a military exhibit
Agness-Illahe Museum Agness Curry Coast History - Local Operated seasonally by the Curry Historical Society
Albany Historic Carousel and Museum Albany Linn Willamette Valley Commodity - Carousel Website, formerly the Dentzel American Carousel Museum, historic Dentzel Carousel Company under restoration, memorabilia
Albany Regional Museum Albany Linn Willamette Valley History - Local Website; local history museum in an 1887 Italianate Victorian building
Alsea Bay Historic Interpretive Center Waldport Lincoln Coast Transportation State park with exhibits about the Alsea Bridge and the building of bridges in Oregon, area transportation, Native Americans
Anderson Homestead The Dalles Wasco Mt. Hood/
The Gorge
Historic house 1895 homestead consisting of Swedish log house, granary, and barn; across the street from the Fort Dalles Museum, which provides tours of this homestead
Antique Powerland Museums Brooks Marion Willamette Valley Railroad / Machinery See "Museums and organizations encompassed by Antique Powerland Museums" section below; Exhibits and demonstrates steam powered equipment, antique farm machinery and implements; includes Oregon Electric Railway Museum and 13 other museums on site
Applegate Pioneer Museum Veneta Lane Willamette Valley History - Local West Lane history in pictures and memorabilia
Applegate Trail Interpretive Center Sunny Valley Josephine Southern History - Local Includes pioneer artifacts, impact of gold mining, the stagecoach and railroads
The Art Gym Marylhurst Clackamas Portland Metro Art Contemporary arts exhibition space at Marylhurst University
Asher Car Museum Fossil Wheeler Eastern Transportation - Automobile Information; Opened about 1970;, may be closed, no current information
Ashland Historic Railroad Museum Ashland Jackson Southern Railroad
Astoria Children's Museum Astoria Clatsop Coast Children's May be closed - no current information
Astoria Column Astoria Clatsop Coast History - Local 125 foot column tower to climb, scenes of Oregon history on its exterior
Astoria Riverfront Trolley Astoria Clatsop Coast Transportation - Trolley
Baker Cabin Carver Clackamas Portland Metro Historic house Only cantilevered log cabin in state (on National Register of Historic Places listings in Oregon), built 1856, open by appointment; also, 1895 Pioneer Church and antique stage coach
Baker Heritage Museum Baker City Baker Eastern History - Local Website; rocks and crystals, local history exhibits, the restored Adler House, antique automobiles; formerly the Oregon Trail Regional Museum
Baldwin Hotel Museum Klamath Falls Klamath Southern History - Local Local history and the studio of photographer Maud Baldwin in a four-story 1906 building; run by Klamath County Museums organization
Bandon Historical Society Museum Bandon Coos Coast History - Local Website; local history of the area, Native American artifacts, displays on logging, fishing, cranberry farming and the 1936 fire that destroyed the city; maritime room
Barn Museum Troutdale Multnomah Portland Metro History / Farm implements Displays farm equipment and other artifacts; exhibits on various historical topics; run by the Troutdale Historical Society
Beekman House Jacksonville Jackson Southern Historic house Operated by the Jacksonville Heritage Society, early 20th-century period Victorian home
Benton County Historical Society and Museum Philomath Benton Willamette Valley History - Local / Natural history Website; County history; now incorporates 60,000-items related to natural history from the former Oregon State University Horner Museum; research library; art gallery; in the 1867 Philomath College building on the National Register of Historic Places
Bohemia Gold Mining Museum Cottage Grove Lane Willamette Valley Mining Area's gold mining history
Bonneville Dam Visitor Centers Cascade Locks Hood River Portland Metro Multiple Tours of the powerhouse, construction of the dam, fish ladder, natural history of the river fish
Brooks Depot Museum Brooks Marion Willamette Valley History - Local Run by the Brooks Historical Society at Antique Powerland, open the first Saturday of every month
Brunk House Salem/Rickreall at Brunks Corner Polk Willamette Valley Historic house Operated by the Polk County Historical Society, farmstead of 1861, period furnishings of 1860–1920; occupied by the pioneer Harrison Brunk family
Burrows House Newport Lincoln Coast History - Local website, operated by the Lincoln County Historical Society, Victorian period house with exhibits of local history
Bush Barn Art Center Salem Marion Willamette Valley Art Located in Bush's Pasture Park, features two contemporary art galleries
Bush House Museum Salem Marion Willamette Valley Historic house Italianate Victorian residence built in 1877–78; vintage fittings and furnishings, including original wallpapers and ornate marble fireplaces; located in Bush's Pasture Park
Camp White Military Museum White City Jackson Southern Military Located in the VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center & Clinic, history of Camp White, an Army training base in WWII
Canby Depot Museum Canby Clackamas Portland Metro Railroad / History - Local Area history and railroad history, located in a former train depot, operated by the Canby Historical Society
Cannon Beach History Center & Museum Cannon Beach Clatsop Coast History - Local Website; collection includes cannon, Tillamook Rock Lighthouse model, Native American longhouse
Canyon Life Museum Mill City Linn Willamette Valley History - Local Life, logging, mining and railroad history in North Santiam Canyon; photographs; research library; Run by North Santiam Historical Society
Cape Blanco Lighthouse Gold Beach Curry Coast Maritime Mid 19th-century working lighthouse and museum
Cape Meares Light Cape Meares Tillamook Coast Maritime Inactive 1890s lighthouse open for tours
Caples House Museum Columbia Columbia Portland Metro Historic house / Toys Website; 1870 home, including a doctor's office, old-fashioned kitchen and pantry; items include antique furniture, medical instruments, Native American baskets, pioneer tools in the wash house and tool shed; a doll museum in the carriage house has two floors of dolls, toys and clothes
Cascade Locks Historical Museum Cascade Locks Hood River Mt. Hood/
The Gorge
Multiple Located in a lock tender's house, exhibits include the Cascade Locks and Canal, an Oregon Pony locomotive, Columbia Gorge Native American history and regional history
Chachalu Museum and Cultural Center Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Polk County /
Willamette Valley
Multiple Chachalu tells the story of the Tribes and Bands of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and honor our Elders who kept Tribal traditions and dreams alive during the years of Termination. It is a center where the Tribe's Restoration is celebrated and our culture is being revitalized.
Chetco Valley Museum Brookings Curry Coast History - Local Local history including logging, fishing, bulb farming, ranching, Native American artifacts; claims to have the largest Monterey Cypress Tree in Oregon; run by Curry County Historical Society
Children's Museum of Klamath Falls Klamath Falls Klamath Southern Children's
Children's Museum of Eastern Oregon Pendleton Umatilla Eastern Children's Website
Chinese House Railroad Museum Echo Umatilla Eastern Ethnic - Chinese American / Railroad Artifacts of railroad history and of Chinese workers; in an original "China House" for Chinese railroad workers
Classic Aircraft Aviation Museum Hillsboro Washington Portland Metro Aviation Restored historic aircraft, located at Hillsboro Airport
Clatskanie Castle Clatskanie Columbia Portland Metro Historic house Also known as Flippin House, Edwardian-style house
Clatskanie Historical Museum Clatskanie Columbia Portland Metro History - Local Operated by the Clatskanie Historical Society
Clatsop County Heritage Museum Astoria Clatsop Coast History - Local Local history exhibits; Clatsop County Historical Society archives; Chinook and Clatsop Indian artifacts and crafts; in former Astoria City Hall
Collier Logging Museum Chiloquin Klamath Southern Industry Located in Collier Memorial State Park, outdoor museum with a large collection of historic logging equipment and railroad
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center The Dalles Wasco Mt. Hood/
The Gorge
Multiple Website; official interpretive center for the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area, encompasses Wasco County Historical Museum; local history, natural history, Lewis and Clark Expedition, Ice Age exhibit
Columbia River Maritime Museum Astoria Clatsop Coast Maritime History of the Columbia River, including four interactive and hands-on exhibits, the Lightship Columbia (a National Historic Landmark), maritime artifacts from the Pacific Northwest
Coos Art Museum Coos Bay Coos Coast Art State's third oldest art museum; in an Art Deco post office; contemporary art collection; art classes, lectures and events
Coos County Fairgrounds Museum Myrtle Point Coos Coast History - Local Displays include antiques, school items, photos, fine art and photography, located at the Coos County Fairgrounds
Coos County Logging Museum Myrtle Point Coos Coast Industry - Timber Displays tableaux, pictures and artifacts about 20th-century logging; housed in an onion-shaped, shingled-dome, wooden building from the early 20th century meant to modestly replicate the Mormon Tabernacle
Coos History Museum Coos Bay Coos Coast History - Local Website; south Oregon coast history, logging, area Native Americans, ship construction, operated by the Coos County Historical Society
Coquille River Light Bandon Coos Coast Maritime Located in Bullards Beach State Park
Coquille Valley Museum Coquille Coos Coast History - Local Operated by the Coquille Valley Historical Society, includes tools, photos, a turn-of-the-century printing press and type, a blacksmith forge
Cottage Grove Museum Cottage Grove Lane Willamette Valley History - Local Lumbering, mining, agriculture, covered bridges, prints, RMS Titanic displays; in an octagon-shaped former church
Crater Lake National Park - Sinnott Memorial Observation Station Klamath Southern Natural history Geology of Crater Lake National Park
Crater Rock Museum Central Point Jackson Southern Geology Website, rocks, minerals, gems, fossils, Native American artifacts
Creswell Historical Museum Creswell Lane Willamette Valley History - Local Operated by the Creswell Area Historical Society in a restored 1889 Methodist Church
Crown Point Country Historical Society Corbett Multnomah Portland Metro History - Local Website; a large classroom in the Historic Springdale School Community Center
Crown Point Vista House Troutdale Multnomah Portland Metro History - Local Stone building with views of the Columbia River Gorge, features displays on history and geology of the Gorge and local history; in a 1916 octagonal building designed by Edgar M. Lazarus; run by the Friends of the Vista House, owned and maintained by Oregon State Parks.
Curry Historical Society Museum Gold Beach Curry Coast History - Local / Regional Local and regional history; run by the Curry County Historical Society
Des Chutes Historical Museum Bend Deschutes Central History - Local Exhibits include the area's prehistory, Native American tribes, explorers, pioneers, the logging industry, transportation, home life, and the United States Forest Service
DeWitt Museum Prairie City Grant Eastern History - Local / Railroad Located in a historic train station, includes railroad period rooms displays, local history, rocks, minerals and mining exhibit
Dolly Wares Doll Museum Florence Lane Coast Toy Collection of more than 3,000 dolls, may be closed
Dorris Ranch Springfield Lane Willamette Valley Living Website; national historic site, working farm and public park, features 19th-century pioneer village, operated by the Willamalane Park and Recreation District
Douglas County Museum Roseburg Douglas Coast Natural history / History - Local
Lee House Museum Junction City Lane Willamette Valley History - Local Medical equipment and items relating to Junction City history; run by the Junction City Historical Society
Dufur Historical Society Museum Dufur Wasco Mt. Hood/
The Gorge
History - Local website, history displays in a historic log cabin, school and museum building
Eagle Point Museum Eagle Point Jackson Southern History - Local
East Linn Museum Sweet Home Linn Willamette Valley History - Local Collection includes logging tools, period rooms and farm tools and equipment, photographs
Eastern Oregon Fire Museum & Learning Center La Grande Union Eastern Firefighting Former (1899–2002) fire station; exhibits on history of firefighting; firehouse culture and advances in technology; vintage fire trucks
Eastern Oregon Museum Haines Baker Eastern History - Local Logging, mining, cowboy memorabilia, ranching, housewares, period clothing, dolls, toys, a former railroad depot and a former one-room schoolhouse
Echo Historical Museum Echo Umatilla Eastern History - Local
Elgin Museum Elgin Union Eastern History - Local
End of the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center Oregon City Clackamas Portland Metro History Website; Presentations by live history Interpreters in pioneer-period clothing
Ermatinger House Oregon City Clackamas Portland Metro Historic house 1845 house, the oldest in Clackamas County
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum McMinnville Yamhill Willamette Valley Aviation / Aerospace museum Home of Howard Hughes' Spruce Goose, includes airplanes, aircraft engines, helicopters, a Titan II ICBM and space technology exhibits
E. W. Smith and Bill Edmondson Museum Butte Falls Jackson Southern History - Local Operated by the Big Butte Historical Society, open by appointment
Favell Museum Klamath Falls Klamath Southern Art - Western / Ethnic - Native American Website; Western art and Native American artifacts
FireHouse Gallery Grants Pass Josephine Southern Art Operated by Rogue Community College, works by local, regional, national, and international emerging artists
Flavel House Museum Astoria Clatsop Coast Historic house 1886 Queen Anne style home of Captain George Flavel, river pilot, businessman; original Eastlake-influenced woodwork, period furnishings
Floed–Lane House Roseburg Douglas Southern Historic house Mid 19th-century house, operated by the Douglas County Historical Society
Fort Clatsop National Memorial Astoria Clatsop Coast Military Replica of original 1805–1806 winter encampment of the 33-member Lewis and Clark Expedition
Fort Dalles Museum The Dalles Wasco Mt. Hood/
The Gorge
History - Local Military, pioneer and Native American artifacts, Oregon Trail relics, early vehicles, household items, photographs; listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Fort Klamath Museum Klamath Falls Klamath Southern Fort Eight-acre site of Fort Klamath (1863–1890), no original buildings remain; replica of the fort guardhouse contains artifacts from the fort; run by Klamath County Museums organization
Fort Rock Valley Historical Homestead Museum Fort Rock Lake Southern Open-air museum Original pioneer buildings including a church, school, houses, homestead cabins
Fort Stevens Historical Area Warrenton Clatsop Coast Military In Fort Stevens State Park
Fort Vancouver National Historic Site Oregon City Clackamas Portland Metro Military Restored fort with living history demonstrations in Washington state, former residence of John McLoughlin in Oregon, Victorian period home, crafts demonstrations
Fossil Museum & Pine Creek Schoolhouse Fossil Wheeler Eastern Natural history / History - Local
Four Rivers Cultural Center Ontario Malheur Eastern History - Local / Ethnic - Native American Website; Local history and Native American exhibits; includes the Horace Arment Collection of artifacts from the Sioux, Navajo, Northern Paiute, Haida and earlier Native Americans
Frazier Farmstead Museum Milton-Freewater Umatilla Eastern Historic house - Farmstead Website; 1892 farmhouse, 1918 barn, a carriage house and several other buildings
Garibaldi Museum Garibaldi Tillamook Coast Maritime Website; focuses on 18th-century Captain Robert Gray, his historical vessels, the trade with Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, displays include models of his two ships, reproduction of Columbia's figurehead, one wing on local history
Gilliam County Historical Museum Condon Gilliam Eastern Open-air website, early farm equipment, Union Pacific Railroad caboose, an agricultural-machinery building, 1884 log cabin, 1910 school, 1900 tonsorial parlor, 1905 railroad depot, and early 20th-century jail, operated by the Gilliam County Historical Society
Gold Hill Historical Society Museum Gold Hill Jackson Southern History - Local Housed in the Beeman-Martin house
Gordon House Silverton Marion Willamette Valley Historic house Usonian house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright
Grant County Historical Museum Canyon City Grant Eastern History - Local Website
Grants Pass Museum of Art Grants Pass Josephine Southern Art Regional artists
Gresham History Museum Gresham Multnomah Portland Metro History - Local History of Gresham and surrounding area; run by the Gresham Historical Society
Hallie Ford Museum of Art Salem Marion Willamette Valley Art Part of Willamette University, collection includes Asian, European, Native American, and regional art
Hanley Farm Museum Central Point Jackson Southern Farm Web page, operated by the Southern Oregon Historical Society, 37-acre working farm that reflects different periods of farm life
Hanthorn Cannery Museum Astoria Clatsop Coast Industry website, local cannery and fishing industries
Harlow House Museum Troutdale Multnomah Portland Metro Historic house On the National Register of Historic Places; the grounds are part of the city park system; run by the Troutdale Historical Society
Harney County Historical Society Museum Burns Harney Eastern History - Local Includes pioneer family items and furniture, Native American artifacts, weapons, clothing
Harrisburg Area Museum Harrisburg Linn Willamette Valley History - Local Scale models of historic buildings, including Crater Lake Lodge; cameras and buttons; antique farm equipment, steam engine, tractors, engines, blacksmith shop and household items; pictures and biographies of settlers; 1867-era house and household items; Overland automobile; a chapel
Hatfield Marine Science Visitor Center Newport Lincoln Coast Natural history - Maritime Exhibits and programs to explain the role of scientific research in marine natural history as well as the fishing industry
Heceta Head Lighthouse Florence Lane Coast Maritime Working lighthouse open for tours
Helzer Art Gallery - Portland Community College Hillsboro Washington Portland Metro Art website, located in Building 3 of the Rock Creek Campus
Heritage Station Museum Pendleton Umatilla Eastern History - Local Website; also known as Umatilla County Historical Museum, located in a 1909 depot, grounds include a caboose, 1879 one-room schoolhouse, and 1879 homestead with log cabin
Heslin House Fairview Multnomah Portland Metro Historic house Operated by the East County Historical Organization, late 19th-century house
High Desert Museum Bend Deschutes Central Multiple Includes live animals and natural history exhibits, pioneer life and seasonal living history 1880 ranch, early 1860s town, Native American exhibits, antique vehicles, trails
Historic Barlow House Barlow Clackamas Portland Metro Historic house Open by appointment
Historic Deepwood Estate Salem Marion Willamette Valley Historic house 1894 Queen Anne style Victorian Home on about 4 acres (16,000 m2) of manicured gardens and nature trails
Hood River County History Museum Hood River Hood River The Gorge History - Local County history
Hoover-Minthorn House Museum Newberg Yamhill Willamette Valley Historic house Late 19th-century period home, home of President Herbert Hoover from 1885 to 1889
Hutson Museum Parkdale Hood River The Gorge Natural history / History - Local Also known as the "Jesse and Winifred Hutson Museum"; rocks, minerals and Native American artifacts, memorabilia, dolls and items related to local history; in a building constructed to match the neighboring Ries-Thompson House; part of a 2-acre (8,100 m2) complex designated a National Historic Site; U.S. Forest Service amphitheater on the site offers lectures and demonstrations.
I. O. N. Heritage Museum Jordan Valley Malheur Eastern History - Local History of an area encompassing parts of Idaho, Oregon and Nevada (the "I.O.N." in the title)
Independence Heritage Museum Independence Polk Willamette Valley History - Local Website
International Museum of Carousel Art Hood River Hood River Mt. Hood/
The Gorge
Commodity - Carousel The museum calls its holdings "world's largest and most comprehensive collection of antique carousel art"; as of May 2008, temporarily closed as museum relocates
Interactive Museum of Gaming and Puzzlery King City Washington Portland Metro Area Toy website, dedicated to board games, puzzles, video games, construction toys
Jesse H. Settlemier House Woodburn Marion Willamette Valley Historic house 14-room, Queen Anne style home built in 1892 by Jesse Settlemier, founder of Woodburn
John Day Fossil Beds National Monument Dayville Grant Eastern Natural history Includes the Thomas Condon Paleontology Center with fossil exhibits, and the Cant Ranch Museum with exhibits about the cultural heritage of the area
John Tigard House Tigard Washington Portland Metro Historic house 1880 Victorian style farm home; on the National Register of Historic Places; run by the Tigard Historical Association
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art Eugene Lane Willamette Valley Art Part of the University of Oregon, American and regional art, Korean, Chinese, Japanese and European art, including Russian icons
Kam Wah Chung & Co. Museum John Day Grant Eastern Ethnic - Chinese Perfectly preserved Chinese apothecary and residence highlighting Chinese culture and heritage in Oregon.
Kathrin Cawein Gallery of Art Forest Grove Washington Portland Metro Art - Contemporary Art gallery of Pacific University named in honor of the artist, Kathrin Cawein
Kerbyville Museum Kerby Josephine Southern History - Local Displays on local history including mining, logging and pioneer history, and Native Americans; Naucke House on the National Register of Historic Places
Kid Time! Medford Jackson Southern Children's
Klamath County Museum Klamath Falls Klamath Southern History - Local / Natural history Website; History and natural history; in a 1935 building, formerly a National Guard armory; run by Klamath County Museums organization
Lake Creek Historical Society Lake Creek Jackson Southern History - Local
Lake County Museum Lakeview Lake Southern History - Local
Lane County History Museum Eugene Lane Willamette Valley History - Local Website; Oregon Trail exhibit, historic vehicles, period rooms, children's exhibits, early crafts, photographs; run by the Lane County Historical Society; includes Lane County Clerk's Building, a National Historic Register site that is the oldest building in the county (built 1853)
Latimer Quilt and Textile Center Tillamook Tillamook Coast Art - Quilts Website; exhibits on antique and contemporary quilts
Linn County Historical Museum Brownsville Linn Willamette Valley History - Local Website, located in Brownsville's original railroad depot with railroad displays; lives, work, and cultures of Native People, Oregon Trail immigrants, pioneer settlers, and early families and communities; also known as the Brownsville Historic Pioneer Museum
Little Log Church Museum Yachats Lincoln Coast Multiple Local historical artifacts, seashell collection, and works of local artists and authors
Manuel Museum Hot Lake Union Eastern Multiple Located in the Hot Lake Hotel, features Native American artifacts, military memorabilia, pioneer items
Marshfield Sun Printing Museum Coos Bay Coos Coast Media - Newspaper The weekly Marshfield Sun (1891–1944) newspaper office and job printing shop displaying printing presses, newspaper and photo-related exhibits of Marshfield (now Coos Bay)
Maude Kerns Art Center Eugene Lane Willamette Valley Art Community visual arts center
Milwaukie Museum Milwaukie Clackamas Portland Metro Historic house 1865 farmhouse; collection includes 1872 Portland Street Railway Co. horse-drawn streetcar
Molalla Museum Complex Molalla Clackamas Portland Metro Multiple website - includes the historic Dibble House, Vonder Ahe House, Ivor Davies Hall and a farm & logging machinery shed; emphasis on Native Americans, early pioneers, agriculture, timber industry, commerce, schools, genealogy, Wilhoit Mineral Springs, and the Molalla Buckeroo Rodeo
Monteith House Albany Linn Willamette Valley Historic house 1849 restored Pioneer Era home; listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Morrow County Agriculture Museum Heppner Morrow Eastern Agriculture Area farming, ranching, forestry
Morrow County Museum Heppner Morrow Eastern History - Local Includes pioneer, homestead, agricultural and rural history artifacts
Mount Angel Abbey Museum Mount Angel Marion Willamette Valley Multiple Includes natural history dioramas, religious artifacts and Civil War memorabilia
Moyer House Brownsville Linn Willamette Valley Historic house Late 19th-century Italian-style mansion with period Victorian furnishings
Mt. Hood Cultural Center & Museum Government Camp Clackamas Mt. Hood/
The Gorge
History - Local Website; History of Mt. Hood area, encompassing Clackamas, Hood River, Multnomah and Wasco counties, also art and natural history
Museum At Warm Springs Warm Springs Jefferson Central Ethnic - Native American History and culture of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs
Museum of the Oregon Territory Oregon City Clackamas Portland Metro History Website, Oregon culture, early photography, Industry, Oregon City & Willamette Falls, operated by the Clackamas County Historical Society
National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center Baker City Baker Eastern History History, natural history and cultural history of the settlement of the Oregon Trail
Newell House Museum St. Paul Marion Willamette Valley Historic house Reconstructed home of the first Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives; living history activities, archives, and artifacts from the French Prairie region of the northern Willamette Valley; also known as "Robert Newell House"
Newport Visual Arts Center Newport Lincoln Coast Art Public art exhibition space, art education programs, maintained by the Oregon Coast Council for the Arts
North Lincoln County Historical Museum Lincoln City Lincoln Coast History - Local Website; north Lincoln County history, including Native Americans and pioneers
Oakland Museum Oakland Douglas Southern History - Local Includes historic furniture, a bank exhibit, post office, general store, clothing, toys, photographs, tools and local history
Oakridge Museum Oakridge Lane Willamette Valley History - Local Farming, logging, railroading, U.S. Forest Service, schools and families; a caboose, trucks Historical artifacts of the upper Willamette River region
Old Aurora Colony Aurora Marion Willamette Valley Open-air Website; complex includes a museum of local history and a mid-19th-century ox barn, cabin, house, summer kitchen and tie shed, operated by the Aurora Colony Historical Society
Old St. Peter's Landmark The Dalles Wasco Mt. Hood/
The Gorge
Historic building - Church Former Roman Catholic 1898 Gothic Revival church with Italian Carrara marble altars; Povey Brothers stained glass windows; six-foot rooster weather vane on a 176-foot (54 m) spire
Oregon Air and Space Museum Eugene Lane Willamette Valley Aerospace Aircraft, artifacts, displays and exhibits on the history of aviation and space exploration; collection includes rare World War II American Eagle aviator uniform and pilot's personal effects
Oregon Coast Historical Railway Coos Bay Coos Coast Railroad website, heritage railway and museum
Oregon Electric Railway Museum Brooks Marion Willamette Valley Railroad Electric trolleys, on the grounds of Antique Powerland
Oregon Film Museum Astoria Clatsop Coast Film History and information on the 300+ movies that have been filmed in Oregon
Oregon Fire Service Museum Brooks Marion Willamette Valley Firefighting Historical fire records, apparatus, equipment and memorabilia
Oregon Military Museum Clackamas Clackamas Portland Metro Military The state's official military history repository; has military arms and ordnance, restored military vehicles and aircraft, uniforms and insignia, and military equipment, historic structures, and a library and archives
Oregon Paleo Lands Institute Center Fossil Wheeler Eastern Natural history website, area geology, fossils, natural history
Oregon State Capitol Salem Marion Willamette Valley History Tours of the building, exhibits of art, minerals
Oregon State Hospital Museum of Mental Health Salem Marion Willamette Valley Medical History of the hospital and past practices in treatments
Oregon Trail Agricultural Museum Nyssa Malheur Eastern Agriculture Collection includes early farm and ranch equipment; restored sheep wagons, historical photographs of Nyssa, Adrian and the surrounding area, Oregon Trail history
Original Wasco County Courthouse The Dalles Wasco Mt. Hood/
The Gorge
History 1859 courthouse with sheriff's office and three jail cells
Oswego Heritage Center Lake Oswego Clackamas Portland Metro History - Local website
Pacific Maritime and Heritage Center Newport Lincoln Coast Maritime website, operated by the Lincoln County Historical Society, maritime exhibits, local history and art
Pacific Northwest Truck Museum Brooks Marion Willamette Valley Transportation Located on the grounds of Antique Powerland, vintage trucks, vans, semi-trailers and tractors
Pacific University Museum Forest Grove Washington Portland Metro History - Local Part of Pacific University, open by appointment only; the history of the university; in Old College Hall, the oldest (1850) building at Pacific University; on the National Register of Historic Places
Patrick Hughes House Sixes Curry Coast Historic house Built in 1898 by P.J. Lindberg; part of the "Historic Patrick Hughes Ranch"; listed on the National Register of Historic Places; run by Cape Blanco Heritage Society
Pendleton Air Museum Pendleton Umatilla Eastern History - Local, Military https://Pendletonairmuseum.org Non-profit Blue Star museum featuring military and aviation history museum with strong ties to WWII Doolittle Raiders, Triple Nickel & Army Air Corp Base Pendleton Field.
Pendleton Round-Up and Happy Canyon Hall of Fame Pendleton Umatilla Eastern Hall of fame - Rodeo Cowboy and cowgirl memorabilia, Native American regalia, championship saddles, historical photographs and documents
Petersen Rock Garden & Museum Redmond Deschutes Central Miniature buildings, lagoons, bridges, gardens, churches, castles made of rock. Being substantially deteriorated, it is one of ten entries on the Historic Preservation League of Oregon's Most Endangered Places in Oregon 2011 list.
Philip Foster Farm Eagle Creek Clackamas Portland Metro Farm Farm of Philip Foster, includes original 19th-century houses and barn, covered wagons, replica blacksmith shop and store, and heritage gardens
Phoenix Historical Museum Phoenix Jackson Southern History - Local Operated by the Phoenix Historical Society
Pioneer Mothers Memorial Cabin Museum St. Paul Marion Willamette Valley Historic house Log cabin with pioneer artifacts, in Champoeg State Heritage Area
Pioneer-Indian Museum Canyonville Douglas Southern History - Local Operated by the South Umpqua Historical Society, pioneer and Native American artifacts
Pitney House Museum Junction City Lane Willamette Valley Historic house Run by the Junction City Historical Society, 1870s period home with Danish settler artifacts, also adjacent jail
Polk County Museum Rickreall Polk Willamette Valley History - Local Website; Includes exhibits on agriculture, logging, and the Kalapuya tribe that occupied Polk County
Port Orford Lifeboat Station Museum Port Orford Curry Coast Maritime Displays about the lifeboat station, in a 1934 building closed in 1970; hiking trails; listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Prewitt-Allen Archaeological Museum Salem Marion Willamette Valley Archaeology Part of Corban University, archaeological artifacts from the Middle East and Greece
Rail Depot Museum Troutdale Multnomah Portland Metro Railroad In 1894, Coxey's Army, a band of unemployed men, went into the railyard and hijacked a train; the present building was built in 1907, the year the previous one burnt down; a Union Pacific caboose is in the parking lot; in Depot Park; run by the Troutdale Historical Society
Railroad Park Medford Jackson Southern Railroad website, 49-acre city park with full size railroad cars, a caboose, a hopper car, a locomotive, HO Scale model trains, working telegraph system, museum operated by the Southern Oregon Railway Historical Society
Real Life Exhibit Tigard Washington Portland Metro Humanitarian Aid Website; step into the lives and homes of people affected by crisis around the world. Part of Medical Teams International.
Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks and Minerals Hillsboro Washington Portland Metro Geology Claims to have the "largest opal-filled thunderegg in the world", large pieces of crystallized gold, meteorites, dinosaur eggs and fossils
Ripley's Believe It or Not! Newport Lincoln Coast Amusement
Rinehart Stone House Museum Vale Malheur Eastern Oregon Trail / House museum / Local history items and photographs, exhibits on the Oregon Trail in an 1872 sandstone building that was a wayside stop for travelers until the early 20th century, a shelter for settlers during the Northern Paiute uprising of 1878, also field headquarters for General O. O. Howard, on the National Register of Historic Places
Rogue River Museum Gold Beach Curry Coast Multiple Natural history and history of the Rogue River; run by a for-profit boat excursion company; free admission
Rogue River Ranch Curry Coast Historic house Pioneer ranch house complex
Rorick House Museum The Dalles Wasco Mt. Hood/
The Gorge
Historic house 1850 period house operated by the Wasco County Historical Society
Santiam Historical Society Museum Stayton Marion Willamette Valley History - Local
Sandy Historical Museum Sandy Clackamas Portland Metro History - Local Website; run by the Sandy Historical Society
Schmidt House Museum Grants Pass Josephine Southern Historic house Run by the Josephine County Historical Society, early 20th-century period house, includes antique toy collection
Schminck Memorial Museum Lakeview Lake Southern History - Local Includes Native American and pioneer artifacts, antique household items and furnishings, operated by the Oregon State Daughters of the American Revolution
Schneider Museum of Art Ashland Jackson Southern Art Website; part of Southern Oregon University
Science Factory Children's Museum & Planetarium Eugene Lane Willamette Valley Children's / Science - Science center Hands-on science museum for children
ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum Ashland Jackson Southern Science Hands-on science museum for all ages. Includes rotating exhibits, DaVinci's Garage (a maker/tinkering space), an under-5 play area and permanent exhibits focusing on physics.
Scio Historical Depot Museum Scio Linn Willamette Valley History - Local Memorabilia from the area, including clothing, farm implements and household goods; in the original 1890s West Scio railroad depot
Seaside Historical Society Museum Seaside Clatsop Coast History - Local Website, local history and Native American artifacts, Butterfield Cottage depicts beach cottage and rooming house of 1912
Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House Eugene Lane Willamette Valley Historic house The "Castle on the Hill," built in 1888, a Queen Anne style Victorian mansion
Sherman County Historical Museum Moro Sherman Eastern History - Local Website; includes farm machinery, tools, household items, memorabilia from Sherman County's early settlers, Native American items
Sherwood Heritage Center Sherwood Washington Portland Metro History website; Museum and living history site in two historical buildings; train exhibit
Shedd Museum Shedd Linn Willamette Valley History - Local Housed in the former Bank of Shedd, near home of the pioneer Shedd family; community memorabilia, including Civil War and Oregon Trail items
Silverton Country Museum Silverton Marion Willamette Valley History - Local website; Silverton area history; operated by the Silverton County Historical Society in the 1908 Ames/Warnock House
Siuslaw Pioneer Museum Florence Lane Coast History - Local Website, Siuslaw River and its pioneers, logging, agriculture, blacksmithing, transportation, Native American artifacts
Spray Pioneer Museum Spray Wheeler Eastern History - Local Includes pioneer items, photographs and farm implements
Springfield Museum Springfield Lane Willamette Valley History - Local In the 1911 Oregon Power Company transformer station, listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Stevens-Crawford Heritage House Oregon City Clackamas Portland Metro Historic house Website; 1908 period home with original furnishings, oddities, personal belongings, and kitchen utensils of one of the Oregon Territory's earliest families, operated by the Clackamas County Historical Society
Sumpter Museum and Public Library Sumpter Baker Eastern History - Local / Natural history History and natural history of the Sumpter Valley
Sumpter Valley Gold Dredge Sumpter Baker Eastern Industry - Mining Historic gold dredge, museum and park
Talent Historical Society Museum Talent Jackson Southern History - Local
Tamastslikt Cultural Institute Pendleton Umatilla Eastern Ethnic - Native American Tamastslikt history and culture; associated with the Wildhorse Resort & Casino
Think Link Discovery Center La Grande Union Eastern Children's Website
Thompson's Mills State Heritage Site Shedd Linn Willamette Valley Industry/ State History Oregon's oldest water-powered mill. Guided tours, self-guided tours, mill operates on water power and electric power. Pioneer orchards and gardens under restoration, heritage turkeys, ducks and chickens, grounds open for picnicking and fishing.
Tillamook County Pioneer Museum Tillamook Tillamook Coast History - Local Website; North Oregon coastal history and natural history are combined in the former courthouse in downtown Tillamook. Founded in 1935.
Tillamook Air Museum Tillamook Tillamook Coast Aviation Located in a WW II blimp hangar, includes over 30 War Birds and memorabilia
Toledo History Center Toledo Lincoln Coast History - Local Logging, railroad, marine industry, boatbuilding and settlement history of the Toledo area
Train Mountain Railroad Chiloquin Klamath Southern Railroad Miniature hobbyist railroad and museum with antique full size railroad rolling stock and artifacts
Traveling Children's Heritage Museum Greenleaf Lane Willamette Valley Children's / History - Local Museum run by area teachers that can be moved from location to location in its cargo trailer; has a model covered wagon, canvas lodging tent, historical artifacts, oral histories, late-19th-century photographs
Tualatin Heritage Center Tualatin Clackamas Portland Metro History - Local Operated by the Tualatin Historical Society
Umatilla Museum and Historical Foundation Umatilla Umatilla Eastern History - Local Website
Umpqua Discovery Center Reedsport Douglas Coast Natural history / History - Local Website; Nature exhibits and history exhibits about the Kuuich tribe, fur traders and European settlers of the Lower Umpqua River
Umpqua River Lighthouse and Coastal History Museum Winchester Bay Douglas Coast Maritime History of the lighthouse, area Coast Guard history and local history; in a working lighthouse and adjacent former Coast Guard Station
Union County Museum Union Union Eastern History - Local website, cowboys, cattle, natural and cultural history of the Grande Ronde Valle, agriculture, timber, transportation, pioneers, mining
University of Oregon Museum of Natural and Cultural History Eugene Lane Willamette Valley Natural history / History Oregon's landscapes, climate, and ecosystems, fossils, geology, cultures and ecosystems of the Arctic, culture through archaeological sites,
Upper Rogue Historical Society Museum Trail Jackson Southern History - Local Artifacts and pictures from the Upper Rogue; in a former tavern, formerly known as the Trail Creek Tavern Museum
Uppertown Firefighter's Museum Astoria Clatsop Coast Fire fighting Fire-fighting equipment from 1879 to 1963; hand-pulled, horse-drawn, and motorized fire engines; fire fighting memorabilia and photos; operated by the Clatsop County Historical Society
U.S. Cavalry and American Indian Museum Blue River Lane Willamette Valley Multiple History of the U.S. Cavalry from 1861 to 1943, Native American daily life, spirituality, matriarchal society, tools, clothing, baskets, pottery
Vernonia Pioneer Museum Vernonia Columbia Portland Metro History - Local Artifacts of local history and Native American artifacts
Waldport Heritage Museum Waldport Lincoln Coast History - Local website, operated by the Alsi Historical and Genealogical Society
Wallowa Band Nez Perce Trail Interpretive Center Wallowa Wallowa Eastern Ethnic - Native American Website; Wallowa Band Nez Perce culture and history
Wallowa County Museum Joseph Wallowa Eastern History - Local
Washington County Museum Hillsboro Washington Portland Metro History - Local Downtown Hillsboro at the Civic Center
Watts House Pioneer Museum Scappoose Columbia Portland Metro History - Local Run by the Scappoose Historical Society, local history and period displays in a 1902 Victorian house
Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum Hood River Hood River Mt. Hood/
The Gorge
Aviation / Automobile Focus on aircraft from 1903 to 1941, also light WWII Army, Army Air Corps, and naval aircraft, antique automobiles, military vehicles, aircraft engines.Website
Willamette Heritage Center Salem Marion Willamette Valley Multiple Former Thomas Kay woolen mill (1889–1962); Jason Lee's Methodist mission to Oregon which settled in the Willamette Valley in 1834; mission houses, Oregon Trail settler's house, historic church and the structures, equipment, and original water-powered turbine of the mill and related artifacts
Willamina Museum of Local History Willamina Yamhill Willamette Valley History - Local
William L. Holmes House at Rose Farm Oregon City Clackamas Portland Metro Historic house Oldest American home in Oregon City
Wiseman Gallery Grants Pass Josephine Southern Art Operated by Rogue Community College, aesthetic, cultural, and social works
Woodburn Historical Museum Woodburn Marion Willamette Valley History - Local
Woodville Museum Rogue River Jackson Southern History - Local Operated by the Woodville Historical Society
Yamhill Valley Heritage Center McMinnville Yamhill Willamette Valley History - Local Operated by the Yamhill County Historical Society, includes antique farm equipment, a sawmill, schoolhouse
Yamhill County Historical Society Museum Lafayette Yamhill Willamette Valley History - Local Includes tools, carriages, doctor's and dentist's equipment, pioneer bedroom, early 20th-century parlor, dolls, Yamhill County memorabilia, quilts, textiles, Native American baskets and tools
Yaquina Bay Light Newport Lincoln Coast Maritime Lighthouse and period keeper's quarters rooms
Yaquina Head Interpretive Center Newport Lincoln Coast Maritime Lighthouse and interpretive center
Yaquina Pacific Railroad Historical Society Toledo Lincoln Coast Railroad Website; outdoor railroad and logging "Heritage Square"; static display of 1922 Baldwin Steam engine, 1923 railway Post Office car, 1907 caboose, railroad artifacts
Yaquina River Museum of Art Toledo Lincoln Coast Art Website; paintings by artists inspired by the land and people of the Yaquina River watershed
Zimmerman House Gresham Multnomah Portland Metro Historic house Turn-of-the-century farmstead house with furnishings spanning over 100 years

Museums and organizations encompassed by Antique Powerland Museums

Antique Powerland Museums, according to its website, "encompasses 14 additional museums and heritage organizations operating in partnership", which are not listed in the sortable table above (except as noted):

Oregon regions

The region designations used in the table above follow the Oregon Museums Association regions (the state tourism authority uses slightly different regions):

Alternate names and changed names

Museums are sometimes known by more than one name, and they sometimes change their names. Here are some known variations of the names of museums in the above list (which uses each museum's most widely known name):

  • Gateway to Discovery — the name used by the North Coast Land Conservancy for the Gateway Coastal Natural History Center
  • Coos County Historical Society Museum – Coos Historical and Maritime Museum (2004 name change)
  • Coos-Curry Museum – later split into what now are the Coos Historical and Maritime Museum and Curry Historical Society Museum
  • Deepwood Estate – see Historic Deepwood Estate
  • Heritage Museum – see Clatsop County Historical Society Heritage Museum
  • Historic Patrick Hughes House – see Patrick Hughes House
  • Hughes Historic House – see Patrick Hughes House
  • Jordan Valley Owyhee Heritage Council Museum – see I. O. N. Jordan Valley Heritage Museum
  • Old College Hall
  • Telephone Pioneers Museum – see Qwest Pioneer Telephone Museum
  • Tillamook Naval Museum – see Tillamook Naval Air Station
  • Wasco County Historical Museum – part of the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center
  • Yamhill Museum — see Yamhill County Historical Society Museum

Defunct museums

  • Columbia County Museum, St. Helens, As of March 2007, closed due to litigation
  • Horner Museum, at Gill Coliseum in Corvallis, Oregon, closed 1995
  • Jacksonville Museum, closed in 2009
  • Sage Museum, Shaniko
  • Pacific Northwest Museum of Natural History, Ashland
  • Working Wonders Children's Museum, Bend, closed in 2009
  • Jensen Arctic Museum, Monmouth, closed in 2013, collection moved to the Museum of Natural and Cultural History (MNCH) at the University of Oregon in Eugene.
  • Pioneer Telephone Museum, Eugene, abruptly closed in 2016 for unknown reasons

See also

kids search engine
List of museums in Oregon Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.