The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Eighteen miles north of Salem, the little town of Mt Angel, with its Bavarian-style storefronts and lovely abbey, is like an old-world holdover in the…
Must-see attractions in Oregon
Lewis & Clark National Historical Park
Northern Oregon Coast
Five miles south of Astoria, this historical park holds Fort Clatsop, a reconstructed fort similar to the one the Corps of Discovery occupied during their…
Gilbert House Children's Museum
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Built to honor Salem native AC Gilbert, who invented the Erector Set, this hands-on children's museum – located in two colorful arts-and-crafts houses –…
Museum of the Oregon Territory
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Exhibits at this engaging museum include a chunk of the Willamette Meteorite, the largest meteorite found in the US (the rest is at the American Museum of…
Portland
Alongside the South Park Blocks, Portland Art Museum's excellent exhibits include Native American carvings, Asian and American art, photography and…
Hatfield Marine Science Center
Northern Oregon Coast
This excellent science center has great exhibits, especially on wave energy and the local fishing industry. There's a touch tank and you can see the…
Columbia River Gorge
Housed in the magnificent, late-1800s Elks building, this fun, 'flashy' and educational museum is a fantastic new addition to The Dalles. You'll start…
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
This 1845 house was built by John McLoughlin, who was called the 'father of Oregon' for his hand in helping found Oregon City – the West's first city. At…
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Located 7 miles south of Salem, this children's theme park is a fun fantasyland offering rides (extra charge), a European village, Western town and…
Columbia River Gorge
Next door to Bonneville Dam, in pretty grounds with picnic tables, is this visitor-friendly facility. There are several ponds full of rainbow trout and…
Northern Oregon Coast
Families with kids will enjoy this aquarium on the promenade. Don't expect anything like Newport's cutting-edge version, but rather a few fish tanks, a…
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
One of Oregon's leading citizens of the late 19th century was Asahel Bush, a newspaperman and highly successful banker who began building his rambling…
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Not far from the Bush House, this 1894 Queen Anne mansion is topped by turrets and bejeweled with decorative moldings and beautiful stained-glass windows…
Northern Oregon Coast
Situated on a bushy bluff above the north entrance of the bay, this park is popular for beach access and views over Yaquina Bay. Visit the Yaquina Bay…
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
This dazzling Tudor-Gothic landmark, opened in 1926 and once a silent-movie theater, is now primarily a venue for theater and concerts. Classic movies are…
Northern Oregon Coast
The forested headland at Cape Meares offers good views from its lighthouse, which is 38ft tall (Oregon's shortest). Tours of the lighthouse are available…
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
Portland
The large, beautiful grounds at this 5-acre garden near Reed College are covered with more than 2000 full-grown rhododendrons, azaleas and other plants,…
Center for Contemporary Art & Culture
Portland
Home to the 1300-item collection of the former Museum of Contemporary Craft, this exhibition space at PNCA (Pacific Northwest College of Art) focuses on…
Pioneer Mothers Memorial Cabin
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
A 1931 log cabin reconstructed by the local Daughters of the American Revolution, this interesting museum is filled with objects brought across the Oregon…
Northern Oregon Coast
Located 22 miles east of Tillamook on Hwy 6, this excellent forest center educates the public on forest fires and the area's first white settlers. Cross a…
Portland
Located in Sellwood, this large wetland of around 140 acres has a hiking trail through it, which connects with the nearby Springwater Corridor paved bike…
Northern Oregon Coast
This worthwhile museum has a great taxidermy room and some very interesting pioneer artifacts. There are also curiously carved Neahkahnie stones (actually…
Northern Oregon Coast
The extravagant Flavel House was built by Captain George Flavel, one of Astoria's leading citizens during the 1880s. The Queen Anne house has been…
Northern Oregon Coast
Built in 1894 and towering precipitously above the churning ocean, this lighthouse, 13 miles south of Yachats on Hwy 101, is supremely photogenic and…
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
The Bush House Museum is open as a showpiece of Victorian design inside Bush's Pasture Park. Note the marble fireplaces, 10 in all. Most of the wallpaper…
Portland
This agricultural island a 20-minute drive north of Portland has U-pick berry farms and fruit trees, sandy beaches (including one that's clothing optional…
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
For a taste of the past, step into this historic museum. Owned by a pioneering family, the 1908 house still boasts most of its original furniture and…
Northern Oregon Coast
At Munson Creek State Natural Site, 7 miles south off US 101, an easy quarter-mile hike through old-growth spruce reaches Munson Creek Falls, the highest…
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
This house is where Herbert Hoover (the 31st president of the USA) grew up. Built in 1881, the restored home is now a museum of period furnishings and…
Tryon Creek State Natural Area
Portland
This verdant 670-acre forest offers a nature center, stream-side wildlife and 8 miles of trails, including a 3-mile paved bike path. Late March brings…
Northern Oregon Coast
The old county jail, featured in the movie The Goonies, is now home to the Oregon Film Museum, dedicated to made-in-Oregon movies – of which there have…
Oregon Museum of Science & Industry
Portland
This excellent museum offers hands-on science exhibits for kids, along with other temporary exhibits like 'The Science Behind Pixar.' There's also a movie…
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Inside the reconstructed stable at Bush's Pasture Park is the Bush Barn Art Center, which features several galleries and a permanent exhibition. The main…
Northern Oregon Coast
Aircraft lovers shouldn't miss the large collection of fighter planes and the 7-acre blimp hangar. It's 2 miles south of town; a portion of the planes …
Northern Oregon Coast
Downtown's Liberty Theater is a landmark known for elaborate Italian Renaissance styling. It dates from 1925 and once hosted silent films and vaudeville…
Northern Oregon Coast
Rising high on Coxcomb Hill, the Astoria Column (built in 1926) is a 125ft tower painted with scenes from the westward sweep of US exploration and…
Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint
Bend
Just a couple miles north of Smith Rock, Peter Skene Ogden State Scenic Viewpoint highlights a stunning 300ft-deep gorge. You can walk over the old…
Columbia River Gorge
Crown Point, which marks the gorge's western edge, offers amazing panoramic views across the gorge. Here the 1916 Vista House observatory, an art nouveau…
Northern Oregon Coast
Housed in the former city hall, the Heritage Museum commemorates Astoria's various ethnic communities and early settlers. There's a lot of interactive…
Pacific Maritime & Heritage Center
Northern Oregon Coast
This modern museum, on the bayfront, educates the public on the central Oregon coast's maritime history and fishing industry, displaying such artifacts as…
