Best Museums in Portland

Learn about trains and how the railway worked at the Oregon Rail Heritage Center. Here visitors can see three historic steam locomotives two of which still operate, the Southern Pacific 4449, the Spokane Portland Seattle 700, and the Oregon Railway & Navigation 197. Other trains here include a diesel, and some rolling stock. They offer guided tours of a caboose and have other trains you can go inside and see. For children there are toy train sets to play with and on Saturdays they offer $5 train rides on the Oregon Pacific Railroad passenger train to Oaks Bottom Reservoir and back.

Oregon City is an easy drive from Portland, and the Interpretive Center, with its covered-wagon-style buildings, is worth the journey. The Center is especially great for kids since it has costumed interpreters and plenty of things to see and touch. Theaters present videos of the journey west, and exhibits provide details of pioneers, Black families in the West, and the coming of the railroad. A craft workshop offers visitors hands-on activities, and the summer months bring a host of special events. If you need souvenirs or other gifts, the museum store will set you up right.

For a real taste of maritime travel and commerce in years past, you'll want to visit this intriguing museum. Its exhibits feature navigation instruments, model ships, photographs, memorabilia and artifacts from actual vessels. Exhibits are housed on the last operating steam-powered sternwheeler "Portland" moored in the river. The U.S. Portland is on the National Registry of Historic Places. Volunteers will guide you through the ship including the engine room and pilot house. There's a children's corner where children can touch nautical objects and blow the ship's whistle. Active duty military recieve free admission and so do children 6 and under.

The Architectural Heritage Center hosts a variety of programs, educational seminars, tours, and exhibits. Each summer from May to September they host walking tours on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings around the city in historic neighborhoods. During the tours you will learn about the buildings and a lot of history surrounding them. Every first Friday they participate in First Friday Art Walk with a free art exhibit and reception. Once a year they offer home tours giving you a chance to see some of the best home architecture in the city. Check their website to what kind of upcoming program they are offering and to rsvp. Their events often sell out well in advance.

Built for Henry and Georgiana Pittock (who lived in the house from 1914 to 1918), the Pittock Mansion is a stunning architectural specimen and a repository for elegant furnishings. Pittock Mansion has 22 rooms and the gardens outside having stunning views of Portland and Mt. Hood. It was eventually purchased by the state and opened to the public in 1965. Henry remains a Portland icon, well-known for his involvement with the local paper, The Oregonian. Georgiana was a major player in community projects and initiated the renowned Rose Festival. House tours provide insight into the life of the wealthy in Portland's early days.

This impressive museum next door to the Oregon Zoo is styled like a contemporary lodge and educates visitors on forests around the world. The role of woodlands in nature and in human life is detailed, and old-growth forests of the Pacific Northwest and rain forests of the tropics serve as prominent examples. Ecology, wildlife and conservation are all addressed, and a giant, artificial Douglas fir serves as a talking guide for visitors. Many of the exhibits are hands on and great for kids. Special exhibits are displayed regularly, and a gift shop sells relevant merchandise. On some evenings they offer a special time for those 21+ to learn and drink.

History buffs and novices alike will enjoy a visit to this informative museum that tells the tale of the Native Americans and hearty pioneers that settled the Oregon Territory in the mid 19th century. The Oregon my Oregon exhibit will walk you through Oregon's entire history with 50 separate displays that include the Oregon Trail, the Great Depression and World War II. Located downtown across from the Portland Art Museum, the museum houses approximately 85,000 artifacts, photos, books, map and videotape as well as a research library that relates Oregon's history from early days until present. The historians that work their are highly educated on all things Oregon and interesting to speak with.

Founded in 1892, the Portland Art museum is the seventh oldest museum in the nation and the oldest in the Pacific Northwest. The Portland Art Museum is renowned for its extensive permanent collection, which showcases everything from rare and expertly restored ancient works to veritable contemporary masterpieces. Highlights include a diverse collection of Native American art, authentic English silver, a 5,000-work collection of 19th and 20th century photography and a collect of European art including their most famous piece Vincent van Gogh's The Ox-Cart. The campus also includes the Jubitz Center for Modern and Contemporary Art, Gilkey Center for Graphic Arts, and Northwest Film Center.

Dedicated to technology and science, this museum offers interactive educational exhibits that everyone can enjoy. The museum's six huge halls are filled with hands-on displays related to everything from outer space to computers. Labs throughout the museum offer more in-depth exploration with exhibits like the chemistry lab and the life lab, which houses various live animals and insects. Upstairs they offer a large area just for younger children where they can play and learn through hands on exhibits like a sand area and water area. Downstairs they have rotating national exhibits like Lego's and Bodies. Beyond the exhibits, the museum features an Omnimax theater, planetarium and motion simulator. They offer special OMSI after dark nights that are only for adults and includes cocktails.