Portland has been rated one of the most “kid” friendly cities in the United States. One of the reasons for this could be the OMSI (the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry), the nation’s fifth largest science museum.
Children’s Museum – Turn on the fun at the Children’s Museum, a place specially designed for children from six months to 10 years old. Kids can “operate” on friends in the medical center, shop for dinner in a pint-sized grocery store, serve up an international feast in “Bistro,” experiment with art materials in our studio, or join the road crew in “Under Construction.” Located just four blocks south of downtown, off Barbur Boulevard at Southwest Second Avenue and Woods Street. Open Tuesday – Sunday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Admission: $4, free to children under 1. The museum will be closing at the end of 2000 and reopening in spring 2001 in its new location across from the Oregon Zoo. Call for an update on our move.
Portland Art Museum – Don’t miss this world-famous collection spanning 35 centuries of European, American, Asian, and contemporary art. The oldest art museum in the Pacific Northwest, the Portland Art Museum celebrates 2000 with the grand opening of the Centers for Northwest Art and Native American Art (August). Traveling exhibitions in 2000-2001 include contemporary works by artists from Cindy Shermann to Andy Warhol in Let’s Entertain (July); the breathtaking landscapes of Frederic Church (October); rarely seen works by Kandinsky and other Russian avant-garde painters (November); magnificent Ottoman art in Empire of the Sultans (January 2001); and the popular images of Remington, Russell and the Language of Western Art (April 2001). (503) 226.2811
Oregon History Center – Discover a lively museum where Oregon’s rich history comes to life in colorful, interactive exhibits, including Treasures of Oregon, Willamette Valley: Visions of Eden, Portland! and Historic Vehicles in Miniature.
Open Tuesday – Saturday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Thursday until 8 p.m.; Sunday, noon – 5 p.m. Museum Store is open daily; call for library hours. Admission: $6 adults; $3 students with ID; $1.50 ages 6-12; free to OHS members, kids 5 and younger; and seniors (60+) on Thursdays.
Oregon Museum of Science & Industry – Step through the doors of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and enter a world of discovery and imagination. This playground for the mind includes hands-on fun, live demonstrations, a planetarium, laser shows, laboratory experiments, and classes and camps for all ages. Climb aboard the USS Blueback submarine, experience the state-of-the-art OMNIMAX Theater, and check out the exhibit hall featuring national touring exhibitions.
Columbia River Maritime Museum – Located on Astoria’s waterfront, the Columbia River Maritime Museum invites you to explore the dramatic story of the “Great River of the West.” From this “Graveyard of the Pacific,” tales of scurvy, scrimshaw and ships of exploration have all survived. Enjoy Oregon’s official maritime museum with its extensive collection of nautical artifacts and fine art.
The Columbia River Maritime Museum provides a panoramic view of maritime history, where visitors of all ages can pilot a naval destroyer, peer from the observation deck, or learn the art of rope-making. Included in your visit is a tour of the ship Columbia, the last seagoing lighthouse to serve on the West Coast. Open daily, 9:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.