Northern Oregon Coast
Fifteen miles south of Yachats is an enormous sea grotto that's home to hundreds of Steller sea lions. An elevator descends 208ft to a dark interpretive…
Must-see attractions in Oregon
The Willamette Valley & Wine Country
Oregon City was initially built at river level, but as it grew, it moved higher. In 1912 residents started talking about an elevator that would join the …
Northeastern Oregon
This museum's collection focuses on homesteading and agricultural history, with stories about the pioneers who basically waltzed right past Heppner and…
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…
Southern Oregon Coast
A short drive along Coast Guard Rd leads to this state park, which has the best location in town. A couple of 20-minute loop trails offer fine panoramic…
Southern Oregon Coast
About 5 miles south of Charleston at blustery Cape Arago you can scan the horizon for whales, seals and watch ships passing into Coos Bay. The 0.2-mile…
Southern Oregon
Don't miss this excellent museum, which displays the Umpqua River Valley's cultural and natural histories in buildings designed to reflect the region's…
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 –…
Southern Oregon
This well-maintained, 32-acre cemetery at the northwest of town is worth a wander to explore historical pioneer grave sites chronicling wars, epidemics…
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…
Central Oregon & the Oregon Cascades
Take your own postcard photo of Mt Hood from Lost Lake, which frames the white peak rising from a deep-blue lake amid thick green forest. This inland side…
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…
Southern Oregon
A surprisingly good museum for the tiny town of Kerbyville, 2 miles north of Cave Junction, with fascinating old relics from Native American baskets to…
Eugene
Established in 1872, the University of Oregon is the state's foremost institution of higher learning, with a focus on the arts, sciences and law. The…
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…
Northeastern Oregon
In Union, about 15 miles southeast of La Grande, is this interesting museum, chronicling the histories of Union, Wallowa and other counties. Relics…
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…
Old Town-Chinatown
Downtown Portland's basements were once connected by tunnels running beneath the streets and down to riverside docks. While they were built for shipping…
Southern Oregon
Medford's most famous tourist attraction is this outlet store of the giant mail-order fruit company. There are wine tastings and samples, and the over-the…
Southern Oregon Coast
This is a glorious, hilly park showcasing hundreds of azaleas, along with other pretty flora. Blooms are best from April to June. On Memorial Day weekend …
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…
Northeastern Oregon
The Cant Ranch House is near the paleontology center. Once upon a time a mail-order house built by a Scottish immigrant family, it offers a peek into…
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…
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art
Eugene
This renowned museum offers a 13,000-piece rotating permanent collection of world-class art, with an Asian art specialty. Highlights can include a 10…
Wallowa Mountains
Joseph is most noted for its cast-bronze sculpture, thanks in part to Valley Bronze, one of the nation's largest foundries. It's known for its fine-art…
Eugene
Most prominent at this good museum is a transportation collection that includes Oregon's oldest, best-preserved running gear (undercarriage) for a covered…
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…
Central Oregon & the Oregon Cascades
Perched on frozen rock atop McKenzie Pass, Dee Wright Observatory is a small fortress built out of lava in 1935 by the Civilian Conservation Corps. It…
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…
West Hills
Nestled in a gulch beside Forest Park, the Wildlife Care Center here treats injured native wildlife. If you're lucky, you can meet some of the …
Oregon Trail Interpretive Park
Northeastern Oregon
This park gives a visceral feeling of what travel was like for Oregon Trail pioneers crossing the Blue Mountains. A half-mile, paved interpretive path…
Museum of Natural & Cultural History
Eugene
Housed in a replica of a Native American longhouse, this museum features a variety of displays on Northwest Native American culture and artifacts,…
Chetco Valley Historical Society Museum
Southern Oregon Coast
Once a stagecoach stop, the 1857 Blake House is now home to this museum. Stop in to see a quilt from 1844, an old Native American cedar canoe and an iron…
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…
Southern Oregon
A cheesy but fun roadside attraction, the Vortex and accompanying House of Mystery lure visitors with displays of unexplained phenomena: people shrink as…
