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  • Attractions
    • women dances with large fans outside on a city street surrounded by people in colorful dragon costumesView All Attractions
    • Museums
    • Parks & Gardens
    • Family Friendly
    • Shopping
    • On a Budget
    • EVEN MORE THINGS TO DO
  • Culture
    • people sitting at tables eating foodView All Culture
    • Arts
    • Beer
    • Biking
    • Cannabis
    • Cultural Communities
    • Craft Spirits
    • Food
    • Makers
    • Music
    • Nightlife
    • Outdoors
    • Sports
    • Weird
    • Wine
    • MORE CULTURE
  • Neighborhoods
    • aerial view of downtown area with buildings and roadways, bridges crossing a river to a smaller set of buildings that expand into the distanceView All Neighborhoods
    • Alberta Arts District
    • Belmont
    • Central Eastside
    • Division/Clinton
    • Downtown
    • Hawthorne
    • Lloyd
    • Mississippi
    • Northwest / Nob Hill
    • Old Town Chinatown
    • Pearl District
    • St. Johns
    • Sellwood-Moreland
    • Williams
    • ALL NEIGHBORHOODS
  • Region
    • RegionView All Region
    • Near the City
    • Columbia River Gorge
    • Mount Hood
    • Oregon Coast
    • Willamette Valley
    • ALL REGIONS
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    • Light rail train car driving past people shopping at an outdoor marketView All Plan
    • Portland Maps
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    • When to Visit
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a museum exhibit featuring a wooden canoe
i
“Experience Oregon” is a 7,000-square-foot permanent exhibit at Oregon Historical Society, reflecting the people, places and events that shaped the land that is now known as Oregon.
Credit: Oregon Historical Society
Culture / History

Oregon Historical Society

Explore Oregon's history in permanent and rotating exhibits.

Updated June 17, 2022 1 min read Downtown

Discover Oregon’s fascinating history at the Oregon Historical Society located on downtown’s South Park Blocks and across the street from the Portland Art Museum.

Tips for Visiting the Oregon Historical Society

When is the Oregon Historical Society open?

Monday – Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday: Noon – 5 p.m.

How much does it cost?

Admission to the museum:
$10 for Adults
$8 for Students/Teachers, and Seniors
$5 for Youth (ages 6-18)
Free for children under 5 years and residents of Multnomah County

Monthly programs featuring Oregon authors, historians and artists are often free and open to the public. Information on upcoming and ongoing events can be found on the museum’s event calendar.

Details are subject to change; please check Oregon Historical Society’s Website for current information.

The museum features many permanent and rotating exhibits covering local history both before and after Oregon became a state in 1859. Experience Oregon, a permanent exhibition opened in 2019, takes over the entire third floor of the museum and spans the state’s vast geography and complicated history, representing the many people, places and events that shaped the land now known as Oregon.

Among the museum’s robust collection of historic artifacts is the “Portland Penny” — the very coin tossed in the air by city founders Asa Lovejoy (from Boston, Mass.) and Francis Pettygrove (of Portland, Maine) to determine which of their hometowns would be the new city’s namesake (“Portland” beat “Boston” on two out of the three tosses).

Historic Sites & Features

Portland may seem like a young city, but you can still find plenty of history everywhere you look. Discover the historic sites of Portland from public art to public parks, and the sites nearby that bring historic value to the city of roses.

Learn More

The Oregon Historical Society’s research library also contains the largest collection of Oregon-related books, photographs, films and oral histories anywhere in the world, and is great for researching a historic home or finding a long-lost Oregonian relative.

Visit the museum store to pick up a unique souvenir, including custom cards, magnets and housewares designed especially for the Oregon Historical Society.

Attractions, History, Museums

Museums and Historical Places

Discover Portland's rich history at these unique museums.

More History
person walking through a museum exhibition of different trees

World Forestry Center Discovery Museum

Tree- and forest-lovers of all ages can learn about the importance of sustainability and experience a Portland icon at the World Forestry Center Discovery Museum, with exhibits on local and global forests.

A large stone mansion with red roof surrounded by trees

Pittock Mansion

High in the West Hills, the Pittock Mansion offers picture-perfect views of the city and interesting insights into Portland's history.

Two people kissing in front of the \"Love Rules\" sign at Portland Art Museum.

Portland Art Museum

The largest art museum in Oregon and one of the oldest in the country, the Portland Art Museum is central to the city's cultural district, housing a large and wide-ranging collection of artworks.

Hosting an Event at this Venue?

Our meetings listings have all the details you need.

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