List of museums in Portland, Oregon facts for kids
Welcome to Portland, Oregon! This page is all about the amazing museums you can find here. Museums are special places where people collect, take care of, and show off cool stuff. This can be anything from old toys and historical items to beautiful art and scientific discoveries. They're great places to learn new things and have fun! We'll explore museums that have real-life collections you can visit, including art galleries run by non-profit groups or universities.
Contents
Awesome Museums to Explore
Portland has many different kinds of museums. Here are some of the most interesting ones:
Art and Photography Museums
- Blue Sky Gallery
This gallery in the Pearl District focuses on photography. It's a great place to see amazing photos from different artists.
Located downtown, this is one of the oldest art museums in the Pacific Northwest. It has a huge collection of art from all over the world, including Native American art, Asian art, and modern art. There's even an outdoor sculpture garden!
- Pacific Northwest College of Art Galleries
This college in the Pearl District has many galleries open to the public. You can see art from professional artists and even students.
Also downtown, this museum focuses on modern and cutting-edge art and performances. It's a place to see what's new and exciting in the art world.
History and Culture Museums
- Hat Museum
Located in Southeast Portland, this unique museum displays a selection of cool hats from different time periods. It's in the historic Ladd-Reingold House and is open for special tours.
- Kidd's Toy Museum
In Southeast Portland, this museum is packed with all sorts of toys! You can see old mechanical banks, trains, planes, cars, character toys, teddy bears, dolls, and even police badges and railroad items.
- Movie Madness Video
More than just a video rental shop in Southeast Portland, this place is also a museum of film history! It has real costumes, props, and other cool items from Hollywood movies.
- Museum of Odd History
This museum in North Portland tells the story of the Odd Fellows, a fraternal group, and how they helped develop North Portland.
Located downtown, this museum is all about the history of Oregon. You can learn about the state's past, its people, and important events.
- Oregon Jewish Museum and Centre for Holocaust Education
In Northwest Portland, this museum teaches about Jewish culture in Oregon, America, and around the world. It covers history and art.
- Japanese American Museum of Oregon
Found in Old Town Chinatown, this museum shares the stories and contributions of the Japanese American community in Oregon. It's located in Portland's historic Japantown area.
- Wells Fargo History Museum
This museum, which is now closed, used to be downtown and showed the history of the Wells Fargo Company in Oregon. It had a 19th-century stagecoach and a treasure box for carrying gold.
Science and Technology Museums
Located in Southeast Portland, OMSI is a fantastic science museum. It has tons of hands-on exhibits where you can learn about science in a fun way. You can also explore the USS Blueback (SS-581) submarine and visit a planetarium!
Also in Southeast Portland, this center is home to vintage railroad equipment. You can see old steam and diesel locomotives and passenger coaches up close.
In Northeast Portland, this museum has a collection of over 300 vacuum cleaners! You can see really old and unusual models, like the "Busy-Bee" which needed two people to operate it.
- VintageTek
This museum in Southwest Portland is all about the history of Tektronix equipment, a company famous for making electronic testing tools.
Located in Washington Park, this museum teaches you all about forests and the forest industry. You'll learn why forests are so important and about their natural history.
Special Interest Museums
- Oregon Maritime Museum
This unique museum is actually located on the steam sternwheeler Portland in Tom McCall Waterfront Park downtown. You can explore a real historic ship!
High up in the hills of Northwest Portland, Pittock Mansion is a historic house museum. It's a beautiful 22-room French Renaissance estate with amazing views of the city.
Located in Washington Park, this museum is specially designed for kids! It has interactive exhibits where children can play and learn.
- Portland Police Museum
Downtown, this museum is run by the Portland Police Historical Society. It displays photographs, equipment, uniforms, and documents from the history of the Portland Police.
- Portland Puppet Museum
In Southeast Portland, this museum is dedicated to puppets! You can learn about different kinds of puppets and their history.
Museums That Are Now Closed
Sometimes museums close down. Here are a few that used to be in Portland:
- American Advertising Museum, closed in 2004
- The Faux Museum, closed in January 2015
- Velveteria, closed in January 2010
- Museum of Contemporary Craft, closed in 2016
See also
