Powerland Heritage Park facts for kids
 |
|
| Former name | Antique Powerland |
|---|---|
| Established | 1970, 1996 |
| Location | Brooks, Oregon, United States 45°03′06″N 122°58′47″W / 45.051677°N 122.979589°W |
Powerland Heritage Park, once called Antique Powerland, is a special place in Brooks, Oregon, near Salem, Oregon. It's like a big outdoor museum filled with old machines. You can see farm equipment, trucks, trains, and even construction gear. It's all about showing how these machines worked long ago.
A non-profit group called the Antique Powerland Museum Association runs the park. They started it to save, fix, and show off old steam-powered machines and farm tools. The park covers about 62 acres of land. It has been open in different ways since the 1970s. At first, it was used for "threshing bees," which were like early tractor pulls. Over time, more museums joined, and the park as we know it today opened in 1996.
Every summer, Powerland Heritage Park hosts a big event called the Great Oregon Steam-Up. During this event, many of the old machines are started up and shown working. You can see steam, diesel, gasoline, and electric-powered equipment in action. The park changed its name from Antique Powerland to Powerland Heritage Park in the spring of 2017. You can usually visit Powerland Heritage Park from April through September. It's open Wednesday through Sunday, from 9 AM to 4 PM. They also have many special events, especially on weekends.
Contents
Explore the Museums at Powerland Heritage Park
Powerland Heritage Park is a collection of many different museums. Some are indoors, and some are outdoors. Each museum focuses on a different type of old equipment. Many of the exhibits are interactive, meaning you can experience them. For example, you can even ride some of the old trains and trolleys!
The Antique Powerland Museum Association helps manage the whole park. They run the Welcome Museum, a Farmhouse, and a beautiful Heritage Rose Garden. They also take care of the Miller Steam Sawmill, a Country Store, and a Blacksmith Shop. Plus, they have their own collection of old tractors.
Discover Different Types of Old Machines
Here are some of the cool museums you can find at Powerland Heritage Park:
- Western Steam Fiends Association: This group loves steam engines! They show and operate many steam-powered machines. You can see steam tractors, a steam crane, and even a working wood-fired sawmill. This sawmill is used to cut wood for building things at the park.
- Early Day Gas Engines & Tractors Association (Branch 15): This museum displays small engines, tractors, and other farm tools. They also have a museum building with machines from the Wolf Iron Works dragsaw factory.
- Antique Implement Society: Here, you can see large, working oil and gasoline engines. These engines were used for many different jobs long ago.
- Willow Creek Railroad: Get ready for a ride! This museum has a large model railroad with over 5,000 feet of track. Visitors can ride on these trains, which are powered by both gasoline and steam engines.
- Oregon Vintage Machinery Museum: If you like John Deere Tractors, this is the place for you! This museum is run by John Deere fans. They show off old John Deere tractors and farm tools. They even grow wheat on a 3-acre field at the park.
- Blacksmith's: This group operates the park's machine shop and blacksmith shop. You can often see them working with metal, just like blacksmiths did in the past.
- Brooks Historical Society: This society takes care of the historic Brooks railroad depot. This building was built in 1900 and has been moved to the park grounds.
- Pacific Northwest Truck Museum: This museum is all about the history of trucks, especially in the Pacific Northwest. They have a huge indoor museum with 75 restored trucks. You can see everything from small pickup trucks to large semi-trailers.
- Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society: This group works to save the history of electric trains. They run the Oregon Electric Railway Museum at Powerland. You can even ride a vintage electric trolley that goes around the park.
- Oregon Fire Service Museum, Memorial, and Learning Center: This museum was started in 1993 to save the history of firefighting in Oregon. They have a collection of old fire engines from different time periods.
- Antique Caterpillar Machinery Museum: This museum shows off equipment made by Caterpillar Inc.. You can see many different types of their old machines.
- Willamette Valley Model Railroad Museum: This museum tells the story of local railroads using amazing model railroading displays.
- Northwest Vintage Car & Motorcycle Museum: This museum celebrates the history of cars and motorcycles. One cool exhibit is a copy of a 1930s Texaco gas station.
- Pacific Northwest Logging Museum: This museum teaches about the history of logging. They collect and display old logging equipment, tools, and photos.
- Western Railway Preservation Society: This group works to save old locomotives and train cars from narrow gauge railways. They also restore old buildings like water tanks and depots.
Other Groups at the Park
Other groups that work with Powerland Heritage Park include:
- Oregon Tractor Pullers, Inc.: This group organizes exciting tractor pulls at the park. They use vintage tractors in their events.
- Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society: This organization works to save and record railroad history from the Pacific Northwest. They have three pieces of historic regional railroad equipment on display at Powerland Heritage Park.
The Great Oregon Steam-Up: A Summer Celebration
The biggest event at Powerland Heritage Park is the Great Oregon Steam-Up. It happens every year in late July and early August. During this time, many machines that are usually still are brought to life! They are started up and shown working.
The Steam-Up includes many fun activities. You can watch a parade of old power equipment. There are also demonstrations of the sawmill working. You can even see how vintage machines were used to harvest wheat. The event also features many other exhibits of old machinery. This includes rail, road, construction, logging, and farm equipment. The year 2023 marked the 53rd anniversary of this amazing Steam-Up event!
