Powerland Heritage Park facts for kids
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| Former name | Antique Powerland |
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| 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 is a special place in Brooks, Oregon, United States. It's like a big outdoor museum for all kinds of old machines. You can see farm equipment, big trucks, trains, and even construction machines. It's near Salem, Oregon.
This park is run by a group called the Antique Powerland Museum Association. They are a non-profit organization. Their goal is to save, fix, and show off old machines. These machines often use steam, diesel, or gasoline power.
The park covers a huge area, about 62 acres (which is like 47 football fields!). It's been around since the 1970s. At first, it was mostly used for "threshing bees." These were like early versions of tractor pulls. Over time, more museums joined, and by 1996, the whole area became what you see today.
Every summer, Powerland Heritage Park hosts a big event called the Great Oregon Steam-Up. During this time, many of the old machines are started up. You can see them working! Even though it's called "Steam-Up," you'll see machines powered by steam, diesel, gasoline, and even electricity.
The park used to be called Antique Powerland. It changed its name to Powerland Heritage Park in the spring of 2017. You can usually visit the park from April through September. It's open Wednesday through Sunday, from 9 AM to 4 PM. There are also many special events, especially on weekends.
Contents
What Can You See at Powerland?
Powerland Heritage Park is made up of many different museums. Some are indoors, and some are outside. They all work together on the same big property. Each museum focuses on a different type of equipment. Many of the exhibits are interactive, which means you can often touch or even ride some of them! For example, there are trains and trolleys you can ride around the park.
The main group that runs the park is the Antique Powerland Museum Association. They also manage the Welcome Museum, a Farmhouse, a Rose Garden, and a working steam-powered sawmill. They also have a Country Store and a Blacksmith Shop. Plus, they keep a large collection of old tractors.
Member Museums and Their Collections
Many different groups have their own museums at Powerland. Here are some of them:
- Western Steam Fiends Association: This group loves steam engines! They show and operate many types of steam-powered machines. This includes steam tractors, a steam crane that runs on rails, and a sawmill that uses steam to cut wood. They even use the sawmill to cut lumber for building new exhibits!
- Branch 15 - Early Day Gas Engines & Tractors Association: This group displays smaller engines, tractors, and other old farm tools. They have a museum with machines from the Wolf Iron Works factory, which made special saws called dragsaws.
- Antique Implement Society: This museum shows off large, working engines that run on oil and gasoline.
- Willow Creek Railroad: Get ready for a ride! This group operates a large model railroad at the park. It has over 5,000 feet of track. Visitors can ride on these trains, which are powered by both gasoline and steam engines. You can even have two riders per train car!
- Oregon Vintage Machinery Museum: If you love John Deere Tractors, this is the place for you! This group of John Deere fans shows off many old John Deere tractors and farm tools. They even operate a 3-acre wheat field on the property.
- Blacksmith's: This group runs the park's machine shop and blacksmith shop. You might even see them working with hot metal!
- Brooks Historical Society: This society takes care of the historic Brooks railroad depot. This old train station was built in 1900 and has been moved to the park grounds.
- Pacific Northwest Truck Museum: This museum is all about the history of trucking, especially in the Pacific Northwest. They have a huge indoor museum, about 26,300 square feet. It holds 75 restored trucks! These trucks are in three buildings. Two buildings have smaller trucks like pickups and delivery vans. The third building has big semi-trailers and tractors.
- Oregon Electric Railway Historical Society: This group works to save the history of electric trains in the region. They run the Oregon Electric Railway Museum at Powerland. They also operate a vintage electric trolley that takes visitors on rides around the edge of the park.
- Oregon Fire Service Museum, Memorial, and Learning Center: This museum was started in 1993. It's dedicated to preserving the history of firefighting in Oregon. They have a collection of antique fire engines from different time periods.
- Antique Caterpillar Machinery Museum: This museum shows off equipment made by Caterpillar Inc., a famous company known for its heavy machinery.
- Willamette Valley Model Railroad Museum: This museum tells the story of regional 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 replica of a 1930s Texaco service station.
- Pacific Northwest Logging Museum: This museum teaches visitors about the history of logging. They collect and display old logging equipment, tools, and other items.
- Western Railway Preservation Society: This group works to save old locomotives and train cars from narrow gauge railways. They also restore other related items like old buildings, water tanks, and train depots.
Other Groups at Powerland
Some other groups are also connected to Powerland Heritage Park:
- Oregon Tractor Pullers, Inc. This group organizes exciting tractor pulls at the park. They use vintage tractors in their competitions.
- Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society: This organization works to save and document railroad history in the Pacific Northwest. They have three pieces of historic regional railroad equipment on display at Powerland Heritage Park.
The Great Oregon Steam-Up Event
The most exciting event at Powerland Heritage Park is the Great Oregon Steam-Up. This event happens every year in late July and early August. It's when many of the machines that are usually just on display are brought to life! You can see them running and working.
The Steam-Up includes many fun activities. There's a big parade of vintage power equipment. You can watch demonstrations of the steam-powered sawmill cutting logs. There are also demonstrations showing how old equipment was used to harvest wheat. Plus, you'll see many other exhibits of vintage machinery, including old trains, road vehicles, construction equipment, logging machines, and farm tools. This year, 2025, marks the 55th anniversary of the Great Oregon Steam-Up!
