by Christy Solo – Editor
This week we’re going to stick close to home and explore some of our area museums! We could subtitle this week: All Things Oregon – Museums – they aren’t just for field trips anymore!
While our area is short on aquariums and zoos, we have plenty of nifty little museums. A great way to spend an afternoon. The closeness and compactness of our museums means picking one can be a spontaneous adventure versus a Whole Day You Need to Plan in Advance.
We’ll put a caveat on that, because our area museums are so small, many (most) have limited hours of operation so a visit will require some planning.
Let’s kick this off with the Eagle Point Museum. Located at 202 N. Royal Ave they museums hours are Fri. – Sun. 12 – 4 p.m.
Not only is the museum located in Eagle Point, but it’s fully focused on the history of Eagle Point specifically.
Fun fact: The museum – or at least the building – wasn’t always located in Eagle Point. The building used to be the Long Mountain School House and the whole kit and was moved to Eagle Point in 1945. It remained a schoolhouse for a long while before it was moved once again in 1978 and became the museum. Clearly it’s a sturdy building!
The museum is run by the City of Eagle Point who took over the responsibility in 2008.
While the museum isn’t just for field trips, it is available for field trips and special events.
In addition to having nifty displays to peruse of an afternoon, the Eagle Point Museum also has a vast array of digitized history you can explore at your leisure from the comfort of your own home.
Records include journals, oral history interviews, architectural surveys and old VHS tapes, all converted and available online. The digitization project was partially funded by grant monies from several parters.
Displays in the museum focus on “the old west” and Eagle Point’s military history. There’s a lot more to see as well, but we don’t want to give away all the fun surprises you’ll find when you visit.
Next up is the Trail Tavern Museum located at 144 Old Highway 62. Put this museum on your summer To Do list because while it varies, they are generally open from late May through September (sometimes they open in April). Your best bet is to call 541-878-2835 to double-check their months/hours of operation.
When the museum is open, the hours are Thurs. – Sun. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Traditionally admission is free, but donations are (gladly!) accepted.
Even if you visited the Trail Museum last season, be sure to visit again. They are always updating and improving their displays. Usually they’ll also host several events during “tourist season.”
The focus of the museum is on the timber industry with additional displays on “Old Tyme Life.” The museum volunteers/curators pack a whole lot of history into a small space.
Of course, some of the museum’s space is also dedicated to local fave Ginger Rogers. Not only did she do everything Fred Astaire did – backwards and in heels – but she chose a great place to retire, our very own backyard.
But wait, there’s more. You can get a personal tour of the museum and grounds – pack a picnic! The museum is also open for events. What a cool place to have a birthday or anniversary party.
Now onto the Crater Rock Museum. If you haven’t visited yet, it’s no doubt on your list of, “I have to go there one of these days” places. With summer approaching, pencil it in for a great place to take out-of-town visitors. They’ll never forget it.
Warning: The Crater Rock Museum has a gift shop, so save some pennies you will want to pick up some swag.
The museum is located at 2002 Scenic Ave. in Central Point hours are Tues. – Sat. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. (entry stops at 4 p.m.)
Entry fees also vary: Adults $7, students $5, seniors and veterans $6, families of 4 (over 6 years of age) $20, groups of 10 or more $4 each, children 5 and under and Roxy Ann Gem & Mineral Society members are free. Whew!
The museum is 12,000 sq. ft. so you’ll want to allow plenty of time to view all the dazzling displays. Not only is there a lot to take in visually, but there’s lots to learn too. The displays are chock full of informational plaques. Exhibits include collections of world-class minerals, petrified woods, fossils and more.
The museum has been around in one form or another since 1954 when it was just a small building where local rockhounds met to talk rocks. From there it grew to a 5,400 sq. ft. museum and more than doubled in size via a 20+ year expansion project.
Not all of that square footage is for displays, there is – of course – the gift shop, but also meeting rooms. Yes, you can hold an event at the museum. The museum is run by the RAGMS, a non-profit group.
In addition to self-guided tours, the museum also puts on field trips and guided tours as well as special events and classes such as the upcoming free geology series.
Fun fact: The museum also holds a Kids Day the second Saturday of every month. This is a special day that the museum sets aside to expose children to the world of earth sciences, fossils, dinosaurs, and other really cool things kids like. Free scavenger hunts with prizes, beginning at 10:00am and continuing through 4:00pm and more.
Once you’ve hit these museums, you’ll still have several more to visit. Stay tuned! We’ll circle back to local museums in a future All Things.
