Museum of the Oregon Territory

Heading north on Route 99E from Willamette Falls [1], look for the Tumwater turnoff on the east side of the highway for the Museum of the Oregon Territory (211 Tumwater Dr., 503/655-5574, 11 a.m.–4 p.m. Tues.–Sat., $9 adults, $7 seniors, $5 children). From the elevated perspective of the museum parking lot you’ll have a great bird’s-eye view of Willamette Falls.

Prior to perusing the diaries, artifacts, and historic photos on the second floor, you’ll encounter a timeline that correlates world events over thousands of years to the geologic, political, and social growth of Oregon [2]. This imparts a larger perspective to what you’ll see in the exhibit hall. Signposts for your journey through the ages include Native American baskets and arrowheads, a horse-drawn carriage, and the world’s first kidney dialysis machine (invented locally).

The county collection serves as a valuable complement to the End of the Trail Interpretive Center [3] and historic homes just north of here, and one admission fee gets you into most of these places.