Evergreen Space Museum

510 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR 97128, USA

Address:	510 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR 97128, USA
Site:	evergreenmuseum.org
Rating:	3

Location

Photos 1

Reviews 6

Chad Booker

This museum is exciting, is a great concept, and has a lot of potential, especially considering it is paired with an educational water park. It took my wife and I a full afternoon to fully enjoy the aviation museum portion, a full day would be needed for both it and the space museum. I visited on a pass from the Beaverton Library and, as someone who loves engineering, learning how things work, and aviation, I was extremely excited. Upon arrival, we were greeted by someone at the front desk and, after showing the pass, given a pamphlet and map of the museum. The museum is housed in a large airplane hangar which is fitting, but means its somewhat confusing to find your way around in any sort of curated order which is unfortunate. The map is organized by era but its not done in a very easy to understand (or easy to translate to what youre looking at) way. The displays are pretty impressive and theyve got a great selection of all types of aircraft and engines from different time periods, but unfortunately many arent fully restored or well taken care of. Everything has a thick layer of dust and cobwebs are common throughout. Its apparent through the dust and the donation requests around the place that its sorely lacking in funding which is unfortunate. I would love to see partnerships with local airports or aviation companies and schools to improve the museum and get more visitors. The descriptions of the displays are informative but not consistent in their delivery or form and many are damaged or stained. Some of the audio visual displays need updating of the equipment for better quality. Overall, I think that we in the NorthWest are lucky to have this gem in our backyard, even if it does need some polishing to make it shine. I would encourage you to check take a day, enjoy the drive, and learn about the history of flight at the Evergreen Aviation Museum and donate a little extra if you can.

Charles Carlin

What an unexpected find on my way to Portland. Lots of the Hotels I wanted were full or priced higher than I wanted so I ended up in McMinnville Oregon. Now that I was there I looked around for something to visit the next day, and WOW! What a museum of flight. As I only had a few morning hours I examined all the exterior planes and was impressed. Even a MIG 29! The incredible find was that the Spruce Goose was here! Well I loved the drive into the museum, as the road is painted as it it was a runway! Nice touch. Then the planes on the outside are all around the giant hanger that houses the spruce goose and LOTS of other planes!. When the museum opened I only had an hour before I needed to meet someone at the Portland airport. So, for 25 bucks I chose to be content with mty exterior portion of the museum, and a glance into the big hanger. This looks to me like a place to spend the day, with all the displays inside, and a giant theatre next door. I will come back to this one sometime. so till then, happy travels. This is definitely worth the side trip it you are in Portland.

Mikey Aitchison

I live in Southern California. I had always wanted to see H. Hughes "Spruce Goose". I never did while it was at Long Beach. As I have a brother in Oregon I decided to visit his family and see the "Goose" during the same trip. First off, the museum is a beautiful building. It sits just off a major road with large grass areas in front, with some jets on the grass to start your imagination flowing. They have an IMAX theater next door as well. More on that later. The price was $20 for museum and a showing from the IMAX theater. Well worth it. MY GOODNESS IS THAT "GOOSE" A LARGE AIRCRAFT! Lucky for me, there was inside the "goose" a very knowledgeable docent whom answered all my questions. There are many other aircrafts, helicopters and displays. Including an SR 71, another very impressive aircraft. A snack bar and gift shop are also there. In the IMAX I chose to see a 3D film on the race to the moon and subsequent landings. Narrated by Tom Hanks it is wonderful in its 3D special effects. I hardily recommend a visit to the Evergreen Aviation Museum.

Liane Kraxberger-Piercem

We love this museum, and the waterpark. We come regularly. I am ONLY giving 2 stars because the last 3 times we have came we have had a poor experience with a staff member named Sylvia in the space museum. on our visit today she snapped at one of my younger children and he cried, she then made a comment to another museum goer within earshot of myself and my family about how parents should watch their children. It was truly uneeded and very unprofessional. While I understand the safety and concern for keeping hands off of certain items in the museum, my little one was only touching a reader board which is within reach and of no safety concern. Her tone was harsh and in previous experiences has been very similar with my children and other peoples children. My family loves coming here, but I will think twice before entering the space side of the museums again after todays "encounter" Otherwise the overall experience is superb and the remainder of the staff we have experienced throughout all facilities is excellent!

Nyco Fuentes-Barber

A chance to witness the Spruce Goose is worth the hefty price of admission (more on that later), but my family loves the outdoor amenities more. Amidst the museum buildings there is a large aerospace themed playground that is a favorite destination for our kids (we are local), despite the fact that it is constantly windy. Behind the main museum is a beautiful forested area dedicated to the Boy Scouts, which has walking paths and picnic tables. Inside the museums are impressive air and space artifacts, with docents eager to share their knowledge and experiences. My only beef with Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is the price of admission. Unless you have a coupon, you will spend $27 per adult (age 17+) and $19 per youth (ages 5-16). In-depth tours and other attractions cost additional fees. In my familys case, with how much we use the playground, its tough to begrudge the expenditure when we want to go inside. For tourists, however, the fees can be a heavy hit to the travel budget.

Wicked Good

Just visited today with 2 adults and 2 kids. The museum offered a year membership for $120, which included for todays visit only, free iMax theater tickets. My sons at an eager age, so I imagine well definitely go back. I cant believe Ive lived in Oregon all these years and have only now visited the museum. What a treasure. We spent 6 hours on the premises and even walked around all of the planes outside, too. The Titan rocket and all of the other space exhibits were an unexpected treat. Go downstairs to the simulated launch room! I dont see how anyone can complain about the ticket prices when you consider the museums infrastructure. The buildings are beautifully constructed. All of that wood and stone--amazing. We did not go to the water park. We went for the educational experience, not the recreation, and frankly, theres not enough time to do both. Cant recommend the museums enough, and thats coming from someone who has been to the Smithsonian.