Skip to main content

The 6 Best Museums in Portland — Locals’ Picks

By U.S. News & World Report

Whether you’re looking for your muse or to be amused, Portland, Oregon, is full of museums that will satisfy any interest.

“We have so many museums,” says Michael Rowland, chief concierge at The Benson Hotel. “If [visitors] want a day of museums, we can take care of them.”

What might be trickier is narrowing down your itinerary. So to learn which museums are the best in town, U.S. News reached out to local experts for recommendations. Here are their six favorites.

Portland Art Museum

You can start your museum experience by visiting the Portland Art Museum, the oldest museum in the Pacific Northwest.

[Read: The Best Hotels in Portland.]

“The Portland Art Museum possesses an amazing collection of artwork from throughout the ages,” says Marcus Hibdon, director of communications and public relations at Travel Portland, the city’s tourism organization. “Be sure to stop by the Native American art center, which highlights artifacts from the days before the state was settled by pioneers who traveled across the Oregon Trail. Visiting exhibitions are always worth seeing. And be sure to stop by the museum gift shop for an eclectic array of mementos.”

The Portland Art Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with extended hours until 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Admission is $19.99 for adults, $16.99 for seniors and college students, and free for children 17 and younger.

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, or OMSI as the locals call it, is everything a science museum should be and an excellent stop for anyone, regardless of age. Its five halls boast more than 200 interactive exhibits at any given time, and the museum’s eight labs provide plenty of opportunities for hands-on learning.

[Read: The 6 Best Breweries to Visit in Portland.]

“OMSI is the best one. It really is,” says Alex Dawes, general manager at the Embassy Suites Portland — Downtown. “Whether you’re 3 years old or 93 years old, there’s something to do.”

The museum houses a planetarium and four-story-tall movie theater. Its decommissioned USS Blueback submarine is moored in the Willamette River behind the museum. Hibdon says, “Older visitors may recognize the vessel from its appearance in the film ‘The Hunt for Red October,’ starring Sean Connery.”

OMSI is open daily from 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Museum admission is $14 for adults, $10.75 for seniors 63 and older, and $9.75 for youths 3 to 13. Additional charges apply for the theater, planetarium and submarine exhibits.

Oregon Historical Society

Just across from the Portland Art Museum, the three-floor Oregon Historical Society details the city’s and state’s past with its large permanent collection and visiting exhibitions. The permanent exhibits “Oregon My Oregon” and “Oregon Voices” trace the state’s history from before its founding to the modern day.

“It’s for the nerdier of the crowd, but the Oregon Historical Society does a fantastic job,” says Andy L. Welsh, front office manager at the Hotel deLuxe. “That is a really fun one. They have a great group of volunteers. You can go and find the right one and bend their ear for a couple of hours.”

The Oregon Historical Society is open Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Museum admission is $11 for adults, $9 for seniors 60 and older and college students with an ID, and $5 for youths 6 to 18. Admission is free for children 5 and younger.

Oregon Maritime Museum

The Oregon Maritime Museum is housed in an operating stern-wheeler boat moored on the Willamette River in downtown Portland. The city, which is about 100 miles from the Pacific Ocean, has been and continues to be a major West Coast seaport. While you tour the historic vessel, you can learn about the region’s connection to the water and its role building World War II Liberty cargo ships.

The Oregon Maritime Museum is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Museum admission is $7 for adults, $5 for seniors 62 and older, $4 for students 13 to 18 with an ID, and $3 for youths 6 to 12.

World Forestry Center’s Discovery Museum

The World Forestry Center’s Discovery Museum is dedicated to educating visitors about environmental stewardship of local and global forests. Get a primer on forests on the first floor, and then go up a level to learn about how people interact with forests worldwide.

[Read: The 5 Best Shopping Districts in Portland.]

The center is located in Portland’s Washington Park, and several popular hiking trails are nearby. During the warm-weather months, the World Forestry Center is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it’s closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays after Labor Day. Museum admission is $7 for adults, $6 for seniors 62 and older, $5 for youths 3 to 18, and free for younger children.

The Freakybuttrue Peculiarium and Museum

It’s not your typical museum. At The Freakybuttrue Peculiarium and Museum, you’ll see oddball exhibits on topics like aliens, Bigfoot and science fiction B-movies. It even has an ice cream counter that features sundaes topped with live bugs.

The Peculiarium is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Museum admission is $5 per person, regardless of age, though “dogs and decent costumes get in free,” according to its website.

To experience more of what Portland has to offer, check out the U.S. News Travel guide.

More from U.S. News

5 Libraries to Check Out Across America

The Best Relaxing Getaways in the USA

The Best Places to Visit in the USA

The 6 Best Museums in Portland — Locals’ Picks originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote