Oh, I loved this. My BFF lives in Salem, so I know they have a carousel since we've visited with…read morethem. But I don't even know how I found out Albany had a carousel a couple weeks ago and I'm really glad we did. It was worth the 50 minute drive from Eugene. We went on a Wednesday, because they have happy hour on Wednesdays from 3-4 p.m. (they close at 4). Rides were half off (usually $2 per ride token). Some of the concessions are half off as well which was nice! And don't sleep on the concession stand; it's got a great menu and it's reasonably priced. Since I was there with my toddler, an adult was required to ride with her to make sure she was secure (there are not restraints on the animals) and for that reason, the accompanying adult was free. My sister and I took turns on baby duty, though we did all go on at least once (so that used two tokens). And they do a free ride as the final ride, so we all had fun on that one too. This place is run by volunteer power. So thankful for them all so we can have a great time! The historic part of the carousel is that the mechanism is a Dentzel 1909 piece donated by the great-grandson of the founder of Dentzel Carousel Corporation and the National Carousel Association. The objective was to enchant people with the finest carousel in the world, and they may well have met the brief here. There is a menagerie of animals here and they are all beautiful. The outside animals are stationary, and the inner two rows are "jumpers" (they move up and down). The animals are all hand-carved. I think I heard on the video playing in the souvenir shop that the outer animals cost $10,000 and $7,500 for the jumpers, and they're worth it because of the beauty and labor expended. Downstairs there's a museum, which we didn't have an opportunity to visit this time. But I am really looking forward to checking it out. The gift shop (also volunteer-run) has some really nice items, from carousel-specific to more generic gift items. I just wish they had more for smaller children, because I wanted to buy a t-shirt for my toddler but had no luck. But there is a sticker for every one of the animals on the carousel! I bought a couple stickers for the two my daughter rode on. Each of the animals has names, too, which would have made my search easier but I managed. They have a few rooms for rent, so you can have parties or events here. You can also join as a member at one of several levels and get a variety of benefits, one of which is unlimited rides. I can imagine this would be a magical place for a birthday party. I really have to applaud the thought and care that went into creating this attraction. They have some fantastic events; their 21-and-older Derby Day event is sold out weeks in advance. They have weekly story time events, and if we're in Eugene when they happen we may drive up for it. There was a tea, and a Mother's Day event is planned (with a free ride for the moms!). They even have a weekly sensory friendly period, when the carousel runs quiet (yay for DE&I!). I really appreciate the focus on inclusivity here, from the aforementioned sensory days to weight inclusion. There's even a Tea-Rex dinosaur themed tea party coming up! They also give back to the community, such as their carving program for teens to learn the craft. It's simply wonderful. There's free street parking on the blocks around the carousel. Besides that, parking gets a little tricky so you'll want to consult their webpage to see what the parking options are. I cannot wait to visit again with my daughter for more fun rides and to explore the museum. (Review #2400, May 8, 2026.)

Awesome lil museum that is so amazing! They carve each & every animal for the carousel! Each ride…read moreis $2 & you get the ride token from The gift shop or the ice cream Counter. Great staff! Everyone was so happy & helpful! Def a must see if you are in Albany.

What a unique experience it was to have a tour from the daughter of the man who constructed this…read moremuseum. It's truly amazing to think of how much love and hard work went into it. If you plan on going, give yourself a large chunk of time to just be there. There's lots to see and if you blink you just might miss something. I will be recommending this museum to other local visitors. So glad that I stopped! Hope to be back Even if you're not a rock hound I think you will still be impressed.

I was blown away. This is a must-see. I agree w/ many of the other five-star reviewers. I got to…read moremeet w/ the husband (his wife dealt w/ the next couple after us). He has obvious memory issues. I fear this won't be open for very much longer, so please see it ASAP if you can. VERY MUCH WORTH SEEING -- it is a reflection of a time gone by -- government would NEVER permit the sort of housing seen here. Astonishing to think what artistic works his father accomplished -- nowadays we can boast about Skyrim/Stardew Valley houses whereas he actually BUILT a house, painted numerous paintings, made the incredible stone Biblical "paintings" and all the other artistic endeavors.

What a gem! Great museum with Corvallis history, interesting items. The goat man costume with film…read morefootage was the best!!!

What a fun place to visit. There are hands-on exhibits as well as viewing exhibits. The blimp…read morehangar is amazing to see as well. Highly recommend if you are looking for interesting places to visit on the coast.

Great collection of aircraft and it was housed in two large hangers. What really made the visit…read morememorable and enjoyable were the docents who were very knowledgeable about the items on display. Thank you, Joan and Daniel! This would be a great place for school field trips.

Took my grandson today and it was very fun and informative for both of us. Great effort was made to…read moremake it fun for children as well. Lots of hands on activities. We will visit often.Thank you

An exceptional effort for a small town in one of Oregon's poorest counties. The young woman often…read moreon duty is, I believe, a degreed professional in museum management, and it shows. Admission is free, but there is a plastic receptacle near the entry station for donations. I am elderly, grew up around here, and can tell you that the displays capture aspects of valley life that have vanished forever.

I was staying in Newport on the coast, and I drove an hour and a half just to see the museum. It…read morewas definitely worth the time, and the price. This is an absolutely amazing museum. The complex Covers four buildings. Two of them are for the museum, one of the buildings holds a giant screen movie theater that screens, some amazing aviation related movies, and the fourth building is an indoor waterpark, complete with a retired 747 parked on the roof. The emergency exits to the 747 are entrances to the waterslides. The primary building, where the spruce goose is located, covers aircraft from a replica of the original Wright Brothers flyer, to modern military aircraft. The secondary building, is the space, museum. It has aircraft such as the SR 71 blackbird, a model of the Apollo, lunar lander, and other space related exhibits. You can easily spend hours here. Admission is reasonable, and they offer discounts for military/veterans, seniors, youth, and local residents. Annual memberships are also available. To see the Spruce goose I highly recommend the flight deck tour. It's $25 on top of the museum admission, not cheap, but without it, all you really see is the entranceway of the plane. I took the tour, it was a 45 minute tour, it goes through the entire plane, and the docent talked about the whole history of the plane, it's different components, etc..... It was originally a prototype for a massive cargo plane, but because it was not completed by the end of WWII, there were no others made. It only flew one time, and there was a really cool recording of a reporter who was actually on the plane for that flight. It's definitely worth the visit.

I've wanted to see the Evergreen Aviation Museum since moving to Oregon. I remember the dome for…read morethe Spruce Goose in Long Beach in the late 70's but couldn't remember if I saw the place. The museum grounds is massive and there are 3 buildings that house all the museum displays. Besides the Spruce Goose, the museum has a large number of aircraft including the F-117 Nighthawk, A-10 Warthog, SR-71 Black Bird, F-86 Sabre, the Titan Launch Control room and so many other exhibits. There are many tours, movies and a flight simulator. Tip: Plan your visit with the Evergreen Aviation Museum website using the site map and digital guide. Wear comfy shoes. There is a lot of walking. There are tours given by volunteer docents, veterans or aerospace professionals. Many of the docents are around the museum and will give you interesting information about the exhibits in their area of expertise. Jerry was our guide to the Spruce Goose. He was a wealth of knowledge and made the tour very memorable. The entry is $24 for adults, $21 for seniors, Youth $14 and children under 5 are free. Tours are available for $25 per person. Tip: Individual membership is $85 and you can bring 1 guest which entitles you to a free tour of the Spruce Goose which is cheaper than the individual prices, plus, member pricing, events, a newsletter, plus discounts or free entry into other museums, aquariums and other places in Oregon.

While we didn't have a chance to go inside the museum, the grounds are beautiful and well…read moremaintained. The gardens are a lovely spot to walk, explore and smell the flowers - when blooming. Staff kept to themselves and gave us space to wander the property. We walked, but Deepwood is set on a busy street corner so be prepared for traffic as you make your way to the parking area and the noise as you wander the gardens.

What a hidden gem in Salem! My husband and I have been trying to visit local museums and venues now…read morethat he is retired and this one popped in on our radar. We had an event near Salem so we thought we'd stop by. It's so quaint, gorgeous and proved to be lovely get away for the afternoon. It's not overly large as you can most likely walk and enjoy the trails, gardens and sights in about 30 minutes. There is a house tour but only on limited days/times and the day we visited was not one of those days. Beautiful flowers, tucked away benches and meandering trails all made for a wonderful walk. I highly recommend and it's free to walk around!

Philomath translates from the Greek as "love of learning." It's appropriate, then that the Benton…read moreCounty Historical Society&Museum is housed on its branch of the OSU campus. It's in a beautiful, historic building, upon a hill with views of the Coast Range, Mary's Peak, and the Cascades. The people are friendly- after all, "philo" translates from the Greek as "friendship." As a museum, it's OK. As noted by another Yelper, it's more posters than actual exhibits and artifacts. Oregon is rich in history, but sadly, you're better off playing Oregon Trail.

I'll never forget the first time I drove through Philomath and did what everyone probably does, I…read morepronounced it like it looks FYLO-MATH. But the locals pronounce it FAH-LOW-MUTH. Turns out I was onto something though as the reason this town bears this name is because of this building which was a college that was known for its Philosophy and Math programs. It's since been turned into a historical society and museum with research library on local history. They put out fascinating displays of clothing, quilts, photographs and other artwork. It's a mix between a museum and a cultural center, as well as an integral part of the preservation of Oregon and this area's history. Defnitely worth a stop!

Very interesting place but some of the exhibits need more information. We had several questions…read morebrought up by the displays- some we could lookup online but others - like the piece of tree in the visitors center that poses the question how old is it based on the rings was left unanswered We learned it's non profit so I'm sure funding and volunteers might be hard to come by If the green light is lit when you are in the main building definitely check out the floor that has people weaving - it was neat to see it in action Would also be nice if all volunteers were trained equally - a tour hide we encountered was lacking answers to our questions but other volunteers passing us heard us and stopped and took time with us which was super nice I hope they can improve and expand because it was so historical and interesting

I enjoyed my visit and I learned some things but it wasn't my favorite museum. The cafe looked…read moregreat, though, and the gift shop had lovely products including Pendelton.