Had some free time in Salem and thought this could be an interesting museum, and it did not…read moredisappoint! It's not a huge museum but I didn't mind - there was lots of info and stuff to look at. I thought the exhibits were very well done and really interesting to read the different stories of people who stayed there and worked there. It was $8 for entry which I think was a fair price.

What an amazing educational place. I absolutely loved finding this gem and exploring the history…read more The volunteers are so sweet and guide you through the history. Highly recommend and love the move to show the progress in mental health treatment over the years.

The Oregon Garden is a botanical garden that covers more than 80 acres. It has a number of…read morespecialty gardens that feature the diverse flora of the Willamette Valley and the Pacific Northwest. It is a nonprofit, currently with an entry fee of $14 from April through October, and $10 from November through March. They do have rates for seniors, teens, youth, and groups. Children under age 4 are free. Members can also enter for free - they have a variety of membership levels. You enter and exit through the visitor center, where they have maps to guide you and tchotchkes for purchase. They offer tram tours for part of the year for an extra $4. It is a 20-minute ride on a giant golf cart where you can hear some narration about the garden. I recommend this for a nice seated break from the many steps you will get wandering through the garden. It is also nice to get the narration with more information about the gardens, as I like to know what it is that I'm looking at. I visited in August and the flowers were absolutely at peak. I imagine the garden is lovely in spring when bulbs start to come up and cherry trees bloom, and potentially in the fall when colors start to change. I spent about two hours, just wandering and trying to get to as many sections of the garden as I could. I imagine you could spend longer or shorter depending on your interest. Pack a lunch and bring a sketchbook and you've got a great summer day out.

We have been traveling through the area for the last week and this was, by far, our most…read moredisappointing experience. On our way here we visited multiple gardens and flower farms in Salem and the surrounding area that were completely free and FAR superior. They charge $14 per person to visit the garden and in my opinion it's not worth it. The employees we interacted with were unhelpful, unknowledgeable and apathetic but beyond the poor service, the grounds themselves were disappointing. There are dead and dying plants everywhere, shade and seating are scarce and there is very little of interest to see. If you enjoy paths and trees, visit any local park and the sites will be as good. If you love roses, visit Owen Rose Garden or if you like peonys, irises, etc there are multiple farms in the area to visit for free. Unless you love the smell of hot fertilizer and throwing your money away, this is not it. Their "Amazing" water garden consists of a few algae topped ponds. They also claim to be dog friendly but they are as dog friendly as a sidewalk. They have a tram tour that literally stopped in the walkway blocking all the walking guests from proceeding while robotically reading a speech and leaving everyone to stand there in the sun until they were done. This whole experience was just so unenjoyable. I rarely leave bad reviews and I Yelp to help others avoid my mistakes so if you are reading this, please don't waste your time or money here. There are so many other great options. Oh, and to the "Business Manager" who obligatorily responds all the unflattering reviews in an effort to appear as though customer service is important, but is ultimately condescending, it's not helping your cause, so feel free to spare us all.

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.

We purchased a beautiful 3-foot-tall metal sculpture here years ago. The sculpture, despite…read moreweighing about 50-70 pounds, actually blew over in the epic winter storm we had a few years ago. When the sculpture fell, the top (a circular piece essential to the design) broke off. This year we finally got around to asking the artist if she would be able to weld it back together by the end of summer. She said yes, and we dropped the sculpture off. About 8 weeks later, we picked up the renewed sculpture. It's as beautiful as ever, and unbelievably, she did not charge us anything for the repair. It was not her responsibility to fix the sculpture free of charge, but we are very grateful. We love it and it looks so great in our yard. Thank you so much!

FREE ADMISSION! A…read morehidden gem that feels like stepping into someone's dream, and they invite you in. This review is long overdue. We stopped here last November on our way back from the coast, and it turned out to be one of the most unexpectedly peaceful and inspiring stops of our trip. The property is spacious, serene, and filled with artistic wonder. Throughout the garden, there are multiple man-made waterfalls that add a gentle, calming soundtrack to your walk. Every sculpture, path, and water feature is created with care. They build and design almost everything themselves, which gives the space a truly personal and handcrafted feel. We had the pleasure of meeting Linda, the artist's mother, who was incredibly warm and welcoming. Talking with her added a beautiful personal touch, you're not just walking through a sculpture garden; you're stepping into a family's living, breathing creative space. You can easily spend 30 minutes to an hour here, taking your time to explore, take photos, and just breathe. It's also very kid and family-friendly, with plenty of open space and interesting sights to keep little ones engaged. Bonus highlight for travelers: there's a heated restroom in the working/storage barn, complete with a toilet seat cover. You don't realize how much you appreciate a heating restroom until you step into one after a chilly drive down the coast. If you're ever passing through, don't miss it. It's calm, creative, and unforgettable. You won't regret the stop.

The Salem Art Fair has been a staple a Salem summers for years. The art is impressive and moving…read morethe stage out from under the oak trees was a good decision. However, I wish the booths for individual artists were still under the shade of the trees and the food options are disappointing. The addition of Gilgamesh Brewing is promising, but I think bringing in food trucks, or some new vendors, could provide better options.

There was a time that I really loved attending the annual Salem Art Fair. It was when I was a kid…read more Set amongst the beautiful shady trees at Bush Park, it was a nice summer time activity that didn't result in heat exhaustion. My mother and I used to always go together and get the delicious chocolate and almond dipped ice cream bars. It was fabulous. Then, after several years of not visiting, I finally went summer of '09 since I now live within walking distance (parking is a nightmare). What a shock. Just shock. At least half of the artists aren't even from Oregon, let alone the Salem area. There were people as far away from Colorado and Arizona slinging their "art" for rip off prices. Yeah, I said rip off. Look, I understand that art may take time and that these people might do this as a living. That's not my problem. As a consumer and a customer, I refuse to believe that the salt and pepper shakers they painted took so much time and effort that they warrant that $90 price tag. Am I an idiot? No. In addition to the above rip-off, the Salem Art Association will now be charging admission to "enjoy" the fair. They believe that "it's a good deal.... and $5 isn't that much money..." You're right, it's not a great deal of money, but that really isn't the point. It's a craft fair, not a museum. It's purpose is to allow patrons to purchase art, not rip people off. But I can't be too harsh, can I? The SAA reports that they ONLY made $215,000 on last years art fair. Boo hoo hoo. They also further justify this $5 fee by claiming that this art fair is one of the best in the country. I don't know the source of this information, but considering what a dump Salem is, I have a hard time believing it. Gah! Just another reason to avoid Salem.

We go to lots of haunted houses each year and this one was a big let down. Very little decorations,…read morenot a lot of scarers. Those that were there did more of the yell type scaring and less of the acting scaring. Or they said, "keep moving" and no scaring. They let us in every 20 sec so we were stacked. We bought VIP tickets to jump the lines. This also lets you go back through. When we finished all the haunts we decided none of us liked it enough to go again. Parking cost $10 in addition to tickets. Not worth it at all.

I love anything Halloween, but I must admit, I have never seen an event quite like this before. If…read moreyou've ever watched a classic 1980s Halloween movie, where they have a stereotypical, but classy Halloween festival, that is exactly the same vibes that I got from this place! Good job on coming up with such a creative idea! Parking was pretty close to the entrance, but be warned that they charge $10 per car just like during the fair. After going through a metal detector and bag check, they have vendors inside a building selling various things, although some were not Halloween related, and kind of seemed out of place. They did have a cool reptile exhibit as well. Outside, the area is nicely decorated with Halloween style lights hanging overhead, and a really realistic looking cemetery. At first I thought the fairgrounds actually had a cemetery as the old, church looking building in the background and tombstones throughout made it look like its always been there. The haunted houses are located inside an older looking building. There were three of the haunted houses inside the building and a fourth outside. Each haunted house has a separate entrance, which was a little hard to figure out how to go into each one at first. The lines were pretty long when we arrived, but they seemed to move pretty fast. I don't think we waited in line more than an hour in total. They have some really well themed sets, with cool looking props. Each haunted house has a different theme, so the sets all seem to work well with each one. The distorted haunted house did not many decorations, but it felt more of a traditional haunted house with jump scares, strobe light effects, and lots of actors. The doll factory one was very well put together and had an eerie vibe to it, along with creepy music, that I can still hear playing in my head. The staff was doing a great job scaring and directing people. We kept watching group after group run out of the haunted houses holding their chest, screaming, or laughing as they exited. Overall, I am so happy that this place is in my hometown! I can see this thing becoming huge in the next few years with all the space that seems to be around the entrance and sides where they can easily grow year-after-year. I will definitely be back next year and I will bring more people with me!

Located on the grounds of the historic Bush estate, the free art museum is a wonderful place to see…read moreart exhibits and installations at the Bush Barn Museum by local artists and by handmade jewelry, soap, bags, and other gifts that are all works of art in their own right. It's also where tickets can be bought to tour the grand Bush House, a museum house in Salem built 100 years ago! The park is also a lovely place to walk around and hang out.

This museum appears small but has so much inside! Staff working were friendly and willing to…read moreAnswer questions and tell you more about the displays They have some neat stuff, I don't know much about Silverton but learned more and got to see some cool items. Did you know there was a Silverton Red Sox?

My husband & I had to stop in here this past July when we just could not find the covered bridge we…read morewere looking for. The lady that was here was so beyond friendly and helpful. She gave us directions to where we needed to go and gave us lots of information on where to eat and other places to stop on the way to our destination. Thank you so much for your courtesy!