Ah, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, fair OMSI, thou art a relic of my youth and a conjurer of wonder still. I hail from Seaside, where school trips were as certain as the tide, and like pilgrims of curiosity we journeyed forth to thee and the nearby Oregon Zoo. In those days, thou stoodst proudly nearby, a kingdom of gadgets and dreams, where a young lad could sit in a space shuttle, grip the controls of an airplane, and believe, if only for a fleeting moment, that the sky itself was negotiable. Back then, it felt like magic. Not the cheap kind you find in a roadside card trick, but the good stuff, the kind that sticks with you. I am talking about the sort of place where a kid walks in and walks out thinking he might just grow up to be an astronaut, or at the very least someone who knows how to push buttons with confidence. It was grand. It was loud. It was alive. Now, like all of us who have survived a few decades and a few questionable decisions, OMSI has changed. She has moved, grown into a bigger building down by the river, and picked up a few new tricks along the way. There is a submarine sitting out there like it has stories it is not ready to tell, a two story play structure that lets kids burn off enough energy to power half the city, and exhibits that rotate in and out like a cast of characters in a long running play. Some of the old magic remains, though a few of those hands on wonders I remember have slipped quietly into the past. I have sat beneath the great dome of their Omnimax theater, watching the world unfold across the ceiling like the heavens themselves decided to put on a show. I have wandered into their other theater and found myself unexpectedly invested in wolves, which is not something I can say happens often in daily life. OMSI still knows how to put on a show, and they do it well. Sure, a bit of that old nostalgia has worn thin, like a favorite jacket that has seen too many winters. But make no mistake, OMSI still has game. If you have kids, turn them loose here. Let them climb, explore, and ask questions you cannot answer. Let them wear themselves out while you stand back and think, yeah, this place still gets it done. OMSI, thou may not be exactly as I remember thee, but neither am I. And maybe that is the point. For all the years and all the changes, you remain a place where imagination gets a fair shot. And that, my friends, is worth the price of admission. read more

OMSI Science Store - Toy Stores Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

We visited for the Jurassic exhibit and my Lego enthusiast son was overjoyed. They did an excellent job at displaying impressive Lego builds and incorporating learning through hands-on activities. I especially enjoyed the "make and display" your creations. OMSI has brilliant interactive displays but this is by far my favorite of their exhibits. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves Lego! read more

See all

Service selection value vibes very accommodating to our needs many mindful exercises to satisfy the mind and fulfill pure portions of healthy activities read more

OMSI Science Store - Toy Stores Near Me - Portland, Oregon

See all

Me and my kids use our membership here all the time especially on the rainy days, they have so many great exhibits and activities for kids. Only downside is it gets overwhelmingly busy sometimes with field trips. read more

One time visit only. I would not recommend to visit second time. 2 hours should be good enough to explore.

What a waste of money over $100.00 for two adults and two children 7 & 5 a bunch of the stuff didn't work there really wasn't anything to see. Save your money and find something else to do. read more

Don't we all wish we had more time!! This is exactly how I felt when I went to this science center. It is such a beautiful place to spend your day but unfortunately we had to run. If you're going as adults don't turn this opportunity away. It might feel strange and you might see so many families with children but this place is definitely made for adults. Especially when when you can find long and length descriptions describing the woman's body in relation to pregnancy stages. I truly love the dinosaur excavation room, reptile room, rocks under various UV light, The large globe showing different weather and earth scenes from space, The puzzle and musical open space area, along with the rotating human body. I just wish we could've seen the planets and the stars but unfortunately we were running short on time. Stuff at the gift shop also very friendly and I'm more than willing to answer any questions sometimes in certain but overall willing to show an item on display. Thankfully I found out that you don't need to pay Admissions to get into the gift shop I was hoping to come back the next day. Sadly we did not come the next day to prove if this was true. :-p read more

See all

Lots of cool stuff to buy fairly reasonable too. I need to make another trip for their umbrellas.

Always a solid choice when shopping for kids and the bonus is using your membership discount for purchases. Over the years, we've bought many gifts here from books to science experiment kits and posters from exhibitions the kids have loved. When I visit a store like Toys R Us, I am just overwhelmed by the volume of junk. Here I always get ideas and inspirations so the gifts aren't as generic. Nice size store with a mix of core items and those that rotate with the current exhibitions. So for example, right now they have all sorts of gaming and Narnia memorabilia. They even have a jewelry counter. So ladies, you can gift yourself as well. read more

OMSI Science Store - Toy Stores Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I am still not sure how in all the years of going to omsi every week I have not reviewed the gift shop. Now it is your typical give shop it's got remerciez Chinese flag that must be 3 times over the price of where you can get anywhere on the Internet. That said it's a very interesting assortment they have there. I cannot say I have personally purchased anything from this store being an Oregon resident and of the Internet age. I will say they have some cool things to look at and things for grandparents in visiting people to get. They will usually have themes going along with their exhibits which is always fun. I also like that the people working there are quite understanding that many of the people in there are just looking and playing and they do not make you feel out of place. Definitely worth the stop in and occasion all purchase of something catches your eye, but I often find myself saying to my son's you know that's only a few dollars on the Internet. And without said millennials are killing everything read more

OMSI Science Store - Another Sunday - Toy Stores Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Great place trying to escape the rain. Quite a far walk from the transit drop off. We were bummed that the planetarium was closed so we opted to see a movie in the big theater that featured John Cousteau's underwater Adventure in 3D. We grabbed lunch at the restaurant Theory. We got the kale bean soup (way too many beans vs other ingredients) and went over to thewood fire pizza section and got a couple slices. Both slices were very creative and unique. Of course they had the same old boring cheese and pepperoni but we opted for the interesting slices. read more

There is a lot of neat science things to be found at the OMSI store. They have t shirts, books, toys, stuffed animals, posters, decorations, science kits, home goods like mugs, and so much more. As can be expected, prices are high but for many visitors it's worth it. They have something for everyone in your family. read more

See all

If you like OMSI or don't like OMSI, I bet you would enjoy this little store located inside one the buildings near the main entrance of the museum. Sure, the museum itself can be a bit overwrought at times with bus loads of screaming children with their stressed-out chaperons, but don't let that dissuade you from peaking into this little slice of solace with a plethora of science for sale. From books and statues of salt to projects for your four-year old, there is an attention-getter on every shelf. Even for those of us that aren't 4. This little store unleashes the tiny scientist in all of us. If not, at least it may have something to grab your attention. Next trip into the museum, make sure you make this, a stop. read more

I love this place!!!! The kids love it too! While you're here, check out the sub tour. Our favorite part was the little kids area up top. The sparkly sand....whoa! You will want to buy everything in the store. So nice! read more

Actually not really that impressed with the selection and quality of stuff here. Not very creative, and some of their choices are just the sort of run-of-the-mill-made-in-China crap you'd expect anywhere but a museum. Very disappointed to see that they sell Bucky Balls there. If you've paid attention to child safety at all, these rare earth magnets are dangerous. Marketed like a toy, but most definitely not for children. There's been something like 1,700 reported cases of children injesting these, and ending up with perforated intestines, emergency surgery, internal injuries. It would be nicer to see a better selection and quality here, especially because we enjoy the museum so much and spend a lot of time here as members! read more

This place is a cornucopia of exhibits and learning. Spoke directly to my teacher soul. Though I, sadly, had no children of my own with me when I visited, I witnessed and delighted in the pure joy children were experiencing while learning about chemistry, optical illusions, earth, the ocean, and every other thing imaginable on earth or in space. Incredible deal for a full day + worth of hands on learning. read more

Kids kids kids everywhere smelling like candy and dirty diapers. If you have kids cool, not recommended if you prefer adult company.

...as subpar as OMSI is in compared to other museums of science in other cities the gift store is actually even more of a step down in its respective category; poorly organized, overpriced, and crowded with small children seemingly well out of their parents control this is pretty much as close to shopping-hell as I can imagine. read more

Have always found what I need when there but today was very happy to see it was closed for remodeling. If it follows the trend of the excellent quality of OMSI lately, it will be great. The store is set up in various kiosks around the main floor until then. read more

Science store could use some help. products are very similar to the discovery store only things seem more cheesy here. I'd like to see a gift shop more like the Monterey Aquarium. Overall, a good place for kids to play around in but i probably wouldn't buy half of the stuff there read more

Really interactive, lots of things to do and volunteers/ staff to engage people. Seemed great for families. I liked the artwork in the "our ocean" exhibit and the special exhibit that focused on Lego art. read more

See all

Yo, the museum itself was dope, but the clerk at the store was super helpful. I was from out of town and she helped me find everything I was looking for in the city and even gave me some personal suggestions. read more