Oregon is a forest wonderland, so it's no surprise we have this world-class museum and exhibition space dedicated to our trees. The permanent exhibits are informative and well-presented. Similar with the non-permanent exhibits that feature specific forest-related topics. Worth the price of admission. Veterans admitted free of charge. read more

World forestry center, is small but magical. The staff who checked me in were incredible. I had two small children and they told me where we could explore and that it's very much a hands on museum. They had one exhibit that was for the eyes and not the hands but was explained where it was (and that there were signs) There's lots of wonder and education here. You find yourself diving into fun activities while enriching yourself with education. If you're looking for a rainy day activity, a less crowded activity, or a very underrated activity I truly recommend here! read more

I have been to the World Forestry Center several times and can attest that it just keeps getting better. I really enjoyed my recent visit to see the Sasquatch exhibit which, though small, was well done. There are some great options for the kiddos and as an indoor exhibit, it's a good rainy day or too hot day option. I also recommend the World Forestry Center event spaces. I got married there in 2011 and loved the unique space. read more

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We had our wedding in Cheatham Hall with Cocktail Hour in the Discovery Museum. It was perfect! The communication was great throughout. Jessica worked with us on floor plan and answered all our questions. I would definitely recommend this venue. read more

World Forestry Center - Cheatham Hall - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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My daughter, who lives in Portland, recently discovered this "tree museum", and she raved about it. I'm not really into forestry, but hey, it was a rainy, dreary January day, so we decided to go. And boy, was I impressed! The building itself is super impressive, akin to a huge, open and airy lodge, the kind you'd expect to see at a posh ski resort: open interior, lots of warm wood tones, exposed beams, vaulted ceilings, tons of windows letting in a forested view.... Truly beautiful. When we arrived, the place was empty save for a family of four. It's like we had the whole place to ourselves. My kid mentioned that the last time she was here, it also was fairly empty, as if nobody knows this place exists. Wow. No crowds! Bonus. I should note that the admission prices have increased, from reading all the past reviews. Adult admission is now $8 (if you're a "senior" like me, over 62, it's $7). Less for kids, but I forget how much. Still, I think it's a great deal. The lodge-like building has a large main floor and a smaller second floor, with an attached outdoor patio area with a meditative waterfall feature for reflection. This museum is such a perfect place for adults and kids alike. It's super educational and informative, but in such a fun, interactive way. The hands-on displays are all so clever, and so enjoyable, and many are truly fascinating. I honestly didn't think I'd love this place as much as I did. Some of the displays and interactive features on the main floor: crawl-through "caves" for kids and those nimble enough to do this (!), cross-sections of various trees to see their rings and calculate their ages, a humongous tractor-like vehicle to climb into and sit in the driver's seat, buttons to push to hear various sounds of the animals in the forest, a reading nook for the younger kids to play and read in, and lots more I can't remember right now (sorry!). Some of the displays and interactive features on the second floor: a fun pedestrian "bridge" overlooking the main floor below, lots of hands-on musical instruments and tools made from wood, a fascinating history of the actual museum building and its place in Portland's history, and way more. My favorite feature was a "trip around the world" 4-part interactive display here on the second floor. This 4-part display was SO fun and SO clever, - and so educational, too, - discussing the role of forestry in four separate countries around the world, and how these countries are working to preserve their trees, and the role of forests in their diverse ecosystems and economies. First there was a trip on the Trans-Siberian Railroad through Russia. Next was a water boat tour of the temperate forests in China. Next was a jeep safari ride through a subtropical forest in South Africa. Lastly, there was a canopy crane ride in the Brazilian tropical forest. Imagine all these features with movement and sounds like you're surrounded by the actual conveyance. SO smart! These types of immersive displays make learning so enjoyable. I learned so much, and had a blast doing so. My only suggestion to improve this museum would be to have a larger gift store area, where we visitors could purchase items related to trees and forestry in general. There's a small area by the entrance with Smokey the Bear stuff, and some pencils and a few items, but this area could - and should - be increased, as visitors like myself would love to get mementos of our visit or gifts for others. Other that that, though, this museum is such a wonderful, informative, beautiful place, I can't recommend it enough. read more

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I somehow had no idea this place existed until I saw a segment about it this week on the local news. As one whose happy place is any forest, I felt I owed it to the trees to check it out pronto. We arrived this Saturday around opening, and while there weren't many people around when we walked in, by the time we left a decent amount had appeared. And although it didn't seem like it would be considered a busy day, there were enough kids in attendance we were playing some involuntary human pinball at many exhibits. It's not a big museum, but it's pretty spacious inside the building...a stunning work of wooden art itself. There are plenty of interactive exhibits...hence the bouncing kiddos. Outside of the entertainment for the younger crowd, there are lots of interesting and informative pieces for the adult visitor too. I wouldn't say there's enough inside to take up an afternoon...I think we were there for about an hour. But with a low $5 admission fee it's most definitely worth a visit! read more

World Forestry Center - World Forestry Center - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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This place is the most hidden of hidden gems, particularly if you have little ones. At $5 admission AND you don't need a timed entry reservation, you just can't beat it. I'm not super into forestry, but know this stuff is important, so it was a cool place to check out. But I was most impressed with all the interactive hands on stuff they have to keep the little one's busy and still be educational. My two yr old had an absolute blast throughout the exhibit hall, from the log you can climb through containing different creatures that use it as a home, to the little reading library next to the magnetic tree board, to the climbable logging equipment, to the underground caverns with stuffed animals that live underground (like who even makes a worm stuffed animal), to the forests around the globe exhibit upstairs that has a train, jeep, boat, and canopy cart to sit in. Either way, I learned a lot as an adult, my kids had fun, it was dirt cheap, educational, nearly 1/10 of the crowds you'll get at the zoo, and just all around impossible to beat. read more

Just one more voice saying it's a hidden gem. The two year old that we took really liked it. As well as the 74 year old.

Awesome museum for all ages! There were 8 of us total, ranging in age from 2 to 73 and we all enjoyed it. The toddler and my veteran husband got free admission, and it was $5 each for the rest of us- a steal! Tons of great information on forests, sustainability, and wildlife. Great activities for kids too, while they learn! As an avid environmentalist, I thoroughly enjoyed learning about forests across the world, and how all living things depend on forests. There was a beautiful art installation there as well for a little "culture" :) read more

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Visiting from the desert so it interesting and informative being at the center. Since there was no one else around, I ask one of the worker/volunteers to take a quick photo and right away you can tell she was extremely annoyed because I asked her while she was putting snacks in the building. Can't even see our faces & she didn't say anything. That was the only downfall with the experience. I guess it was my fault for asking while they were doing something. read more

World Forestry Center - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Stunning building located in the Washington Park area is a great place to spend a few hours. Personally I went it in while waiting for the bus to take me to the Japanese Gardens. Wow! Glad I had a stopover! Lots of interactive exhibits for kids. Many interesting things for adults to read and learn. Very friendly staff and very clean building. This museum has many free days but the admission is about $7/adult and less for kids. Well worth the price! Large parking lot is shared with the zoo. Right across the street from the subway stop also. Families could easily spend several hours here letting the kids play while they learned. Well planned exhibits allow easy crowd control. Movie was good but slightly outdated and redundant of things in the museum. It was a comfortable theater and a nice place to sit a minute. Perfect outing for a cold or rainy day. read more

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I'm surprised to be the first Yelp review, but maybe that's because this museum is overshadowed by the Oregon Zoo and Children's Museum which are all located together in the hills of Portland. I've had a family membership here for a few years and it is a great place although my affection is really more for what they do rather than the museum as an entertainment venue. Since I have little ones I've been to a lot of museums and this one has a few unique exhibits. Our family favorites are pretending you're a smoke jumper, riding the rapids and trying your hand cutting down trees with a high tech logging machine. The smoke jumper and tree cutting exhibits require some hand-eye coordination and aren't for little kids. In fact, I'm still hopeless working the controls of the tree cutter. The raft ride has you sit in a real inflatable raft with life jackets and watch your image on a screen with the river projected behind you so it appears as if you are rafting down a river. They take a digital photo you can buy from the gift shop. Upstairs is a little more educational with an explanation of deforestation around the world as you watch videos while sitting in a jeep (Africa), a train (Russia) or a river boat (China). You can also take a vertical lift (similar to a ski chair) up through the center of the museum (this is free if you are a member or you pay as a visitor). There isn't a ton to do here, but it has a nice vibe and it is a place unique to our area, so my annual membership helps to support the work they do. My kids also love climbing on the steam engine just outside. The best time to visit the museum is during the annual Chocolate Fest. It is usually spread out among three buildings with lots of vendors throughout the region handing out samples both traditional and unusual: chocolate fountains, truffles, nibs, chocolate beef jerky, curry and wine tasting. The store is also a great place to pick up some unique gifts. If you have tried the other museums and want a casual change of pace and a little education, you should give them a try. read more

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The world forestry center is a fun place to kill a few hours on a too hot or rainy day. There's lots to see and read for adults and lots for kids to do too. My 16 month old had a lot of fun of fun interacting with the displays. For the most part, the museum is for older kids, but it was still fun for our daughter. read more

There used to be more interactive exhibits here like simulators for white water rafting and smoke jumping years ago. We got our kids all excited, went in and discovered they are gone. Our kids (7 and 10) were SO BORED! We lasted less than an hour. A shame because the building is beautiful and the inside looks beautiful, but it's just so dull now. It was a total waste of time. read more

I came here for the adjoining conference space at Cheatham Hall for a several day event. Note that I did not visit the actual museum next door other than their gift shop and enjoy the building from the outside. The design of the museum is most pleasing to the eye, blending in nicely to the greenery surrounding it. It has a comforting presence at times with the morning mist enveloping it. Without delving deep enough into the museum and paying for the entrance fee of $7, I found the interior to be fairly empty and quiet rather than bustling with visitors. With items outside the museum, I loved the petrified wood stumps redwood stumps planted next to the trees. Supposedly the story is that the stumps were buried under rock and were cut off from oxygen such that they could not decompose, but the minerals somehow had seeped through the wood through thousands or millions of years or whatever. Visually, it reminded me more of slabs of marble and I regret not taking pictures. The gift store was simple and quaint, with a few stuffed animals and subtle if not tasteful memorabilia. There isn't a coffee shop inside, but there is one at the children's museum a 2-5 minute walk away. The conference space at next door Cheatham Hall was a very pleasant experience. Design was contemporary yet warm. The circular space was warm with light wood walls and ceilings and inoffensive carpeting. The premises were well maintained and showed no signs of wear. Bathrooms were kept very clean despite the event I attended had around 100 participants throughout the course of a 9am to 6pm day. The acoustics worked well when there was a speaker in the room, but tended to be a tad louder than desirable with larger crowd. If I had to nitpick, the only thing I did not care so much for about Cheatham hall was the lighting was a bit more harsh than I would have preferred, although to be fair I think it could have been adjusted and that was more the fault of the event coordinators in their choice of lighting. World Forestry Center is at a very accessible location accessible from the Blue or Red MAX mass transit. From downtown Portland, it would take around 20 minutes. From Portland airport, around 50 minutes to an hour from the Red line. I once took a Lyft ride from Cascade station close to the airport to World Forestry Center during a weekday rush hour, and it took around 40 minutes to get there. read more

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Great little museum for a rainy day. So bummed I didn't get to wander the gardens but a good alternative. Good for kids, lots of hands on and vehicles to climb around. read more

World Forestry Center - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

The World Forestry Center is located in Washington Park and is across the street (with a shared parking lot) to the Zoo and a significant Portland Public Transit Stop. The main building is stunning in its Cascadian (I assume) architecture, including the grand entry, and the interesting carvings and other stuff outside. Inside (and for a modest entry fee) are a nice series of hands-on exhibits that are family friendly and fun. Best of all, they tell a great story about sustainability and our trees and forests. read more

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We stopped by this museum today for the first time ever after I found a 1/2 price membership deal on google offers. (It made a 1 year family membership cost less than 1 day's admission would have been!) It is definitely a discovery museum that is geared towards kids. There are a lot of hands-on exhibits and things to climb around on (giant tree cutter, raft, plastic log with little cutout windows inside, etc.). Considering how crowded the shared parking lot was for the zoo / children's museum, I was surprised how few people were inside of the forestry center. It was nice because it wasn't crowded, easy to explore, and everyone got a turn on the interactive exhibits without having to wait a long time. read more

World Forestry Center - Special Exhibit - TreeHouses: Look Who's Living in the Trees! (2.2.13 - 5.5.13) - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

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We are professional wedding photographers here in Portland. We've had the pleasure to photograph a wedding there this past 7.31.09! The World Forestry Center is GORGEOUS! Lots of light and room and nature. Very photogenic and organized. I would recommend this venue for large and small events in a heartbeat! read more

World Forestry Center - The first dance of a bride and groom getting married at the World Forestry Center! - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

There is a abbreviated documentary on show that is worth watching, as well as an interesting and beautiful art exhibit, all in addition to their regular exhibits which were interesting and worthwhile. Plus the staff was super helpful and engaging. read more

Wealth of informative here and well worth a visit especially if you have kids. I've got a two and three years old boys and they are very very busy. It was nice to come to a Musuem that was so kid friendly and had so much to touch and explore. Kids loved it and it was informative for me and the husband. Also, my husband appreciates the couch read more

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well-designed forestry center for little children. Different types of vehicle or truck models to be climbed and explored. Staff members were nice and professional. read more

Definitely a great place for families with children 12 and under. Not as thrilling for a family with a teen. The interactive exhibits were fun--we mostly enjoyed watching the families with young kids ooohh and ahh with excitement. We did get admission through our Attraction Pass packet, so we didn't have to shell out extra money. I'm not sure if most adults would appreciate this museum. read more

I want to live inside the World Forestry Center! I want a gigantic Twin Peaks-style log chalet of a home, complete with open atrium with trees growing up the middle and a rocky patio with waterfalls. I would sleep in the mock underground burrows with my stuffed animal friends and play smokejumper and river-rafter to keep myself amused through the long winter months.... I always thought the idea of a Museum about Forests to be a bit lame - if you're into forests and stuff like that, shouldn't you be OUTside enjoying and learning about them? However, the World Forestry Center is just a gorgeous building, and a great UNCROWDED place to explore forest-y things with your small child. For about one to possibly 1.5 hours. Cause honestly, there's just not a lot to do there. The exhibits they have are engaging, but don't think you're going to Forest Disneyland or anything, you'll have done everything there is to do after 90 minutes. read more

I'm not a big fan of nature and forestry stuff. I hate bugs and being an Indonesian doesn't really make me love bugs and forestry stuff more than I should have. So I've never been to World Forestry Center until almost ten years living in Portland and my visit wasn't really to check out plants and history of forestry stuff (is that word getting more and more annoying to you?). I came here for the Chocolate Festival. I love chocolate and I love festival, combined them together = I'm In! Tickets to get into the museum is $8 per person and parking is $2. To be honest, this museum probably is the warmest welcoming feeling museum ever in Portland. Maybe because all the brown and green theme from the fake trees and wood. The staff were friendly and they did a good job hosting the Chocolate Festival. The festival itself doesn't really need explanation. Chocolate fountain, I tasted it. Free samples from 75% choco to 100% choco beans, I had it. Free samples of truffles and Active Culture yogurt successfully landed in my belly. Mission accomplished! read more

The juxtaposition of the museum's "Leadership Hall" bios of all white men with the exhibit on "Who Owns Oregon's Forests" (both of which failed to recognize tribal histories and the displacement of Native Americans) was disturbing. I also found the exhibits to be dated and un-engaging. My 7 year old was not too impressed, either. read more

Interesting place to simply just stroll and wander through? I remember the original Forestry center which was a huge log cabin built in 1905 I believe? This is bigger and more modern and lacks the antiquity of the original but still a sheer delight to my children and now my Grandchildren whenever I can find the time? the cost of a ticket is a bargain when you consider what's inside to see? ''Thank you'' and 5 stars*****! read more

(For Miller Hall only) My sister's wedding was held here and for the simplicity for her wedding this could not have gone any smoother. For having around 175 guests, the seating was very comfortable and everyone had a good time. The only issue was the selection of dance songs her and her husband decided to put on the playlist... Anyway... This place is right next to the Children's museum and the zoo so it can get pretty crazy on the peak times. Thankfully the wedding was timed right so that once everyone left after the museum and zoo closed people can start parking for free. Miller hall was used for the wedding and it is gorgeous. Very tall ceilings and a very spacious area with large windows for lots natural lighting. Unfortunately the weather wasn't all that great since it had been raining a lot the week before. And we took the wedding pics outside where the ground was saturated so ladies with heels had to make sure they didn't get stuck in the mud. We used a spare room across from the entrance to the hall as a hideaway for the bride and bridal party, except we just had to make sure the door was closed at all times. We had a few close calls... haha. The sound system was good, everyone was able to hear the music. Most importantly, the wedding couldn't have gone as smoothly as possible :) The wedding was beautiful :) :) read more

I visited the World Forestry Center alone on a Monday afternoon, after spending the morning at the zoo. They are a good compliment for a full day of entertainment. This is a great little museum, filled with interactive exhibits. I went on a very quiet afternoon and really had a chance to enjoy everything. I visited during an special Ansel Adams Photography exhibit, which was a real treat. I felt like I learned a lot about trees and forests. They educational components were well thought out, with everything being a fun way to learn. I loved the transportation around the world exhibit on the top floor. The employees were very helpful and a guy gave me a map of local hiking trails. This museum is fantastic and I highly recommend it for both adults and children. read more

This place has bittersweet memories for me, as I attended high school friend Dan Callaway's memorial service here two years ago this month. His loved ones rented out Cheatham Hall for the service, partly because Dan was a public transportation advocate and the Max goes right to the center. It was a touching service full of love as friends and community members tried to grapple with this senseless killing. The center itself is lovely as well, and perfect for a rainy day. For me, the actual forestry center seemed a bit ridiculous, because it has fake trees and forest fauna indoors when the real forest is only a few feet away outdoors. Why look at the fake trees in Oregon (Forest Park, to be specific) when you can just experience the real thing so easily? The cool work they do is around the exhibits. You can read Olivia's review on the Chocolate Festival, which I'd like to see next year. We went for the Coffee Fair. In Cheatham Hall we tried many local roasters coffees and learned a lot as we became increasingly caffeinated and talked the ears off various exhibitioners. Most roasters had organic, fair trade or otherwise sustainable options and were fairly knowledgeable about their practices. Coffee is not so different from alcohol; as time wore on we felt that we became increasingly witty and wise. I'm not sure that those serving us agreed, but they may have been as jittery as we were by the end. Needless to say, I stopped imbibing at 1pm and didn't sleep until 4:30am. Ugh. In the main building, upstairs, there were pretty cool displays on coffee growing, coffee history from Yemen forward, and sustainability in the coffee industry. I would've been curious to know a bit more about the impact of coffee growing on the ecosystem (there was some info on this) and also more on coffee culture around the world. We did leave with a few unanswered questions about the coffee industry, but they were pretty specific, and the exhibition was more general. Entrance to the Forestry Center is $8, so if I were you, I'd go when there's an interesting fair/festival, and bring a Chinook Book coupon. As for learning about forest, just go into the woods, take some deep breaths and look closely. No need to pay for that. read more

Cool little museum about tress and the forest. Nice spot to check out if you're in the area. They had a lot of cool stuff to check out. Good place to take the kids for a great learning experience. read more

World Forestry Center - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I had my wedding here (Miller Hall) a few weeks ago. It went absolutely perfectly. I had a great experience with Amber and Reade throughout the whole planning process. The venue is gorgeous. The set-up went smoothly and looked great. I couldn't be happier to have my wedding here! The only downside is that you have to pick a caterer off their "preferred list." 50% of the caterers I contacted on the list never got back to me, several others were just atrocious with their customer service (rude, flaky, etc) and some of the caterers were just plain BAD. But who we settled on was amazing. read more

It's not as exciting as the Children's Museum or the Zoo or OMSI but it's a great place for kids to run. It's clean, open, and it's perfect on rainy days to get your kids some exercise. The last time we went, my kiddo was running so much that he was sweating. This place is actually one of my favorite places for kids in Portland. It's also a great place for events. I went to several weddings there and they were fantastic. The people who work there are awesome. I truly love this place. And one more thing... I was chasing my kid and watching him. My health monitor said I ran 2.7 miles in there. It would be awesome if grumpy asses stopped emailing me to watch my kid. read more

Highly recommend going in you are anywhere in the area. Great overview of different types of forests in the world, and the life cycle trees from saplings to wood and beyond. Nice space. read more

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My son and I came here for the fist time on a Monday. This is a great little museum, I rather enjoyed the private experience as we were the first ones there. My son is home schooled and this was a great educational field trip. The history of the location is a rich one and the artifacts were well displayed in a very clean setting. Informative and fun! read more

World Forestry Center - Forest products from around the world! - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon

We had some time to kill while we are waiting for the bus to take us over to the Japanese gardens. We had about 30 minutes so we wandered into the World Forestry Center to kill some time. Shocked at the nine dollar entry fee but we paid it because there was not much else to do around there. $18 a little steep for what they ended up providing. This is a well executed museum visually, but the content is geared solely towards kids. It was a bit laughable in some areas to be honest. We made the most of it and took a couple pictures which will post here, but for the most part I would say skip it unless you are with a 4 to 6 year old read more

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This is great place to bring the little ones, to began teaching them of the importance of the forestry's of the world.

Terrible experience. This center is about the loggers and architects and building plans. I noted the displays, made a phone call, and I was rudely ordered o0ut immediately. This Center had nothi9ng to do with Oregon's Brazil's or any other vanishing forest and its ecology or global warming Unspeakably arrogant, spiteful and rude upper level staff. read more

I was hoping this was going to be about forest ecology and conservation but instead it was all propaganda for the logging industry. For example: an arcade-game-like-simulator of a logging harvester machine (that was broken), a display equating timber plantations to old-growth forests, and an exhibit on the different types of forest management techniques such as clearcutting - a perfectly reasonable practice, if you are to believe the description in the exhibit. Finally, I knew the place had to be bank-rolled by the logging industry when I went upstairs and found a bougie library of maybe 100 or more multi-paragraph biographies of logging company CEOs. Listen, I'm not saying the timber industry is evil, it's not. But this building is presenting biased information on behalf of an industry that is at odds with the natural world - a world which is on the brink of a mass extinction event due to human activities. And logging ranks pretty high up on that list of activities. read more

Great place for our wedding. We were in Cheatham Hall, which is just a few yards left of the main building. The interior is basically a huge, elegant circular room with very tall ceilings. Perfect for large parties... worked great for us! There's a nice patio area and nice staff. read more

World Forestry Center - Museums Near Me - Portland, Oregon