3 Best Museums in Portland, OR

Such a nice experience. My son loves the physics lab and the Chem room. I really like when they have events and there are tons of food trucks because the food options arent the best. Staff is usually nice. Upstairs wasn't open this go around. The membership is great!! Especially if you home school

Went to OMSI with a friend and had such a great time! The Monsters of the Abyss: Aquatic Predators Past + Present exhibit was fascinating — we even met a Caiman lizard named Crunch, who’s related to the prehistoric Megalania! The exhibit was full of interesting creatures and incredible displays. We also went to the planetarium, toured the USS Blueback submarine, and spent time in the engineering labs, which were so much fun. Everything was super engaging and well put together. OMSI is always a blast — definitely worth a visit for adults too, not just kids!

What a cool museum. They had a lot of displays and a lot of hands-on interactive things that were great for kids. I took my 3 young kids and they loved it. We’d love to go back again.

A moving presentation of Japanese Americans' history and contributions to the local area and the entire nation. Despite brutal treatment from the local community and overtly racist government policy actions so many Japanese Americans served in WWII at the highest possible level. Their story should be seen and appreciated by every American.

Great little museum. Took us about an hour to see everything at a leisurely pace. Very informative. The people working here are passionate and welcoming. They are part of the reciprocal museum membership program in the area too, and they are one of the featured museums for February.

This is a must-visit museum! It brings the stories of Japanese Americans in the area (and in other parts of the USA) to life in a very moving, powerful and personal way. I spent many hours here and really got drawn in by the personal stories, belongings and “daily life” scenes on display. There is a ton to learn and see. The racism that Japanese Americans (and those denied citizenship) faced was heartbreaking, but the museum ends on an inspiring, uplifting and empowering note.