Take a step back from the high-tech world to appreciate the engineering marvels of the past — wooden airplanes, hand-cranked automobiles and steam powered engines. A tour of Oregon’s aviation and rail museums might turn you into a 19th- and 20th-century transportation buff.
Hood River’s WAAAM (Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum) has one of the nation’s largest collections of operational antique aeroplanes and automobiles. Beautifully restored cars from 1899 to the 1960s are on display with historic propeller drive planes. Check out special events on second Saturdays.
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum’s collection includes planes from the Wright Brothers through the WWII-era Spruce Goose and a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird designed for speeds over 2,000 miles per hour. The McMinnville-based museum includes a waterpark and movie theater — a great option for the kids.
More than 30 restored warplanes can be seen at the Tillamook Air Museum. Some of the more popular include the P-38 Lightning, F4U-Corsair, P51-Mustang, PBY Catalina and SBD Dauntless divebomber. All are housed in a former WWII blimp hanger — the world’s largest wooden structure.
Eugene’s Oregon Air and Space Museum stages various aircraft and artifacts depicting the history of aviation and space technology. The collection includes aircraft, flight suits, engines and models.
Visit the Oregon Electric Railway Museum in the town of Brooks north of Salem to see the largest collection of trolley trains in the Pacific Northwest. The volunteer-run museum has a mile of track, a car barn, powerhouse and small depot, along with numerous vintage trolleys from the late 19th through the mid-20th century.
You can check out the steam locomotives of the Oregon Rail Heritage Center on Portland’s eastside Thursday through Sunday, and take a ride on the Holiday Express on weekends this December.
