Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
- Cathy Curti
- Mar 20
- 3 min read
On our journey south, we didn't have enough time to visit this museum while passing through Oregon, so we were thankful for the opportunity to stop by on our return trip going home.
The museum was an excellent destination for a rainy day activity. It featured a wide array of airplanes, rockets, capsules, and historical displays to discover and learn from. The museum was staffed with volunteers, including retired pilots, who were eager to share their stories with visitors interested in listening and learning. With a permit, you could even spend the night in their designated camping area.
Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum
Over night Camping info
The main attraction is the Spruce Goose, officially named the Hughes H-4 Hercules, a massive, all-wood flying boat designed and built by Howard Hughes. Known for its sole flight on November 2, 1947, it is now displayed at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. However, there is much more to see than just the Spruce Goose. Historic planes that were icons of their time are also here, sharing tales of pioneering flights, including Amelia Earhart's courageous solo journey across the Atlantic.
Amelia Earhart, an American aviator, achieved numerous flying records and advocated for the progress of women in aviation. She was the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean and the first individual to make a solo flight from Hawaii to the U.S. mainland. While attempting a flight around the world, Earhart vanished over the Pacific in July 1937. Her plane's wreckage was never discovered, and she was officially declared lost at sea. Her disappearance remains one of the greatest unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century.
We were lucky enough to experience a mini tour of the original Douglas DC-3. This aircraft revolutionized air travel in the 1930s, becoming the first successful commercial airliner to make passenger service profitable without government subsidies. Its design and versatility allowed it to remain in use for various purposes, even after World War II.
It was really interesting to hear how passenger air travel came to life and grew to the industry it is today.
At forst glance we looked out to an adjaceent building and saw a huge plane on top on the building, we later realized its a water park. We did not go in but provided the link for those intersted. https://www.wingsandwaveswaterpark.com/
Across the courtyard from the aviation museum, you'll find the space museum, which is just as impressive with its collection of rockets and capsules. This is my favorite section of the museum. There's something both frightening and thrilling about the vulnerability of space travel and the courage of the men and women who ventured into the unknown back then as well as today.
Looking up at the immense size of some rockets made one feel insignificant, and then to see the tiny capsules, one could imagine how cramped and confined it must have felt inside. I oddly found myself wondering how on earth they managed to go to the bathroom in such tight spaces... my curiosity got the better of me and I later had to Google it since it wasn't covered in the museum tour... LOL. It's actually quite fascinating and provides a good laugh.
These walls could narrate countless tales of history and bravery of many men and women. It's all fascinating to think how much advancement has been made in the past number of decades.
Unfortunately not all airline advancement has been great. As technology advanced and corporate greed grew..... legroom, baggage going missing, meal perks, as well customer service have all diminished.
Compared to flying, we definitely favor traveling by RV, relishing the comforts of home wherever we journey.
Bill & Cat