Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum

Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum
McMinnville, OR
Posted June 6, 2017

Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum: not hard to find when there’s a 747 on top of a building! The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is only an hour away from Pioneer Square in Portland, and it’s definitely worth a day trip. If you’ve heard of Evergreen, it’s probably because of the legendary Spruce Goose. The museum bought the Spruce Goose in 1992, which was transported by barge up the West Coast, then up the Columbia and Willamette Rivers, and finally by truck to McMinnville. The Spruce Goose is certainly impressive when you see it up close – it dwarfs everything in the building! The Museum has a lot more to see in its two museums, Aviation and Space – enough to entertain both the air and space buffs and the non-buffs at the same time. You’ll also find a lot of educational materials, since that is a key part of the museum’s mission.

This is a huge complex: the two museums are about a tenth of a mile apart, with an IMAX theater between. There are some interesting planes scattered around the grounds, too. There’s also a water park for the kiddos – easy to spot, since you just look for the 747 (!) parked on the roof.

On the Grounds of the Aviation Museum

Some of the planes you’ll find outside on the grounds include:

F-106A Delta Dart: one of the first planes to hit Mach 2.
Grumman F9F-8: this particular plane was flown by the Blue Angels.
F-102 Delta Dagger
Soviet MiG-29 Fulcrum A
F-14 Tomcat

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Outside the Aviation Museum. You can see the Spruce Goose inside right in the center. Outside the Aviation Museum, looking towards the Space Museum. It’s a long walk if it’s hot or raining. The IMAX Theater F-14 Tomcat F-102 Delta Dagger F-106A Delta Dart MiG-29 Fulcrum A Grumman F9F-8 (this plane flown by the Blue Angels)

Aviation Museum

In the Aviation Museum, the building is dominated by the Spruce Goose, of course, but there are quite a few interesting planes to see.

Spruce Goose: progenitor of the really big planes that came after, despite only making a single flight. You can walk through the cargo hold, but you have to pay more for a tour of the cockpit.
Replica of 1903 Wright Brothers plane.
WWI biplanes
WWII planes include: B-17 Flying Fortress; P-51 Mustang; RAF Spitfire; German Me-262 (first jet fighter).
Early jets: F-86 Sabre.
Airplane Engine Exhibit.
Smokejumpers Display.

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As soon as you walk into the Aviation Museum, the Spruce Goose dominates the view. Tail Section of the Spruce Goose looms over the other planes. The Spruce Goose Massive engine on the Spruce Goose. Nose Section on the Spruce Goose. Wing of the Spruce Goose. Inside the Cargo Hold of the Spruce Goose. Looking the Other Direction in the Cargo Hold of the Spruce Goose. It’s a Very Big Plane! Replica of 1903 Wright Brothers Flyer World War I Biplane P-51 Mustang B-17 Flying Fortress Closeup of the B-17. Granted the gunner controlled some big guns, but can you say exposed? Front View of the B-17. Jeep World War II Messerschmitt ME 262 was the world’s first jet fighter. The Missiles on the Messerschmitt Me-262 are mounted on a block of wood. Display about Smokejumpers British Spitfire P-38 Lightning Curtiss P-40 Warhawk F-86 Sabrejet

Space Museum

In the Space Museum:

Titan II missile in a silo
SR-71 Blackbird
X-15 (full-scale mockup)
Missiles: V-2
Loon Cruise Missile (America’s first cruise missles was based on German V-1 buzzbombs)
Rockets: Titan-IV rocket (on its side!)
Space Program: LEM and moon buggy simulators; USSR Vostok (unmanned) capsule.
Drones: several big military drones
Helicopters
Astronaut Cars: the Boys liked their Toys to go fast!

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Sputnik Replica Full-Scale Model of X-15 The Loon Cruise Missile (America’s first cruise missile) was based on the German V-1 Buzzbombs. Cargo Compartment for Soviet Vostok Spacecraft. Replica of Apollo Command Module; used for the splashdown sequence in the movie Apollo 13. LEM Simulator Titan IV Rocket Business End of the Titan IV Rocket German V-2 Part of the Helicopter Collection Part of the Helicopter Collection Part of the Helicopter Collection

Space Museum: SR-71 Blackbird

The centerpiece of the Space Museum is the SR-71 Blackbird! This is the real thing, and it’s parked there on the floor so you can walk around it and even touch it. For all the thrust the engines provided, they look so low-tech (which probably means reliable).

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SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird SR-71 Blackbird

If You’re Going

Phone Number: (503) 434-4180
URL: https://www.evergreenmuseum.org

Physical Address:
500 Northeast Captain Michael King Smith Way
McMinnville, OR 97128
[Find the Museum in Google Maps]

Evergreen is just an hour south of Portland car in McMinnville, OR. Take I-5 south, then get on Highway 99W, and finally Highway 18 near McMinnville for the last couple of miles.
You have to walk between the Aviation and the Space Museums, which can be quite hot in the summer or wet if it’s raining. This is a really big complex!
It’s hard to take good pictures because of the extremes in light – giant windows and skylights are in every line-of-sight, it seems, so expect it. They do allow non-commercial photography, but you cannot use a tripod. Check their rules if you’re serious about it.
A big focus of the museum is education, and they have a lot of events for schoolkids. Did you notice all the kids sitting right next to the reclining Titan IV?

About the Author: Dennis Freeze is actively exploring Oregon and Washington after moving here from the Mendocino Coast in Northern California, where he published a guidebook, Mendocino Outdoors (now in its fifth edition), with outings and custom maps for the Mendocino Coast. You can also follow him on Twitter as @dffmonolith or at 500PX.com/dff.