Air and space museum combines wings with waves
The story of the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, host for the Oregon Wine Country Half Marathon’s packet pickup and race expo on Saturday, spans almost 20 years. Once best known for its famous airplane inside, it’s now the talk of the town for another plane on the roof.
The Evergreen Wings & Waves water park, with its signature Boeing 747 jet plane positioned on top, is the latest chapter in the daring history of the Evergreen museum. The story started decades earlier when Evergreen International Aviation founded the museum and took aim at one of the prize artifacts of aviation history — the HK-1 — the Hughes Flying Boat, best known as the famous “Spruce Goose.”
Museum founders Del and Michael King Smith bought the Spruce Goose, disassembled and moved it by ocean barge from Long Beach, Calif., to McMinnville, where it arrived in February 1993. The plane then remained in storage for several years at Evergreen headquarters while the museum was planned and constructed across the highway.
Finally, in June 2001, the Spruce Goose was moved into the new building, re-assembled and the Evergreen Aviation Museum was a reality.
Looking to expand services, a smaller IMAX theater opened in 2007 and a space museum building, a twin to the aviation building, opened in 2008. But more was needed, museum officials said, so a water park was constructed and opened this year.
The Evergreen Aviation Museum opened in 2001 with the Spruce Goose as its centerpiece. While the plane still dominates the exhibit, many other planes have been added to make this must-see for aviation and history buffs.
The popular museum includes more than 90 fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Most are original crafts, while a small number of replicas and homebuilt planes are in the collection.
A dedicated crew of museum volunteers, many of whom are veterans who have personal experience with specific planes, not only provide historical details but real stories of the men and women who flew the planes during times of war and peace.
The space museum opened in June 2008 with a chronological account of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Color-coded in blue and red exhibits, the collection details competition between the two superpowers that eventually led to cooperation and shared exploration of space.
With a Titan II missile as its centerpiece, the museum features about 30 original or replica items including a lunar landing module, lunar rover, and Mercury and Gemini spacecraft.
The water park is only 3 months old, opening June 6. Four water slides start inside the roof-top 747 and wind their way down to the main level. When not sliding top down, visitors may enjoy a large wave pool, a leisure pool, a wading pool for smaller children, a space shuttle play area and a spray deck for the smallest kids. And, of course, there are lifeguards on duty.
Officials make a point to say that while the water park is for play, it’s still part of the larger museum mission to “educate and inspire.” There’s a chance to learn something here.
“Inside the water park there are exhibits to make it more than a place to get wet and make a lot of noise,” director Larry Wood says. “There’s a children’s museum upstairs with various exhibits about water, the nature of water, how you use and take care of water.”
Hours:
Museums: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day
Water park: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day
Holdays: Check the website
More Information: www.evergreenmuseum.org
The Evergreen Wings & Waves water park, with its signature Boeing 747 jet plane positioned on top, is the latest chapter in the daring history of the Evergreen museum. The story started decades earlier when Evergreen International Aviation founded the museum and took aim at one of the prize artifacts of aviation history — the HK-1 — the Hughes Flying Boat, best known as the famous “Spruce Goose.”
Museum founders Del and Michael King Smith bought the Spruce Goose, disassembled and moved it by ocean barge from Long Beach, Calif., to McMinnville, where it arrived in February 1993. The plane then remained in storage for several years at Evergreen headquarters while the museum was planned and constructed across the highway.
Finally, in June 2001, the Spruce Goose was moved into the new building, re-assembled and the Evergreen Aviation Museum was a reality.
Looking to expand services, a smaller IMAX theater opened in 2007 and a space museum building, a twin to the aviation building, opened in 2008. But more was needed, museum officials said, so a water park was constructed and opened this year.
Aviation Museum
The Evergreen Aviation Museum opened in 2001 with the Spruce Goose as its centerpiece. While the plane still dominates the exhibit, many other planes have been added to make this must-see for aviation and history buffs.
The popular museum includes more than 90 fixed and rotary wing aircraft. Most are original crafts, while a small number of replicas and homebuilt planes are in the collection.
A dedicated crew of museum volunteers, many of whom are veterans who have personal experience with specific planes, not only provide historical details but real stories of the men and women who flew the planes during times of war and peace.
Space Museum
The space museum opened in June 2008 with a chronological account of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. Color-coded in blue and red exhibits, the collection details competition between the two superpowers that eventually led to cooperation and shared exploration of space.
With a Titan II missile as its centerpiece, the museum features about 30 original or replica items including a lunar landing module, lunar rover, and Mercury and Gemini spacecraft.
Wings & Waves water park
The water park is only 3 months old, opening June 6. Four water slides start inside the roof-top 747 and wind their way down to the main level. When not sliding top down, visitors may enjoy a large wave pool, a leisure pool, a wading pool for smaller children, a space shuttle play area and a spray deck for the smallest kids. And, of course, there are lifeguards on duty.
Officials make a point to say that while the water park is for play, it’s still part of the larger museum mission to “educate and inspire.” There’s a chance to learn something here.
“Inside the water park there are exhibits to make it more than a place to get wet and make a lot of noise,” director Larry Wood says. “There’s a children’s museum upstairs with various exhibits about water, the nature of water, how you use and take care of water.”
Hours:
Museums: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day
Water park: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. every day
Holdays: Check the website
More Information: www.evergreenmuseum.org
