The dioramas give you an idea if what it was like. The descriptions from diaries are excellent and…read morehelpful you understand what it was like. Seeing the actual ruts from the wagons that traveled the trail--well, if they could only talk. Visit. You will be better for it!

Came here for a few hours and really enjoyed it. Beautiful surroundings and grounds. Lots of…read morewalking trails that lead to Oregon Trail wagon ruts. The museum is also really cool with dioramas, taxidermy, and lots of info about Oregon's early history. Would definitely come back again.

Such a great museum! We had no idea it was so big. The kids…read morereally enjoyed looking at all the different exhibits. You can easily stay hours here looking at everything. Even the gift shop is well thought out! You should read about the history of the building and what it was built for. So fascinating!

Came here with my fiancé over the weekend and we enjoyed every minute of our visit. The museum was…read morehuge and had a number of very detailed exhibits. It was very much like walking through a time capsule. The two ladies at the front desk were very friendly friendly and informative. My favorite was the room full of gems.

Who'd have thought that a dowdy old county historical society museum could be so f**kin' scary?…read more Grant County Historical Museum sets itself apart from other small museums in eastern Oregon by focusing on ghoulish curiosities, including two-headed calves and the personal effects of executed criminals. But these historical curios don't hold a candle to the museum's collection of hand-carved mannequins. There is no reasonable excuse for the appearance - nay, existence! - of these life-sized figures, carved with ever-so-much care and attention to look like the grimacing victims of a flash fire. Many of these mannequins have extremely realistic dentures shoved into their lipless mouths, ready to spring to life and chomp some hapless toddler's hand. All are draped into chairs and wagons or propped against corners, lolling corpselike and dangling empty sleeves. Look - I'm a 22-year-old skeptic, and there's no way anyone's going to convince me that the mannequins at the Grant County Historical Museum don't come alive at night and wreck up the place. Don't bring your little kids. Don't bring the elderly. Don't bring anyone with a heart condition. Bring a camera. Because despite the sheer visceral heart-stopping horrors to be found inside this unassuming museum, I highly recommend it.

I'd give this museum five stars even if I didn't have deep family ties to Grant County. The…read morevolunteer was so nice and happily looked in her files for my family. She also shared a few stories about her favorite artifacts, including a very cool walking stick that was borrowed at one point by the Smithsonian. I was last there in the mid 1990s and the place pretty much looks the same. There's a timeless feel to it. The museum definitely has something for everyone.

Take a moment, breath it in. SEE it. Experience history…read more Spit in the water and watch all the little river fish come try and eat it. Love Sumpter!

We love industrial historical sites and this did not disappoint. Lots of history to marvel at and…read moreexplore. Never heard of gold dredges so fascinating plus enjoyed going back in time in local town. Very picturesque location.

I am currently working on assignment in John Day, Oregon. I had the pleasure of going to the museum…read morewith a guided tour. My tour guide was a tall guy, unfortunately, I cannot remember his name. He was very informative about the museum and about the home. I felt sad at one point because the last person to own the home/business, went for a simple procedure and unfortunately passed away. You can still see the date he left on the calendar. The museum was very informative and some of the patient letters were very touching. This is a very nice gym within the small town of John date. Also, when you go into the reception center/gift shop you will see all of the items people have found in their yards that date back to the early 1900s. I highly recommend visiting the museum with a guided tour.

An important piece of Oregon and Chinese history, a must see!…read more I felt very fortunate to have visited the Kam Wah Chung Museum on my recent trip to Oregon. Seeing how the early Chinese settlers came to the US under harsh working environment, racial discrimination, language barriers and away from their families made me realized how resilient and strong of all these Chinese men. Being part Chinese and an immigrant myself, I could relate to some of their struggles. Located in John Day on the main street, this musem contains two parts. The first part is the museum with glass cased exhibits with illustration of early Chinese settlers and brief descriptions of the lives of Doc Hay and Lung On. The second part of the museum is only available as a guided tour, where you can enter the living quarter and pharmacy of Doc Hay and Lung On. I highly recommend taking the guided tour of the living quarter/pharmacy of Doc Hay and Lung On, as the staff tried to preserve all the original details back in its days. Our tour guide was extremely knowledgeable, and she mentioned each single detail (down to mouse trap) in the house. The front of the house contains a red chair that Doc Hay would take your pulse and determine your health, with the pharmacy right behind his chair. We also saw Doc Hay's bedroom, common kitchen, sleeping quarters and Lung On's room. The most striking part of the tour was when guide mentioned how the Chinese settlers had to lock themselves in every evening to avoid getting shot by drunk white people. They also set up a water pump inside (vs. outside) of the house to avoid leaving the safety of the premise. Despite the harsh circumstances, I saw many posters on the walls of spending good time with friends and making huge fortunes. I admired their optimism and hard work under such extenuating circumstances. Overall, this is an important part of Oregon and Chinese history that you should definitely see. It is wonderful to see deliberate efforts are made to feature the contribution of minorities to the US history. It is also heartwarming and yet bittersweet to witness the obstacles our ancestors overcame to give better lives to future generations. Inspirational and highly recommend!

Yummy food, great service! Friendly owners! It's a great place to go for a sandwich, coffee or ice…read morecream cone!

I took a group of two kids and two adults from out of town who had never been to this area. They…read morewere visiting me in my new home in Vale, OR and they were impressed with the history of Vale and the roots of the area and found an appreciation for it through this Museum, which I am thankful for. The koi fish tank is a little sad due to the small size of the tank vs the large quantity of koi, but I am not educated in fish so I am not sure if they are in harms way or not, but it was not pleasing to see as an outsider. Again, the history of this area was eye opening and educational and it was worth the $6-$9 that it cost to enter.

Stopped by on our road trip to take in some local culture and history!…read more Located in Ontario, Oregon, the centre houses various cultural exhibits from various ethnic groups that lives here; Pre-historic ages, First Nations people, Early Settlers, Immigrants from Asia etc. There is also a Japanese Themed Garden, information from our very friendly and gracious hostess states that the designer of this lovely garden also worked on the Japanese Garden in Portland, Oregon! Entrance is free but any donation is welcomed!

Amazing people, Beautiful place. Chill environment . Love the House old feel . Great down town…read morewalk. Sweet Wife Bakery. Yummy.

This is a great little spot! It was pretty loud in the pub pretty late into the night, and as a…read moretired traveler, that was difficult. The hostess was kind, and I enjoyed my stay. Note, it is a bed and brew, not breakfast, so you'll have to go elsewhere for food! I recommend sweet wife bakery, they have very good cinnamon rolls! Stayed in the butler's quarters, and it was very quaint and clean. The restrooms were clean as well, and overall, it was a nice