A nice museum showing the history of the Oregon coastline. Beautiful murals painted from floor to ceiling show scenes from Native American to the early European explorers to steam boats along the rivers. Shouldn't take you long, it's mostly pictures & paintings. read more

Umpqua Discovery Center - Museums Near Me - Reedsport, Oregon

Along the Oregon Coast, easy to get to, lots of parking. We went on a weekend and it was pretty quiet. The place has a phenomenal amount of information and is primarily geared towards kids. You walk through "nature" along a path that winds back and forth. There are other exhibits as well; all are interactive with buttons for sound of creature, more info and little drawers and other things for curious little hands to touch/open/lift and learn. Outdoors there is also a 10 minute nature trail. This would be an outstanding place for an elementary school age field trip! That said, as adults we learned new things, had just as much fun and for those interested - very nice gift shop on the way out. read more

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Really great exhibits with fun attention to detail. Our boys loved it! They loved seeing the osprey through the periscope. Great family lunch spot next door at the Schooner Inn Cafe read more

Not the size of OMSI by any means, but this is a great nice little addition to the area that is fairly priced. I am glad we stumbled across this place (it is kind of hidden). My kids really enjoyed the slide, gift shop, and the cool paintings surrounding them. Since this is mostly a reading museum we got through it pretty fast since my kids can't read. I think it would be really cool and beneficial if they put in an indoor play area for the younger kiddos in addition to the bear den slide. read more

Umpqua Discovery Center - Museums Near Me - Reedsport, Oregon

My kids loved the bear slide. My parents enjoyed the art. Great interactive exhibits. Lots of fascinating history and details about the area. A must see! read more

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Amazing! My grandkids loved it! We've lived in Gardiner for a few years and have been waiting to go there. I wish I would have went sooner!

What an absolute gem! The discovery center is quite small, but packs an incredibly sensory and educational punch. The inside is done up with Disney-like quality. Entry fee for the quality of experience is well worth the price. We went back a second time just because the kids loved it so much. read more

As other reviewers have commented, the discovery center packs a lot of information and cool things in a very small space. The walk-through forest area is visually very impressive with a lot of care and attention to detail. Lots of sensory interaction with sounds and textures. A great educational space for younger ages to learn about the nature and history of the area. read more

An absolute treasure for Douglas County. I can't believe I am the first to review this place! The Umpqua Discovery Center is a living history and exhibit center for kids and families. It features two different environments to explore as well as a really fun gift shop. The environments are meant to realistically portray a frontier town and the unique ecology of Oregon (Dunes, old growth forest, tides, etc). You have to see this place to believe it, and you won't be disappointed. There are really nice original murals all over both environments, done by a local artist. There are fun items like the bear cave slide and a periscope, as well as tons of educational exhibits that allow kids to touch, see, and hear elusive Oregon wildlife, yearly rainfall in Oregon, and stories from the original residents of Reedsport as well as those of settlers in the area. The Discovery Center has varying admission costs depending on age (discount for young ones and seniors), and they also have a family deal. I have taken large groups of 9-11 year old kids, as well as kids as young as 3, and they all enjoyed this place a lot. You can't take pictures in the exhibits, or I would post some here. My only suggestion would be to make sure you are interacting with your kids here; it is not the kind of place you set the kiddos loose and wait in the gift shop for them. You really need an adult helping explain the exhibits, asking questions, and prompting thought for both kids and adults to get the most out of this place. read more

Umpqua Discovery Center - Museums Near Me - Reedsport, Oregon

Wow. I don't know how they managed to squeeze so much into a fairly small space, but they did. There is so much to see about animal and plant life, interactive displays, videos, and great views. I enjoyed just walking around and learning. Kids would love it even more. They also have a great gift shop. I'd never seen a caution sign for stampeding slugs before. Slugs are a big part of Oregon coast life. I had to buy that sign. :) read more

Umpqua Discovery Center - Cool sign. - Museums Near Me - Reedsport, Oregon

Very cute and a nice way to spend an hour or so in reedsport, especially on a dreary day. There was some interesting propaganda in the videos presented... about Greek gods and astrology... but we just walked out after it began to touch on these things. It was nothing new though, the whole world is saturated in this type of stuff. Without that I would have given it 5 stars. Entertained our 8 year old. read more

Amazing display in diorama format, first-person stories recorded from local historians, excellent artwork superbly conceived and executed. Very worthwhile education on local area! read more

Our kids ask to go every time we drive through. They love the bear cave & all the tiny details. It's always a go to when we have a rainy camping trip. read more

Enjoyed our visit here. $8 per person and no senior discount. Seems like it is geared to children, with adults to assist to read the material. I enjoyed "feeling" like a kid again and trying out all the exhibits. Only had 1.5 hours and could have used another 30 min. or so, but they were closing at 4pm. Great stop for a down pour afternoon in Reedsport! read more

Umpqua Discovery Center - Museums Near Me - Reedsport, Oregon

This place was such a wonderful surprise! Was GREAT for younger kids. I had a group of 3 to 9 year olds and they all found something to learn about. The art was incredible. A wonderful place to spend a rainy indoor afternoon. read more

This is a really nice little museum! My 2-year-old loved the bear den. My 5-year-old loved the murals in the living history side and the schoolroom. My 7- and 9-year-olds loved the weather room. Of course, they all loved the slide and the sounds. I was really impressed with this museum and definitely recommend it. read more

So few reviews for such a wonderful place! The Umpqua Discovery Center is a museum and interpretive center that explores the history, nature, and culture of the Reedsport area. We visited in September 2012 while on our way home from camping at Umpqua. The museum is split into two sections: a nature trail experience and a history museum. The nature center portion has sound effects, beautiful murals, an abundance of interactives, and a very cool slide. The slide takes you from the entrance of a cave into a bear den, where you hear growls from a bear as you shoot down the slide. The slide is FAST and drops you into a cave where visitors can explore bear hibernation, including comparing the differences in heartbeat between hibernating and non-hibernating bears. Very cool! (A word to parents- the slide is fast, dark, and a bit loud from the growling bear. Try going down with your child the first time around.) I have visited many natural history museums and have never seen such excellent use of interpretive murals. The experience includes an exciting theater area where visitors can choose their video. A small science center experience rounds out the nature trail exhibit, with opportunities to explore the weather and climate of the rugged coast. The entire nature trail side is beautifully and thoughtfully designed. The history side was equally as impressive, with immersive exhibits depicting the first peoples of the areas and then subsequent settlement and development. Again, the exhibits are thoughtfully designed and incorporate perspectives from real people from around the area. There are many opportunities to explore the region's history through oral histories. The upstairs storefront provides visitors with an opportunity to eavesdrop on a conversation between a barber, a town gentleman, and a young boy. The mannequins are very well done. I explored the Umpqua Discovery Center with my husband and our 5 year old son. My husband is not normally interested in museums and proclaimed the Umpqua Discovery Center as "the best in Oregon." My five year old also enjoyed his experience, though the sounds, lighting, and effects at the entrance of the nature trail exhibits were a bit overwhelming to him. The docent in the gift shop said sometimes children are scared by the sounds and effects; I would suggest the staff turn the sound down just a tiny bit to avoid scaring the little ones. The museum was impeccably clean and all of the exhibits were in excellent condition. Someone clearly spends a lot of time keeping the place in good condition. A large gift shop is located in the center of the museum and offers something for everyone, including toys, books, t-shirts, and decorative items. The docents were so helpful and engaging. They asked us where we were headed and gave us some wonderful tips on where to stop along the Umpqua highway. Thanks to them, we were able to see elk and butterflies- for free! Admission was $8.00 for adults and $4.00 for kids under 16. It is worth every penny. We'll definitely visit again when we go through Reedsport in a few months. The museum's website and print materials look just a bit dated, but don't let that deter you. They've put together a great experience that is unlike anything you'll see in Oregon. read more

I am 71 years old and have spent my whole career trying to communicate natural history to people of all ages. I am just back from my trip and I can not get this experience out of my mind because this is absolutely the best such discovery center I have ever seen. The other two reviews try but fail to communicate just how scientifically complete and accurate place is, and I can not do it justice either. Whoever designed the exhibits is one of the best in the world, and I say this with some experience from being on various boards and exhibits. I think having stumbled on the center with essentially no advertisements and very minimal signage in a town obviously in serious economic distress was that the small community supports such a wonderful hidden treasure. Those of us who have seen it need to help advertise it more broadly. These reviews help, but we need to do more! read more

Fun place for kids of all ages! Spent an enjoyable cloudy afternoon at the center with amazing murals and an interesting local history wing. Receptionist was very helpful and enthusiastic about the exhibits. Also spent some time in the fun gift shop. Restaurant next door was recommended and close so we were able to take a quick lunch break and spend a longer time at the center. read more

I remember going to the Discovery Center with my kids on a previous trip to Reedsport and we had a good time. Two days ago I was in town and went to the center. The receptionist was having a conversation with someone the entire time I was there and completely ignored me. I work in a National Park Visitors Center. We always greet everybody and tell them all about the park, tours and events going on so when they leave they have a good impression of the park. Apparently that's not the way it works at the Discovery Center. read more

Fun, family friendly place. My 15 month old was frightened by the slide and loud noises but enjoyed the floor displays. The store had a lot of cute stuff. My favorite part of the center is the locals sharing stories of when they were younger. It was very interesting to learn the history of Umpqua. read more

Such a wonderful, completely unexpected gem. If you have kids and you're looking for a great indoor activity when the coastal weather is a little too wet, go here! I was so impressed at the complete transformation of this very unassuming building into an amazing outdoor scene. Trails through outdoor landscapes, bear cave with a fast slide, and a cave with a movie theater. read more

Umpqua Discovery Center - The view from outside, top level. - Museums Near Me - Reedsport, Oregon

Completely overrated. Expecting higher quality of art and better explanations of the exhibit that both, children and adults can follow. I would not recommend anyone visit this "discovery center". read more

A diamond in the rough for this little fishing and logging town. Thoroughly enjoyed the exhibits and gift shop. The restrooms are clean, the staff is friendly and if you are lucky you will even be greeted by the cutest little cat at the front door. Also, don't miss the movie 'cave'... it is easy to miss if you turn the wrong way when leaving the nature exhibit. I highly recommend the Umpqua Discovery Center. read more

The Discovery Center is a great, informative place to visit for kids and adults alike. To really enjoy the get the full effect of the center you need to read, hands on and listen to the information in the exhibits. It has an excellent gift shop, periscope to look at osprey nest and bear cave slide. It is a must if coming thru Reedsport, Oregon. The Schooner Cafe next door is great as well. read more