The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is a museum located on the East bank of the Willamette River in
southeast Portland, Oregon.
This two-story museum contains hands-on exhibits in topics ranging from natural sciences (i.e. chemistry, geology, physics) to brain teasers, human development and lifestyle issues, technology, and more.
OMSI is also known for the multitude of students (primarily grades K-12) visiting from all over the region for field trips.
About the Museum
OMSI is a non-profit organization and receives no financial support from the State of Oregon.
Although it is staffed with full and part time employees, much of the museum is dependent on volunteers. Volunteers perform
many of the same duties as staff members such as greeting visitors, customer service, and performing exhibit demonstrations.
Volunteers are comprised of high school and college students, as well as community members.
History
In 1944, the Oregon Museum Foundation was founded with the mission of establishing an Oregon Museum of History, Science, and
Industry. It displayed its first collection of natural history objects at the Portland Hotel. Support for the museum grew over
the years and in 1949, a house in NE Portland was donated to establish a museum, and OMSI was born. Within a year, Oregon's first
public planetarium opened in the building.
By 1955, OMSI's annual attendance had grown to 25,000 and the need for expansion led to volunteers building a new site at
Washington Park, completing the original goal of a hands-on museum (This building is now occupied by the Portland Children's Museum (http://www.portlandcm2.org/)). Attendance continued to grow, and by the mid-80s, 600,000
people were visiting the building every year, which was designed to hold only 100,000. In 1992, OMSI opened at its current site,
donated by Portland General Electric, which was
complete with a 330-seat dome-screen OMNIMAX Theater (the first in the Northwest) and
an expanded 200-seat planetarium.
2004 led the way for extensive growth. The Turbine Hall was closed from September through November, for renovative
construction. Mainly, the Discovery Zone and Turbine Hall switched places, and a new "Inventors Ballroom" was added to the
Turbine Hall. A small stage area in the Turbine hall was added for public exhibit demonstrations, and a bridge was built,
connecting a new metal staircase with the mezzanine exhibits.
Special Attractions
Auditoriums
OMSI contains the Harry C. Kendall Planetarium where computer-aided star and laser light shows are regularly performed.. It is
also home to the only OMNIMAX theater in Portland.
There is one big auditorium, with a stage, where regularly scheduled fair exhibits are set up. Some fairs include OHSU's Brain
Awareness, Saftey Booths and reptiles.
U.S.S. Blueback
The USS Blueback was purchased by OMSI in
February, 2004. This submarine was towed to its present location in Portland,
Oregon, at a pier right outside the museum.
Its screw has been removed and is displayed, outside of the main museum area, beside the Eastbank Esplanade.
The submarine is available for daily escorted tours and summer camps.
Exhibits
OMSI has five main exhibit halls and several enrichment areas within each hall.
Featured Exhibit
The Featured Exhibit is a hall used for temporary exhibits manufactured by OMSI, or brought in from museums around the
world.
Please see http://www.omsi.edu/visit/ for current information on the
Featured Exhibit.
Turbine Hall
The Turbine Hall is named for the large steam turbine which
dominates the floor. It features exhibits about engineering, physics, chemistry, and space travel. The Physics, Chemistry, and Laser Holography labs are connected to the Turbine Hall.
The Turbine Hall has two floors. Present on the main floor are the large exhibits and enrichment areas. On the mezzanine there
are smaller exhibits that emphasize properties of physics.
Innovation Station
Chemistry Laboratory
The chemistry laboratory is a hands-on wet chemistry laboratory where visitors can learn about various chemical interactions.
There are six stations that allow visitors to participate in experiments that share a common theme. Themes rotate weekly and
include the topics of "The Best of OMSI" experiments, the chemistry of toys, the nature of matter, biochemistry, environmental chemistry, industrial chemistry, chemical reactions, household chemistry,
the chemistry of food, everyday chemistry, and the chemistry of art.
Chemical reaction demonstrations are given daily and are extentions on the weekly theme.
The laboratory is funded in part by member contributions, public and private donations, community agencies, and the National Science Foundation.
Physics Laboratory
The OMSI Physics Laboratory staff oversees the Turbine Hall during daily operations of the museum.
Exhibits include a Van de Graff generator (a static electricity generator), motion detectors, circuits, morse code, magnets, computers that simulate basic properties of physics, and musical instruments.
Vernier Technology Laboratory
This laboratory investigates the impact of technology on society. While visitors can explore on internet-connected computers,
rotating interactive exhibits allow for further learning of common technologies. Current themes include topics such as "The Best
of OMSI", security technology, biomedical technology, communications technology, and household technology.
Laser/Holography Laboratory
Staff and volunteers of this laboratory present 30 minute demonstrations where a holgram is constructed. Lasers and properties
of light are also investigated in this laboratory.
Life Sciences Hall
The Life Sciences Hall has exhibits about biology, including a collection
of preserved fetuses at nearly every stage of development. The adjacent Life Sciences Lab houses a wide variety of live animals,
including an 11 foot long Burmese Python named Bubba.
The Life Science Hall is located on the second floor of the museum.
Life Science Laboratory
In the Life Science laboratory you will find many live specimens. Bubba, the eleven foot long Burmese Python lives here. While
Bubba is the most famous resident of this laboratory, there are also a large number of other live exhibits such as rats (http://www.omsi.edu/visit/life/lab/ratcam/), walking sticks, chameleons, and other mammals,
reptiles, amphibians, and insects.
Earth Science Hall
The Earth Hall features geology-oriented exhibits. Attached to the Earth
Hall is the Paleontology Lab and the Watershed Lab.
The Earth Science Hall is located on the second floor of the museum.
Watershed Laboratory
The Watershed Laboratory allows museum visitors a unique experience in constructing an erosion cycle out of a "river on a
table". Visitors can learn about the life cycle of Salmon and even investigate
microscopic organisms from local waterways through a videomicroscope .
Paleontology Laboratory
This laboratory is one gigantic discovery laboratory. OMSI Staff Members and Volunteers are hard at work in this space
uncovering new fossils and remnants of the past in plain view of museum visitors. Dinosaur bones are excavated here.
Science Playground and Discovery Laboratory
Formerly labeled the Discovery Space for children ages zero through six, this large room resides next to the Life Science Hall
on the second floor of the museum. Exhibits in this room include a tent for reading, a theater, a space for parents and infants,
and a gigantic sandbox.
In the Discovery Laboratory children can make flubber, play with play dough, and do other hands-on activities lead by an OMSI
staff member.
External Links
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