Oregon Historical Society Museum, Portland, OR, Guide du visiteur et quoi faire à proximité

The Oregon Historical Society Museum is the main public museum of the Oregon Historical Society, an organization founded in 1898 to preserve and share the story of the state. It stands at 1200 SW Park Avenue on the South Park Blocks in downtown Portland, Oregon, and it is one of the best places in the city to get oriented in regional history.

The story behind it

The Oregon Historical Society began in the late 19th century as a group of people who wanted to collect and protect the records of Oregon's past. Over the decades it grew into a museum, a research library and a publisher, and it still issues the Oregon Historical Quarterly, a long-running scholarly journal on the region.

Today the building holds exhibitions on Oregon's history alongside a library of manuscripts, photographs and other archives. Its position on the Park Blocks puts it in the middle of Portland's cultural district, among other museums, churches and university buildings, which suits an institution devoted to memory and records.

What to look for

• The large trompe l'oeil murals on the outside of the building, painted by the artist Richard Haas, which make flat walls look like real architecture and figures.
• The building's setting along the South Park Blocks, where the tree-lined strip of green runs through the heart of downtown.
• The mix of museum galleries and a working research library under one roof, a reminder that the society collects documents as well as objects.
• The neighboring cultural buildings along Park Avenue, which show how closely museums, schools and public space sit together in this part of Portland.

Tips for your visit

• Allow about an hour for the exterior and the surrounding blocks, and more if you plan to go through the exhibitions inside.
• Check current opening hours and admission details on the museum's website before you go, as they can change.
• Morning and early afternoon light is pleasant for looking at the murals and for strolling the South Park Blocks.
• Other museums, parks and university buildings are within a short walk, so this stop combines easily with a wider wander through downtown.

See it on a quest

Murder Mystery: Death in the Shadows in Portland, OR brings you to the museum on foot as one stop on a longer route through the area. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle in what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Portland, OR Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society. is a detective-style walk that also passes the museum. You reach it as part of a route through downtown, hear about the place from the app, and solve a puzzle on the spot. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.