Exhibits

Champion skier Hjalmar Hvam performs a gelandesprung, a type of jump used to clear obstacles, January 1937. OHS Research Library, 011221.

Current Exhibit

Freeze the Day! A History of Winter Sports in Oregon

Oregon Historical Society
1200 SW Park Ave
Portland, Oregon 97205

This original exhibition celebrates the history of outdoor recreation in Oregon, sharing stories that illustrate the emotional draw of winter sports, highlighting champion athletes and innovators, and honoring Oregon’s natural resources and beauty.

  • Family-friendly
  • Free for Members
  • Researchers
  • Teachers
Contemporary photograph of Junzo Jake Ohara, Takeshi Motoyasu, and Eddie Tetsuji Kato taken in Monterey Park, California, in 2013 by Paul Kitagaki, Jr. Courtesy of Paul Kitagaki, Jr.

Current Exhibit

Gambatte! Legacy of an Enduring Spirit

Oregon Historical Society
1200 SW Park Ave
Portland, Oregon 97205

Inspired by the Japanese concept of gambatte — to triumph over adversity — this exhibition features modern and historic photographs to present an intimate exploration of the lasting effect that the forced incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II had on the nation and its citizens.

  • Family-friendly
  • Free for Members
  • Researchers
  • Teachers
Fernando Carillo and Michael O’Shea, both active with Cascade AIDS Project, are photographed on the Burnside Bridge on World AIDS Day, December 1, circa 1995. Photo courtesy of Gay Monteverde.

Current Exhibit

It’s Not Over: Forty Years of HIV/AIDS in Oregon

Oregon Historical Society
1200 SW Park Ave
Portland, Oregon 97205

Nationwide, HIV/AIDS killed more than 700,000 Americans between 1981 and 2021; 4,613 of them lived in Oregon. This exhibit explores the history of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Oregon with a focus on the work of Cascade AIDS Project and Our House Portland.

  • Free for Members
  • Researchers
  • Teachers
  • Family-friendly
“Vista House and Columbia River Gorge from Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint.” Photograph by Peter Marbach.

Current Exhibit

A Century of Wonder: 100 Years of Oregon State Parks

Oregon Historical Society
1200 SW Park Ave
Portland, Oregon 97205

In celebration of the centennial of Oregon State Parks, OHS commissioned photographer Peter Marbach to document the beauty and geographic diversity of many of Oregon’s 254 state parks. These contemporary photographs show how the park system has preserved these breathtaking natural spaces.

  • Family-friendly
  • Free for Members
  • Teachers
  • Researchers
Members of the Portland Women’s Forum Save the Gorge committee on the trail in front of Latourell Falls in Guy W. Talbot State Park. OHS Research Library, Org. Lot 1284, box 41, 1964-9.

Current Exhibit

A Walk in the Park: Historic Images of Oregon State Parks

Oregon Historical Society
1200 SW Park Ave
Portland, Oregon 97205

Featuring photographs from OHS’s research library collections, this exhibition provides a historic look at Oregon State Parks over its 100-year history.

  • Family-friendly
  • Free for Members
  • Researchers
  • Teachers
Special Olympics Oregon athletes practice for an 880-yard run, 1980. OHS Research Library, 023701.

Current Exhibit,Traveling Exhibit

Brave in the Attempt: Celebrating 50 years of Special Olympics Oregon

Chehalem Cultural Center
415 E Sheridan St
Newberg, Oregon 97132

This traveling exhibit highlights the 50th anniversary of Special Olympics Oregon.

  • Family-friendly
  • Researchers
  • Teachers
Governor Tom McCall and Secretary of State Clay Myers empty a bag of aluminum cans during the Bottle Bill campaign, 1971. OHS Research Library, Org Lot 353, box 2, folder 4.

Current Exhibit,Traveling Exhibit

Many Happy Returns: 50 Years of the Oregon Bottle Bill

Independence Heritage Museum
281 S. 2nd Street
Independence, Oregon 97351

This traveling exhibit highlights the 50th anniversary of the Beverage Container Act or Bottle Bill and the environmental concerns of the 1960s and 1970s.

  • Family-friendly
  • Researchers
  • Teachers
  • Free for Members
Proponents of Oregon’s 1953 Public Accommodations Act pose for posterity. OHS Research Library, OrHi 44402

Current Exhibit,Traveling Exhibit

Oregon Voices Traveling Exhibit

Maxville Heritage Interpretive Center
103 N. Main Street
Joseph, Oregon 97846

Our Oregon Voices traveling exhibit is a mobile version of the OHS permanent exhibit by the same name. The exhibit has five, three-sided pop-up kiosks that explore some of the important people, industries, organizations, and laws that have shaped the state from the end of World War II to 2020.

  • Family-friendly
  • Researchers
  • Teachers