McMinnville Things to Do

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The gem of the collection at Evergreen Aviation Museum is the Spruce Goose, the largest all wooden aircraft ever made. Photographers, the light is natural near the plane due to large windows at its nose. I found it interesting to focus in on sections of the airplane. A zoom lens with wide-angle works nicely.

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I can't say too much about the new water park that is located on the grounds of the Evergreen Aviation Museum, and neither can anyone else. This is because it will open sometime in the summer of 2011. However, the structure looks spectacular - mostly because it has a Boeing 747 sitting on the roof, out of which protrude several tube slides.

We don't know much about this place yet, but it sure looks like it will be a very unique place once it opens.

If you look around on the world wide web, you will find several videos and other news accounts of the construction. Among other things, that eccentric 747 roof job was quite an interesting project.

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In his honor, it should be noted that the "Spruce Goose" name was a creation of news reporters, was particularly despised by Howard Hughes, and not particularly accurate (the plane features birch as its primary building component, not spruce!). However, that is what we have come to call most huge of transplants from California, and thus this is the name I will call it here.

Evergreen Avaiation has a long and storied history, starting with small crop dusting helicopters going all the way up to very large projects for the US government. A collection of historic aircraft was eventually accumulated, and by 2000 there was enough such aircraft that a museum could be opened.

And so plans were designed and executed to construct and operate a museum in the town where Evergreen Aviation got its start.

Then came the opportunity to purchase the "Spruce Goose" - a huge wooden aircraft of legendary size. The museum hadn't quite opened when the efforts to move the huge flying machine from California to Oregon got underway.

Today, there are several buildings that have been erected in the middle of a vinyard along highway 18 in McMinnville:

+ The building on the far east side of the complex is the Space Museum part of the complex, but it also houses certain unusual aircraft, including the SR-71 "Blackbird", about which vast amounts of information is still classified. There is a small museum gift shop and restaurant here.

+ The next building to the west is the IMAX theatre, on the south side of the parking lot. As with any of the IMAX movie theatres, the shows are fairly expensive.

+ The middle building in the complex, and next building to the west, is the most popular one, as it contains the largest of aircraft collections, including the "Spruce Goose" and dozens upon dozens of others. The upper floor also contains a collection of firearms owned by the founder of Evergreen Aviation and now on display in this location. There is a museum restaurant and a much larger gift shop in this museum building.

+ Further west, there is a Evergreen Aviation Museum water park under construction, which is to be completed in Summer of 2011. This structure is obvious due to its having a Boeing 747 perched on its roof for use as part of the water slide structures.

Aircraft and space artifacts here range over a huge spectrum, and for the avaiation enthusiest this is definitely a place to come.

Don't miss the extensive collection of material outside, including various aircraft, an aircraft themed playground, and a few monuments.

Standard museum admission is $20, with IMAX movie costing $11. A combination ticket may be purchased for $27. Discounts are available for various other admissions groups.

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The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is the home to the famous "Spruce Goose" airplane. Flown only once, this huge plane, made of wood by Howard Hughes is really cool to see.

Besides the chance to see this iconic plane, there are also many other planes that are located at the museum. Everything from early propellor planes to modern day jet fighters. Additionally, there is a space museum on the property that contains many aerospace items, such as space suits, small rockets, and other items.

We found the museum to be very interesting. Lots of cool planes, plus memorabilia from skirmishes that the planes have been involved in.

Admission to the museum is $20 for adults and $18 for children. There are discounts available, so call ahead or ask when you get there.

The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum resides in the small Oregon town of McMinnville. The museum in this small town hosts the largest wood airplane ever constructed, namely the Hughes Flying Boat H-4, aka the Spruce Goose. In addition, the museum has a wide range of aircraft displayed including: early aircraft, cargo airplanes, commercial planes, passenger planes, trainers, fighters, bombers, spacecraft, helicopters, home builts, racers, reconnaissance airplanes, and general aviation aircraft.

Within the museum, you can get a look inside the Spruce Goose. The museum's collection of aircraft is impressive. One memorable aircraft on display is the SR-71 Blackbird. This formerly top secrete, high altitude reconnaissance jet from the cold war era still holds the record for the fastest aircraft ever flown. From the earliest airplanes to later high tech wonders, the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum has a fascinating assortment of flying machines.

Airplane enthusiasts will be trilled to visit to the museum. However, most everyone else will likely also enjoy the museum.

Admission Rates
Members - Free
Youth (3 and up) - $11.00
Adults (18-65) - $13.00
Seniors (65+ years) - $12.00

Daytime parking is free.

Willamette Valley... with its rolling green vineyards, orchards, Bed & Breakfasts, restaurants, galleries and towns scattered throughout the area. Sokol Blosser is one winery I recommend, especially for its Evolution No. 9 wine.

If you don't like planes, there are plenty of wineries in the McMinville area. You don't even need a map or directions to find them. Just start driving until you see a blue sign advertising a winery. Stop by for samples and ask where the next one is. Some wineries charge a small fee for the samples, some are free. Most of the wineries are on beautiful locations in the hills and are quite relaxing to visit in the summer. Be sure to bring a designated driver with you!