The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, or OMSI, is a 219,000 square-foot state-of-the-art science center. Originally, conceived more than 100 years ago by naturalist John Cyprian Stevens, the museum itself began to take shape after World War II. Today OMSI boasts a 300-seat dome-screen OMNIMAX Dome Theater (the first in the Northwest), a 200-seat Kendall Planetarium, and the USS Blueback, the last non-nuclear powered submarine built by the Navy. With five exhibit halls, OMSI offers hundreds of interactive displays and exhibits, and is ranked as one of the top science centers in the country.

 

Turbine Hall provides a window into how technology and the physical sciences are changing the world. Visitors can build an aqueduct, program a robot, and even feel an earthquake.

The Science Playground offers children ages 6 and younger a place to play with sand and water, puppets and books, and more in this fun and funky exploration area.

Life Science Hall explores the mystery of life, including growth, development, and aging, and how technology shapes health care.

Earth Science Hall focuses on the science of our planet, and includes exhibits on environmental hazards and global climate. 

Kendall Planetarium “blends art, science, fantasy, and fun.” It is the largest and most technologically advanced planetarium in the Pacific Northwest, offering multimedia presentations on astronomy and space science.

The OMNIMAX Dome Theater features a five-story domed screen covering more than 6,000 square feet of projection surface. It also has a 2D IMAX projection system with the largest frame in the motion picture industry.

 

USS Blueback

The USS Blueback was the first battle-ready class of submarines to use the teardrop hull and was in official operation in the Pacific Ocean for more than 30 years. It has appeared in a variety of films and television programs. Visitors can peer through a periscope, touch a torpedo, and climb the crew’s quarters, while learning how a submarine works.

OMSI offers a world of new experiences for the young and old alike. Rotating exhibits document the science and wonder of the world around us, and have included such diverse presentations as those celebrating Leonardo da Vinci, the human body, sharks, dinosaurs, and even the literary works of C.S. Lewis.

Entrance into OMSI requires an admission ticket or a museum membership.   Members are allowed unlimited access to the museum itself, and receive special discounts and guest tickets.  And through OMSI’s participation in the Association of Science and Technology Centers, members can also gain access to over 200 additional science centers and museums throughout the country.  An OMSI membership provides incredible learning and recreational opportunities for those who like to explore, dream, and grow!