I love learning about local history. This had that and more. The Anderson Homestead was really interesting to me and the museum guide was knowledgeable as she guided us through the homestead.
I think this place is only open in the summer, but we drove up in November. The groundskeeper saw us outside the gate and gave us a personal tour of the outer buildings he had keys to. He was so knowlegeable and offered so many details that you wouldn't learn from just reading the signs. Thank you so much!
A beautiful green oasis on a 100+ degree day. The docent was very knowledgeable. We toured the surgeon's house on the site of the original Fort Dalles. Lots of great vehicles in a side structure and Swedish hand-hewn constructed house and barn also.
Hit this gem on a day they were doing reenactments. Educational on the processes and reasons for how guns and cannon used. So delighted we stopped.
There is lots of "stuff" in this museum, but it is essentially a lot of donated items from estates that are put into display cases with little or no interpretation. No dates, no context... just old stuff - recalls a rummage sale. It does have clean restrooms. If you want to pay by credit card, they will charge you an additional $2.
It might not be a HUGE museum, but in my humble opinion, things that comes in small packages are usually GREAT, well for the Fort Dalles Museum, visiting it is well worth the time spent there learning about the region.
We toured the Ft Dalles Museum. Lots of historical relics inside the only surviving building built in 1856. Beautiful Gothic architecture. Low cost $5..Pretty cool if you like history
I love museums. I seldom tour a museum I don't like. Today was the exception. This "museum" is nothing more than an amalgamation of donated items. There is no rhyme or reason to the displays. When someone donates something, docents stick it somewhere. Lots of artifacts with no captions, interpretation or dates. No flow or continuity. No overall theme or message other than "Here is some old stuff to look at."
You'll get a lot of small town, late 1800 & early 1900 Oregon history in this wonderful museum, housed inside the 1856 Carpenter Gothic surgeon's quarters. There are endless artifacts that will keep you busy for quite a while. The fee of $5 seems minmal given the trove of treasures to be discovered.After you've investigated the dusty artifacts upstairs and down in this building, be sure to see the other buildings on the grounds, especially the Anderson homestead, a surprisingly grand Swedish log cabin that was relocated from elsewhere in the Dalles to a perch behind the surgeon's quarters. You'll also want to check out the antique cars and carriages in the barns, but if it's anywhere near as hot as the day we visited, you won't last long in the sweltering barn!
The Reenactors did a fine job of demonstrating their vintage rifles, cannon and Gatling gun. Lots of folks got to see a good show and learn something in the process.