World Forestry Center

World Forestry Center – Discovery Museum

Ride the raft, save some trees, take a world tour, enjoy some artwork then head out to our Tree Farm or explore the hiking trails around Washington Park. There is so much to see and learn at the World Forestry Center! Ok, I got that out of their brochure. Oregon is a timber production state.  If you are a cynical Sierra Club member you might view this as a big propaganda tool of the Forest Industry. So I hope you will keep that in mind if you visit the place. But there is a lot you can be learn here about our forests, managing forest for timber production and forest around the world. They have tried to make the displays interactive and many hands on activities. Overall I found it very attractive. There is little of the history of logging and lot on current practices.

One section of the upper floor had exhibits trying to explain forest and timber practices from other countries.

An area showing forests products from around the world.

For me this was a fun display. You could lift each piece of would and compare its weight to water.

They had a Totem Pole that was kind of in the Northwest Coastal style but not well done.

They had tucked away information about the original Museum. It burned down in the 60’s.

Billed as the largest log cabin in the world. First built for the Lewis and Clarke Exposition and relocated to Washington Park to be the Forestry Museum.