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News Release

Free Admission To The Oregon Historical Society To Veterans, Military, And Families November 11 & 12 - 11/09/23

Portland, OR — There are approximately 250,000 veterans living in Oregon — about 2,500 who are World War II veterans. In honor of Veterans Day and the service of these individuals, the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is offering free admission to all veterans, active-duty military, and their family members visiting with them, on Saturday, November 11 and Sunday, November 12. Museum hours are 10am to 5pm Saturday and 12pm to 5pm Sunday. The Oregon Historical Society will be closed on Friday, November 10, in observance of Veterans Day. 

Current museum exhibitions include Our Unfinished Past: The Oregon Historical Society at 125, which chronicles our organization’s complex history and our mission to be the collective memory of Oregon. Also on view is Birds of the Pacific Coast, which features more than 50 original illustrations by R. Bruce Horsfall that were originally published in a book of the same name written by Willard Ayres Eliot. These illustrations were donated to OHS from Portland Audubon and are now part of our permanent collection. 

For those unable to visit this weekend, there are several Oregon Encyclopedia entries that provide insight into military history in Oregon and the ways our state has honored those who have worn the uniform of our country. Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum and The Dalles Civic Auditorium and Veterans Memorial stand as two brick and mortar tributes to our veterans. The Vanport Extension Center (VEC) was created as an educational institution for WWII veterans, many of whom relied on tuition provided by the GI Bill. The VEC would eventually grow to become Portland State University. Jackson County’s Camp White, Deschutes County’s Camp Abbot, and Sherman County’s Camp Rufus housed many soldiers during World War II. 

Perhaps the most-used memorial to our veterans is the Sunset Highway, which connects the Portland area to the Oregon Coast. It is named after the 41st Infantry Division, which is also known as the “Sunset Division.” There are nearly 90 memorial highways across Oregon, including the recently designated section of Highway 35 near Hood River dedicated to Japanese American WWII veterans.

Museum admission is free every day for OHS members and Multnomah County residents. Learn more and plan your visit at ohs.org/visit.

About the Oregon Historical Society

For 125 years, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all.We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and rich as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view. 

Free Admission To The Oregon Historical Society To Veterans, Military, And Families November 11 & 12 - 11/09/23

Portland, OR — There are approximately 250,000 veterans living in Oregon — about 2,500 who are World War II veterans. In honor of Veterans Day and the service of these individuals, the Oregon Historical Society (OHS) is offering free admission to all veterans, active-duty military, and their family members visiting with them, on Saturday, November 11 and Sunday, November 12. Museum hours are 10am to 5pm Saturday and 12pm to 5pm Sunday. The Oregon Historical Society will be closed on Friday, November 10, in observance of Veterans Day. 

Current museum exhibitions include Our Unfinished Past: The Oregon Historical Society at 125, which chronicles our organization’s complex history and our mission to be the collective memory of Oregon. Also on view is Birds of the Pacific Coast, which features more than 50 original illustrations by R. Bruce Horsfall that were originally published in a book of the same name written by Willard Ayres Eliot. These illustrations were donated to OHS from Portland Audubon and are now part of our permanent collection. 

For those unable to visit this weekend, there are several Oregon Encyclopedia entries that provide insight into military history in Oregon and the ways our state has honored those who have worn the uniform of our country. Portland’s Veterans Memorial Coliseum and The Dalles Civic Auditorium and Veterans Memorial stand as two brick and mortar tributes to our veterans. The Vanport Extension Center (VEC) was created as an educational institution for WWII veterans, many of whom relied on tuition provided by the GI Bill. The VEC would eventually grow to become Portland State University. Jackson County’s Camp White, Deschutes County’s Camp Abbot, and Sherman County’s Camp Rufus housed many soldiers during World War II. 

Perhaps the most-used memorial to our veterans is the Sunset Highway, which connects the Portland area to the Oregon Coast. It is named after the 41st Infantry Division, which is also known as the “Sunset Division.” There are nearly 90 memorial highways across Oregon, including the recently designated section of Highway 35 near Hood River dedicated to Japanese American WWII veterans.

Museum admission is free every day for OHS members and Multnomah County residents. Learn more and plan your visit at ohs.org/visit.

About the Oregon Historical Society

For 125 years, the Oregon Historical Society has served as the state’s collective memory, preserving a vast collection of objects, photographs, maps, manuscript materials, books, films, and oral histories. Our research library, museum, digital platforms, educational programming, and historical journal make Oregon’s history open and accessible to all.We exist because history is powerful, and because a history as deep and rich as Oregon’s cannot be contained within a single story or point of view.