Road Trip Visit to the Spruce Goose

DC3 original commercial airplane evergreen

Douglas DC-3 Commercial Airliner that popularized air travel in the 1930s, still used today

I planned an unusual stop on our west coast road trip… As we headed north on the I5 in Oregon state, just about an hour south of Portland we stopped to explore The Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum.

Evergreen’s mission is, “To inspire, promote and preserve aviation and space history, and honor the patriotic service of our veterans.” The property covers multiple buildings filled with aircraft, exhibits and artifacts that are impeccably preserved and displayed. It’s massive! They also have a digital 3D theater, cafes, a gift shop and even a water park for kids. The exhibits have been done to really help demonstrate the value of skills such as math, science, team work and determination, all the more reason to bring your kids (or just oversized kids like me!).

At the center of the museum sits the original Spruce Goose, the largest airplane ever built. I was able to jump up and touch the bottom of it! They let us go inside the Spruce Goose and explore, definitely highlight of my visit. I learned so much from the videos and exhibits at Evergreen. Their efforts to restore these aircraft and tell the stories of what each specific one has been through was amazing and inspiring. I definitely recommend a visit if you’re in the Portland area or passing through on a road trip!

Panorama of historic aircraft at the Evergreen Museum

aviation spitfire vintage aircraft evergreen

Supermarine Spitfire like those used in the Battle of Britain

P-38 Lightning from WWII

I actually have a fantastic book by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, which is probably the best book ever published on the subject: Flight: 100 Years of Aviation. It is filled with colorful images and stories of man’s earliest adventures in flight. Check it out.