Lane County Historical Society

Welcome to the Lane County Historical Society & Museum

Join Us to Celebrate Passport to the Past!

The Lane County Historical Museum is hosting the Passport to the Past magic show and drawing on Saturday, November 14 at 10 a.m. This year’s grand prize is $150.00 in Jefferson and Sacajawea silver dollars honoring Oregon’s 150th year of statehood. Passport to the Past participants visiting six or more county historical museums are eligible for the grand prize drawing and regular prize drawings (one prize supplied by each of the fifteen members of the Historical Museums Coalition of Lane County!).

Before the drawing, Paul the Magician will perform his tricks and charms. Paul is Eugene’s oldest practicing magician, 90+ years young, and delights in doing children’s shows. Paul started as a magician at age 10 in his native Denmark. He is a WWII merchant marine veteran and a 55 year Eugene resident. The ideal audience for his show is elementary school children.

This is the third year that members of the museum coalition have sponsored the Passport program. Last year’s grand prize was a battle sail on the Lady Washington (used in Disney’s "Pirates of the Caribbean"). The Passport program is intended to expose young children to the magic of historical museum visits throughout Lane County.

Participating museums include: Applegate Pioneer Museum, Veneta; Bohemia Gold Mining Museum, Cottage Grove; Cottage Grove Museum, Cottage Grove; Creswell Area Historical Society, Creswell; Dorris Ranch, Springfield; Eugene Masonic Cemetery; Junction City Historical Society Museums, Junction City; Lane County Historical Society & Museum, Eugene; Museum of Natural and Cultural History, Eugene; Oakridge Museum, Oakridge; Oregon Air and Space Museum, Eugene; Siuslaw Pioneer Museum, Florence; Shelton-McMurphey-Johnson House, Eugene; Springfield Museum, Springfield; Wayne Morse Family Farm, Eugene.

Upcoming Speakers & Events:

Saturday, November 14

Oregon 150 Museum Passport Magic Show

Enjoy the charms of Paul the Magician before the drawing for the 2009 Passport to the Past grand prize winner. Paul is Eugene’s oldest practicing magician and the ideal audience for his show is elementary school children. The fun begins at 10 a.m. at the museum.

Sunday, November 15

Joe Meek and Robert Newell Alive

An Oregon 150 living history program, Bob Hart’s Joe Meek and Al LePage’s Robert Newell tell the stories of their time as mountain men and their involvement with early Oregon provisional and territorial government. Newell went on to become Speaker of the Oregon House and Meek to become the first U.S. Marshal. These two old friends will take on some Oregon myths along the way. Program starts 2 p.m. at the museum.

Featured Exhibit

Changing Demographics: The People of Lane County

February 14, 2009 - April 2, 2010

This Sesquicentennial exhibit celebrates the people, groups, and individuals who have made Oregon their home. Included are stories of Latino Roots, Native American families, the Ping Yang School tragedy, and many others. This exhibit explores the human diversity that our state has enjoyed over time.

NEW!

Digital Scanning Project Living Exhibit

See first hand how modern technology is preserving the past. In 2007, the museum embarked on the Digital Scanning Project to preserve its significant regional photograph collection. In this new living exhibit, museum staff will be on display to show you how nitrate negatives are scanned and processed and to answer any questions you may have. Even when no one is on the clock, you can still see a gallery of prints from the nitrate negative collection and read interpretive graphics and texts. Visit the second floor of the museum in the space that formerly held the Victorian Parlor.

Ongoing Exhibits

The Museum has on display an Oregon Trail Exhibition, Historic Vehicles, Period Rooms, a children's area, early crafts and historic photographs of Lane County. Be sure to see the Lane County Clerk's Building. This National Register Site is the oldest building in Lane County (1853) and is located outside on the south side of the museum building.

Learn More about Lane County Historical Society & Museum

Learn More about Lane County Historical Society & Museum (Link)

Lane County school visitors

It's easy to plan your next visit to the Lane County Historical Museum!
We're Open: Tuesday through Saturday
10 am to 4 pm; Closed Sundays and Mondays
Affordable Admission: Adults $3.00; Seniors $2.00; Youth (15 - 17) $.75; Free unlimited admission for Society members!
We’re easy to find next to the Lane County Fairgrounds: If you’re heading east on 13th Avenue, you’ll see our building between Monroe and Jefferson on the right. Look for a sign that says, “Museum Entrance”
The address is 740 W. 13th Ave.; Get directions here
Mailing Address: Lane County Historical Society; P.O. Box 5407
Eugene, OR 97405-3819
Free Parking: There’s plenty of free parking in the lot east of the Museum at the corner of 13th and Jefferson. Walk through the gates to enter the Fairgrounds. Walk past the white Clerk’s Building on your right and turn right for the Museum entrance.
Handicapped Access: The Main Exhibition Hall and Museum Store are accessible.
Shopping & Food: Shop at our Museum Store, open during regular hours. Members always receive a discount! There are many restaurants in nearby downtown Eugene. No food or drink is allowed in the Museum.