Thursday Outdoor Club on the Oregon Trail

Thursday Outdoor Club offers something special just for kids, every week through end of July.  Check the schedule for an activity, call ahead to reserve a spot, and join in the fun learning about history and the outdoors with other kids.  This Thursday, June 13th, try out a variety of musical instruments with Rick Meyers.   1:30 pm to 3:00 pm.

Rick Meyers here June 11, 13, & 14!

Drop by the Interpretive Center to catch a program by musician Rick Meyers. His show "Making Old Time Music" features a delightful mix of historical information, playful dialogue, audience participation, and pioneer music played on the banjo, guitar, autoharp, spoons, musical saw, jewsharp, noseflute, limberjack, harmonica, ukulele, washboard, and washtub bass. 

  

He'll  perform on Tuesday, June 11 at 10:30, 12:00, & 2:00, on Thursday, June 13 at 12:00, and again on Friday, June 14 at 10:30, 12:00, & 2:00.

Our New Exhibit is Opening Soon

Our new summer exhibit opens to the public on June 21, but Trail Tenders members can join us for a sneak peek on June 19.... read more below to learn what this exhbit is about

Sinners & Saints: Indelicate Stories of Emigrants in the West offers a unique opportunity to explore concepts of tolerance and diversity in the 19th century.

A collection of stories drawn from first-person accounts are woven into narratives that highlight the morals and values of pioneers, early settlers, and Native America tribes of the Columbia Plateau. Presented in a story booth format, these tales describe individuals who traveled the Oregon and California Trails, settled into burgeoning towns, and the choices they encountered along their way. This intimate exhibit creates a space to explore and reflect on timeless topics of survival, love, family, vice and spirituality. 

Run 2 the Ruts!

Over 100 runners & walkers turned out for our

3rd Annual Run 2 the Ruts!

Place winners were:

5K (men):

Dan Lees

Bob Radke

Jessie Whitford.

5k (women):

Shelly Schauer

Lacy Smith

Elizabet Madison

10K (men):

Tim Vanernlugt

Aaron Harrell

Dr. James Davis

10K (women):

Erin Thompson

Daisy Walden

Nellie Pryor

Meet the Pioneer Photos

We had a great Memorial Day Weekend Oregon Trail Event - lots of visitors escaping the rain, dutch oven cooking, roving pioneer personalities, and Karen Haas' presentations. The pioneers have gone back on the trail, and now, we're looking forward to National Trails Day this coming Saturday, and the annual Run to the Ruts race.

Oregon Trail Pioneers come to life Memorial Day Weekend

We're prepping for a weekend with more than usual historic re-enactors, bringing the Oregon Trail days back to life by depicting pioneer characters. Narcissa Whitman has already made an appearance. Saturday and Sunday, we've set up the quilting frame, have a gunsmith, rag dolls, and then some "characters" who will be available to tell you have life on the Oregon Trail. Memorial Day weekend is, strangely, traditionally very rainy on this usually dry side of Oregon, so we always plan lots of things to do inside. Any nearby campers and tourists can find lots of dry things to do here.  If there is enough of a sun break, we might do some dutch oven cooking.

Another gorgeous day

It's another fantastic sunny spring day at Flagstaff Hill and the Interpretive Center...there've been a lot of them this spring.  It's a lot of work for staff and volunteers right now preparing summer programs and repairing trails, but we still have time to get out and enjoy the greening up of the great outdoors. RV'rs are returning from the south, and students are making their end of school year field trips.  There's still snow on the Wallowas and Blue Mountains, so the Hell's Canyon Scenic By-Way Loop is still not fully open up to Joseph; but, visitors are reporting it's a great spring day trip to drive the stretch between Baker City and Oxbow. With green fields and snow capped mountains, it's a special treat for the eyes this time of year.