PORTLAND, Oregon — Want to visit the best science museum in the country? It's right here in Portland, according to Newsweek.
The 2024 Newsweek Readers' Choice Awards named the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) as the top science museum in the U.S. Newsweek contributors and readers voted on science museums from across the country that were selected by a panel of experts.
OMSI took the top spot, followed by the Explora Science Center and Children's Museum of Albuquerque in New Mexico, and the Science Museum of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
"Guests of all ages can engage in a full range of STEM exhibits at OMSI, and bonus features include the Kendall Planetarium and the Empire Theater, which shows both documentaries and Hollywood favorites," Newsweek said.
Newsweek also highlighted OMSI's public tour of the USS Blueback submarine, plus their wide range of festivals, Science Pubs and other organized events.
"Part of what makes the OMSI experience so special is that we help create lasting memories for people of all ages over multiple generations," OMSI said on Instagram. "This award, won by public vote, speaks volumes about the support for OMSI and our mission."
In 1944, the Oregon Museum Foundation was established and eventually became OMSI. The Portland Hotel hosted the first exhibit, which grew into nearby businesses in an area near what is now Pioneer Courthouse Square.
Then in 1949, local companies and individuals donated materials and their time to turn a house on Hassalo Street into a small museum. That building was eventually demolished in 1955 to make way for the Lloyd Center, and the city council leased land in Washington Park to OMSI. It wasn't until 1992 that OMSI's science center on Water Avenue opened.
