Pendleton, OR Attractions

The Children's Museum of East Oregon in Pendleton features a number of exhibits including a train, a music room, a grocery store and hands-on educational displays.

The McKay Creek National Wildlife Refuge is located just south of Pendleton between the plains and the Blue Mountains of eastern Oregon. It is home to a variety of waterfowl and wildlife.

The Pendleton Round-Up is one of the most popular rodeos in the West. It is held during the second week of September and runs for four days.

The Round-Up Hall of Fame on the grounds features American Indian Artifacts, photos, and western-style items.

The Tamastslikt Cultural Institute is located southeast of Pendleton. It features exhibits relating to the history and contemporary life of the Cayuse, Umatilla and Walla Native tribes.

Housed in a 1909 railway depot the Umatilla County Historical Society Museum in Pendleton features displays on Umatilla County history, including pioneer life, railroad and communication items, and American Indian artifacts.

Due to the history of bootlegging and prostitution associated with the tunnels, guided tours of the underground tunnels of Pendleton were controversial when they first began. The tours are now a premier attraction of the town.

The town of Heppner (pop. 1,400) is located in north central Oregon. It is popular with outdoor enthusiasts, particularly fishermen.

The Maxwell Sliding Railroad Museum in Hermiston is named after O.W. Maxwell who built the small railroad in 1882. It displays railroad cars and snow plows. Each year at Christmas a restored railroad car brings Santa Claus to town.

The small town of La Grande (pop. 12,300) is located on the edge of the Grande Ronde Valley in northeastern Oregon. It is an agricultural and logging area. Its proximity to the Blue Mountains make it a great place for fishing, hiking, biking and skiing.

In the Oregon Trail Interpretive Park at Blue Mountain Crossing it is still possible to see ruts from the wagon wheels of the pioneers. There are interpretive walking trails along the Old Emigrant Road and picnic sites in the park.

The building containing the Frazier Farmstead Museum in Milton-Freewate was built in 1892. It features a collection of antique furnishings and other items from 19th C daily living. Most of the furnishings are the original items to the home.

The site also houses a 1918 barn, a carriage house and several other buildings which were part of a turn-of-the-century working farm.