Experience 15,000 years of Northwest cultural history and 200 million
years of geology. Realistic environmental displays portray four geographic
regions of Oregon, each a different time in history.
The Great
Basin environment portrays an autumn, 6,000 years ago, when the
area we now know as desert, bloomed with abundance. View a traditionally
made wikiup and a cache of tui chubs, a food staple.
One of North
America's largest Native fishing and trading centers at Celilo Falls
is illustrated in the Columbia Plateau environment during the
summer fishing season some 250 years ago. Observe up close the span
of a fishing net used at the Falls for over 10,000 years.
A highlight
of the Pacific Coast environment is a three-dimensional replica
of a traditional winter plank house, situated in village at the mouth
of an inland estuary around 1,500 years ago.
In the Western
Valleys, view a mural of Native women gathering camas roots during
the spring harvest, in a valley surrounded by an oak savanna and a
pine forest some 1,000 years ago.
Murals of these
four regions have been painted by Don Prechtel, an Oregon artist known
for historically accurate paintings of the Western frontier and Native
American culture. You can find more information on Don at www.prechtelfineart.com.
Explore an
interactive laboratory that offers hands-on science-based activities
for visitors of all ages. Discover how to relate to science through
these four questions: What is it? How old is it? Where was it found?
How was it used?
Walk a Mile In These Shoes —
The Stories They Tell
April 9 - August 24, 2008
Join us to marvel at the oldest shoes in the world—Oregon’s 10,000 year old sandals—to view shoes worn by Oregon athletes, coaches, and politicians—and even shoes from the world famous rock band KISS, and the Broadway hit musical, Wicked. Explore decades of changing shoe fashions; try on traditional footwear from around the world; and explore ‘shoe-perstitions,’ or why people do such odd things with shoes. It’s all about the stories shoes tell!
Shoes are not just protection for our feet; they flaunt an infinite array of styles, sizes, and materials. From 10,000-year-old sagebrush bark sandals to stilettos to a rock star’s boots, shoes always make a statement.
In a way that few possessions can, shoes communicate information about individuals, geographic areas, cultures, and human history. They can discretely reveal clues about the physical stature of the owner, or brazenly proclaim their ethnicity, economic status, and sense of style.
As part of the 2008 Olympic Trials events offered by the University of Oregon, The Museum of Natural and Cultural History will offer visitors a hands-on, feet-in exhibit experience that explores many aspects of footwear and the history of shoes (click on the logo to the left for more information, opens in new window).
Shoes are not just protection for our feet; they flaunt an infinite array of styles, sizes, and materials. From 10,000-year-old sagebrush bark sandals to stilettos to a rock star’s boots, shoes always make a statement. 
