OMSI

If you get a chance check out a show at the IMAX theatre. It is an amazing experience. but be warned if you get motion sickness this isnt for you...

Posted 12/16/08 | Report Abuse

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This is definitely the best way to see a movie! The museum is always a plus if you want to extend your visit. If you have never been to an iMax theater, you are missing out!

Posted 12/02/08 | Report Abuse

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The Imax Theatre in OMSI provides you with a surround sound of sight and sound. The seating is very steep and lean back to get the full experience. Well worth the trip to see anything they are playing you can't go wrong.

Posted 11/22/08 | Report Abuse

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Inside of the excellent science museum, OMSI, you can find a nice little store. If you are looking for educational toys for your little ones, this is the place. They have many hands-on science kits to inform and entertain, as well as an excellent selection of non-fiction books. The prices are a little high here, but the quality of the items is excellent.

Posted 11/13/07 | Report Abuse

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I went to OMSI once because I had an ASTC membership which allowed me to get into here for free. The amount of exhibit areas really blew me away. The hands-on activities kept my nephews entertained such a long time that we ended up spending the whole day here. There were no signs of stress anywhere; everyone who works there looks like they are having fun too.

Posted 11/20/05 | Report Abuse

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With my ASTC membership I decided to check this place out and this was by far the best museum I have visited in the NW. The place is huge, packed with tons of hands on exhibits and a very very friendly team of staff. The museum was very easy to navigate through and provided a days worth of fun for me and my family!!!!

Posted 11/20/05 | Report Abuse

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This place has so many hands on things for kids to do and experiment with. The only drawback is that they don't change their displays very often and if you only go once a year, most likely the displays are the same for the most part. They do have a great IMAX theatre which has new shows on it every few months.

Posted 11/16/05 | Report Abuse

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We always try to stop by OMSI when we visit Portland. They have some great exhibits which are always changing. The museum is always very clean and the exhibits are interesting for both the young and the old. They have an OMSI max theatre which is also great- you really shouldn't miss watching a movie in there. They also use it to see the constellations I believe which is also very neat. It is a big place and it will take you at least a few hours if not the whole day to cover so plan accordingly. I don't know what the exhibits are right now but they are always something interesting. The staff and volunteers are always very knowledgeable and helpful. It is a great way to get kids interested in science and technology. there are lots of hands on exhibits.

PROS: Great hands on exhibits
CONS: price

Posted 11/05/05 | Report Abuse

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We love the rotating series that OMSI brings in so that things are fresh and new.

The kids love all the discovery and hands-on activities. Plan to spend several hours easily exploring everything.

You do have to pay extra for the Imax theater or the Submarine tour.

Also appreciate that they have programs for various kids organizations (Girl Scouts, etc.) to spend the night "camping" among the displays. This was a highlight for my daughter several years ago.

Posted 10/14/05 | Report Abuse

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OMSI is a wonderful expereince for young and old. You will find so much to do here. They have special events through out the year, it is ever changing so visit often. I love the IMAX theater and the lazer light shows. My kids love it all. You find education and fun all in one place. The prices are spendy but well worth it .

Posted 10/04/05 | Report Abuse

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OMSI is amazing! Even though we have a free family pass because we are members at the AC Gilbert Village in Salem, Oregon we would still probably pay the price to go to OMSI. We went there a few months ago and looked through everything with our son and they had soo much that we didn't even have time to look at everything. The parking lot is huge and the usually have a lot of school children coming through. I'm not sure when there slow time is but since the place is soo big it probably won't matter...you'll enjoy looking and playing with everything!

Posted 09/09/05 | Report Abuse

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i remember when i thought omsi was cool in its location by the zoo. since it moved to the waterfront about 10 years ago, it is more than impressive! visit their regular exhibits, their new ones, and their theaters. they have the dome shaped omnimax with huge film, stargaze in the other auditorium, or take a tour on the submarine! if you have litte ones with you, there's a place for them too!

PROS: lots of fun cool things
CONS: can be a little spendy, but worth it

Posted 08/31/05 | Report Abuse

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The omnimax theater at OMSI is really an experience. There is a five-story domed screen and stadium seating so every seat is great. Terrific sound. Caution for those that are susceptible to motion sickness. Consider the movie content, i.e race cars, aircraft etc. You will feel like you are right there!

Posted 08/15/05 | Report Abuse

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The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is a wonderful place to take your kids--most impressive is the OMNIMAX theater--a large IMAX-type domed screen shows educational and some mainstream movies (like Charlie and the Chocolate factory).

Posted 08/05/05 | Report Abuse

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This place is pretty cool. They have all sorts of things you can do. There is a planetarium, omnimax which is currently showing Charile and the Chocolate Factory, a ride called the motion simulator, the USS Blueback submarine, laser shows set to popular music, exhibit halls and labs... Everything is fun and worth dioing atleast once. Plan on spending a full day here. Oh, I believe Thursdays are 2 for 1on all (or most) exhibits.

Posted 07/27/05 | Report Abuse

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This place is worth going to for the IMAX theater alone--it's a curved dome with spectacular efftects and sound. The movies played are educational and interesting, and the museum is a lot of fun as well.

Posted 06/19/05 | Report Abuse

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Take your kids here. Please. They'll have so much fun, and actually learn something, too. The OMNIMAX theater is fantastic, and the submarine tour is quite interesting.

Posted 06/08/05 | Report Abuse

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What an interesting place to go with kids (age 6ish) to adults. The exibits are always very educational and interesting for all ages.

They have also have an IMAX movie screen that shows movies done in a particular large-screen format that is shown on a 2-story high screen. Incredible!

Highly recommend it!

PROS: Great educational fun for older kids thru adults!
CONS: Expensive for families if you do not have an annual pass.

Posted 06/05/05 | Report Abuse

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This place offers something for everyone one in a family. From birth to grammy! Great place for little kids to learn and explore. Clean and friendly staff!

Posted 06/01/05 | Report Abuse

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This museum offers a lot besides the main halls full of interesting exhibits. They also have a hands on science discovery area for children to experiment in several areas. They have a laser show as well as a IMAX theater. The location on the Willamette River also has riverside walkways and a tour of a submarine.

Posted 05/18/05 | Report Abuse

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OMSI is probably more fun if you're under 12, or are going with people are. Not the greatest museum I've ever been to, but sometimes, there are intersesting IMAX movies playing.

Posted 04/22/05 | Report Abuse

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This is the State of Oregon's flagship museum. It certainly pales in comparison to, say, Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. However, for a state with the size and population of Oregon it's not bad. It does tend to strongly emphasize education, so the whole place tends to target the three to ten year old demographic (i.e., it's not really a museum for adults or even adolescents).

Along with the typical museum fare, there is an OMNIMAX theater (IMAX), a laser show, and a submarine (The USS Blueblack). The Submarine sits in the Willamette River. You can see it when you drive over the Hawthorne bridge. It was used in the movie Hunt for Red October. I toured it with a 5 year old, in a sea of other 5 year olds, and it was a bit claustrophobic and maddening. You have to pay extra for it too.

If you're a kid though, or if you want to entertain a kid for an afternoon in Portland, you probably can't go wrong.

PROS: OMNIMAX Theater
CONS: Small, over-emphasis on catering to really young children

Posted 04/21/05 | Report Abuse

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