12
CULTURE & HERITAGE
MAY 25–JUNE 1, 2022
CELEBRATING THE HISTORY
OF EASTERN OREGON
Wagons Ho!
Oregon Trail
Experience opens
inside Baker
Heritage Museum
By Lisa Britton
Go! Magazine
B
AKER CITY — Explore local
history and learn about the
Oregon Trail at a new exhibit
opening at the Baker Heritage
Museum, 2480 Grove St.
The Oregon Trail Experi-
ence is a project by the National
Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive
Center, which is managed by
the Bureau of Land Manage-
ment. The center, 5 miles east of
Baker City, is closed for several
years for renovations to make it
more energy efficient. (The trails
below the center remain open
to visitors.)
To maintain a presence for
locals and tourists, the BLM
negotiated a contract with Baker
County to lease space inside the
Baker Heritage Museum.
“The main priority is to stay
relevant in the community
while we’re closed,” said Sarah
Sherman, project manager
for NHOTIC.
A “soft opening” of the Or-
egon Trail Experiene is planned
for Memorial Day weekend. The
Baker Heritage Museum is open
Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-
4 p.m., and Sundays from noon
to 4 p.m. Admission is $9 adults,
$8 seniors, $5 ages 6-12 and
free for ages 5 and younger.
The grand opening of the
Oregon Trail exhibit is planned
for Friday, June 3, 4-6 p.m. in
conjunction with First Friday.
The BLM’s Bobby Reis de-
signed the exhibit, which had
to provide information within
a smaller footprint. NHOTIC’s
exhibit space is about 16,000
square feet. The leased space is
4,499 square feet.
“It’s a huge scale down,” Sher-
man said. “It’s a challenge. I think
they did a great job.”
The first part of the exhibit is
just inside the museum’s front
door, in the Leo Adler Room. This
will serve as an introduction to
Oregon Trail history — when it
happened, who came west, why
they made this decision and the
obstacles along the way (rivers,
accidents, violence and disease).
Panels also outline early ef-
forts to preserve the Oregon
Trail, the BLM’s role in this pres-
Lisa Britton/Go! Magazine
The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center has packed the wagons and moved west into Baker City to set
up an exhibit at the Baker Heritage Museum. The Interpretive Center is closed for renovations.
ervation and the creation of the
National Historic Oregon Trail
Interpretive Center.
The exhibit continues up-
stairs, in the museum’s ballroom,
with a full-size wagon and infor-
mation about what the pioneers
packed for their journey west.
Although NHOTIC’s lease
began at the start of 2022,
construction of the new exhibit
has been affected by shipping
delays of materials.
“Just like everyone else,”
Sherman said.
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