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Inside the Museum

Through interactive and featured art exhibits, visitors can learn how the way forests are managed affects everyday lives and how they are crucial to the forestry conversation.

Change the Way You See the Forest!

The Discovery Museum is open to the public Tuesday - Sunday, 10 am - 4pm

Located in Portland’s forested Washington Park just steps from the MAX Light Rail, World Forestry Center’s Discovery Museum invites visitors to examine forests and consider all the ways they impact our lives.

The dramatic 20,000-square-foot wooden building has been a Portland icon since 1971. Visitors get a bird’s-eye view of a northwest forest, explore society’s connection to the woods, and learn about the challenges and opportunities facing this critical natural resource.

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First Floor Exhibits

The first floor explores the many roles forests play in our lives. Start with our featured theater experience, Wildfire | Climate | Forests, then discover the Forest Reading Nook, plant a tree in the Tree Planting Area, explore large tree slices that reveal the stories trees tell, and learn about the forest wood products we rely on every day. Hands-on experiences bring forests to life for visitors of all ages.

Wildfire | Climate | Forests

Our immersive 5-screen theater experience Wildfire | Climate | Forests explores one of the most urgent issues of our time: how forests, climate change, and catastrophic wildfire are deeply connected—and what choices we can make today to shape a better future.

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Animals in the Forest

It’s estimated that 80% of the world’s animals call the forest their home. Our indoor Pacific Northwest forest is home to a variety of animals. See how many you can spot!

Timberjack Harvester

Sustainable forestry requires careful harvesting and some advanced technology. Climb aboard a Timberjack Harvester just like a professional forester.

Forest Reading Nook

A cozy space where kids and parents can read, explore, and imagine the wonders of the forest through books. We also host regular storytime events, bringing stories of nature and adventure to life for the whole family.

Second Floor Exhibits

The second floor takes a global perspective, exploring how people around the world are connected to and dependent on their local forests. Here you’ll travel through different parts of the world to see how forests are managed. The second floor also includes our rotating art gallery, Leadership Hall, and a step back in time to the roots and legacy of World Forestry Center.

Forest Hope Through Innovation

Featured Exhibition on display March 1 - August 2, 2026.

Featuring work by more than twelve innovators, the exhibition highlights the aesthetics of emerging forest-based research—from technology and engineering to design and artist-scientist collaborations. 

Works range from research studies, new technology, experimental forest management practices, visual art and community science projects to products developed in material science labs, and art-science collaborative fieldwork. 

Learn More About the Exhibition

Take a Journey

Embark on a whirlwind virtual tour of the world with stops in Siberia, China, South Africa, and Brazil. Learn about the four forest types (boreal, temperate, sub-tropical, and tropical) and meet people working to keep their countries’ forests sustainable.

Our World's Forests

A huge world map highlights forest types and how different regions use their local forests. Artifacts and hands-on displays provide context on wildlife, forest values, and meeting human needs.

Leadership Hall

Our Forestry Leadership Hall commemorates those who have contributed to the social, economic, and environmental benefits of forests. More than 200 leaders have been in inducted since 1971.

Old Forestry Building

The origins of World Forestry Center date back to the Old Forestry Building from the 1905 Lewis and Clark Exposition. Photos and clippings about the “World Largest Log Cabin” tell the story of the building’s beginnings and its destruction in 1964.
In 1966, World Forestry Center was established and relocated to Washington Park to the current campus.
Learn more about our history

Campus Highlights

The second floor takes a global perspective, exploring how people around the world are connected to and dependent on their local forests. Here you’ll travel through different parts of the world to see how forests are managed. The second floor also includes our rotating art gallery, Leadership Hall, and a step back in time to the roots and legacy of World Forestry Center.

Peggy the Locomotive

“Peggy” is a beautiful 42-ton Lima Shay-geared locomotive who has hauled an estimated billion feet of logs in her lifetime. Visitors are encouraged to climb aboard and explore!
Meet Peggy!

Petrified Stump

Visitors to World Forestry Center are invited to examine the five million-year-old, 10,000-pound petrified stump on display outside the Discovery Museum.
Learn More About the Stump!

Become a Member Today!

Membership at World Forestry Center is an investment in the forests that shape us and the people who care for them. Through education, exhibitions, and community programs, we connect people to forests — and forests to a more resilient future.
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