Evergreen Aviation Museum

Spitfire
Originally uploaded by Mary Anne Thygesen.

Wow what an impressive museum. We have often driven past it on the way to the beach. This time we made it our destination. I am glad the we finally stopped in. I wish we would have stopped there sooner. There are three buildings, one houses the Spruce Goose and other airplanes, the middle building has the IMAX Theatre and the third building will house the new space museum. Every where you look, on the grounds, in all of the buildings and above your head there are airplanes. Along the back of the building there are tanks that look like they are guarding the perimeter.
The Spruce Goose is bigger than I pictured. I knew it was large but not that large. I realized how big it was when I tired to take its picture and could only get a little bit of the plane. The Spruce Goose is made out of birch not spruce. The press named Howard Hughes Flying Boat the Spruce Goose.
Also in the museum are Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, Titan Missile, Sopwith Camel, Douglas C-47 Gooney Bird and Grumman F6F-3 Hellcat. It is a great place to explore on a rainy day. Admission $13 with a dollar off for AAA members. Open Daily from 9am to 5pm, closed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and Easter.

500 NE Capt Michael Smith Way, McMinnville, OR 97128, 503 434 4180, www.sprucegoose.org .