America’s history is the story of all of us. As the United States commemorates 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence, come explore how our collections help preserve the diverse histories of this place. Featuring rarely seen items from our collection, America at 250 invites you to reflect on where we have been, who we are, and what America might yet become.  Picture is a drinking glass with basket cover, made by Emma Adams (Tillamook/Clatsop), 1890s. 

Experience the dynamic forces that shape Oregon’s landscapes, climate, and ecosystems. Meet giant salmon, Ice Age sloths, and other amazing animals from across the millennia. Meet giant salmon, Ice Age sloths, and other amazing animals from across the millennia. Through interactive displays and rare specimens, you’ll go deep into Oregon’s past and join a conversation about our collective future. Included with regular admission; free for MNCH members and UO ID card holders. Show your Oregon Trail or other EBT card for an admission discount.   

Delve into Oregon’s story, from the archaeology of the First Americans to the dynamic cultures of today’s Tribes. Combining interactive displays with world-class anthropological collections, Oregon—Where Past is Present shares 14,000 years of Oregon stories, and invites you to tell your own. Explore the galleries, try your hand at ancient weaving styles, test your skills as an archaeologist, and much more Included with regular admission; free for MNCH members and UO ID card holders. Show your Oregon Trail or other EBT card for an admission discount.   

Have you heard the buzz? Bees are powerful pollinators essential to a healthy ecosystem. Come discover the vast variety of Oregon’s bees and learn about bee behavior with up-close photographs and hands-on activities. Included with regular admission; free for MNCH members and UO ID card holders. Show your Oregon Trail or other EBT card for an admission discount.   

Museums have a deep responsibility to the communities whose cultures are represented in their collections. Cultural belongings are not only objects of antiquity, but rather significant links to traditions, family, and spirituality. Highlighting a recent project on Native Oregon basketweaving, our panelists discuss how meaningful collaboration and data sharing can strengthen scholarship, collections care, and support Indigenous resilience and connection.  

The Museum of Natural and Cultural History offers free admission on the first Friday of the month. Investigate Oregon's amazing fossils and ecosystems, and delve into its cultural history—from the First Americans at Paisley Caves to the dynamic cultures of today's Tribes.  

For artist and educator Shirod Younker (Coquille/Coos/Umpqua), art is a medium to reclaim cultural traditions, learn from his ancestors, and bring Tribal communities together. Join Shirod for stories of his path and inspiration as an artist, and how he works to perpetuate the artwork of his people and support others to do the same.  

Shirod Younker is the museum’s 2026 Featured Contemporary Indigenous Artist.  

Join University of Oregon Postdoctoral Association (UOPA) for a tour behind the scenes of the state's official repository for Oregon cultural and paleontological materials as we visit the Museum of Natural and Cultural History's Fossil Collection!

Open to postdocs and RSVP is required. Space is limited to 12 people.

(meet at EMU amphitheater, not museum)

Do you like to build with Legos or create new recipes? That's engineering! Explore your engineering skills by learning from examples of traditional Indigenous technologies. Since time immemorial, Native people have used natural resources, creativity, and ingenuity to engineer solutions to life's problems. Through hands-on activities, discover how these technologies and innovations continue to help people meet the challenges of today.