Evergreen Museum

Open Late for Holidays
2022-12-29 09:00 - 18:00 (America/Los_Angeles) | Aviation Museum, 500 NE Captain MIchael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR, 97128, United States
Just for the Holidays, Evergreen Aviation Museum will be open for extended hours from Dec. 26th thru Dec. 29th. We will remain open until 6 PM so guests can enjoy our festive holiday decor and lighting.
Come enjoy the magic of the season!

Storytellers Series: Vietnam War Aircraft - How They Were Used Part II
2023-01-05 13:00 - 14:00 | Space Museum Galaxy Theater
Presenter: John Bronson
Descriptions & illustrations of: What led to the Vietnam War, what the US was attempting to accomplish with its aircraft, illustration of the types of missions assigned to ground support aircraft, and which of the Museum aircraft accomplished each mission. Four mission types are described and illustrated in some detail: Heli-borne Attack, Fixed Wing Gunship, Radio Direction Finding (RDF), and Battlefield Reconnaissance. Through these detailed descriptions, it is shown how the several types of aircraft contributed to the conduct of the ground war.
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: The 1975 Apollo-Soyuz Joint Mission
2023-03-07 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
Presenter: Gary Sohn
Apollo-Soyuz was the first crewed international space mission, carried out jointly by the United States and the Soviet Union in July, 1975. Millions of people around the world watched on television as a US Apollo spacecraft docked with a Soviet capsule.
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: The Apollo Computer – Out of this World Computing
2023-03-09 13:00 - 14:00 | OR
Presenter: John Bronson
Descriptions & illustrations of the Apollo Guidance Computer, the Display and Keyboard Unit (DSKY), how the astronauts used it and how it interfaced to the remainder of the Command Module, and comparisons to show similarity with other computer systems including Windows programs.
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

McMinnville Wine + Food Classic
2023-03-10 16:00 - 21:00, 2023-03-11 11:00 - 20:00, 2023-03-12 12:00 - 17:00 | Evergreen Space Museum, 510 NE Captain MIchael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR, 97128, United States
2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the McMinnville Wine + Food Classic. This event includes Oregon’s best wineries, as well as local chefs, bakers, breweries, distilleries, artisans and musicians, to celebrate 30 years of incredible wine and food.
This event is operated by the McMinnville Food & Wine Classic for the benefit of St. James School. Please contact the MFWC team for details or questions about the event at: info@mcminnvillewineandfood.com.
When: March 10 – 12, 2023
Times: Friday: 4 pm – 9 pm; Saturday: 11 am – 8 pm; Sunday: 12 pm – 5 pm
Where: Evergreen Aviation and Space Museum (in the Space Museum)
Buy Tickets Online

Storytellers Series: Lucy - The First Mission to the Trojan Asteroids
2023-03-14 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
Presenter: Donn Anderson
Lucy is the first mission to study the swarms of Trojan asteroids associated with Jupiter, thought to be remnants of our early solar system. The Trojans orbit the Sun in two loose groups, with one group leading ahead of Jupiter in its path, the other trailing behind.
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: Ryan Firebee Drones
2023-03-21 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
Presenter: Gary Sohn
America’s fleet of surveillance and attack drones are far older than most people realize. They’ve been dutifully getting shot out of the sky on behalf of our national interests since World War I. One of the most impressive is the Ryan Firebee.
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Saito Karate Do Classic
2023-03-25 | OR
No Better Way to “Kick-off” Spring Break!
Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is pleased to welcome back the Saito Karate Do Classic.
This year’s tournament will once again be held in the Evergreen Space Museum building. Museum Guests welcome to check out the all-day event which starts at 8:30 AM on March 25th.
The event is free to Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum Members. The fee for tournament guests and family members is $5 each. Museum guests that pay the full museum admissions price may attend at no additional cost.
To learn more about the tournament visit the Saito Karate Do Classic Facebook page.

Storytellers Series: Comets - What are they?
2023-03-28 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
Presenter: Gary Sohn
The appearances of comets have been known to humans for millennia. Until the sixteenth century, comets were usually considered bad omens of death. What is their origin? What do we know about comets? Probes from earth are telling us more about these celestial travelers.
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: Living for a year in space – What affect does it have on your body?
2023-04-11 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
Presenters: Donn Anderson and John Jennings
Astronaut Scott Kelly spent almost a year in near weightlessness in orbit on the International Space Station while his identical twin Mark remained here on Earth. What have we learned about what that did to Scott versus his twin brother Mark?
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: The Air Defense Fighters – Protecting U.S.
2023-04-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Aviation Museum, 500 NE Captain MIchael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR, 97128, United States
Presenter: John Bronson
Descriptions & illustrations of the Museum’s collection of American jet interceptor aircraft, is highlighted. Specifically described are the Fighters: F-94, F-89, F-102, F-101, F-104, and F-106, including the system equipment specifically installed for the Air Defense mission. How these aircraft are used, including where they were stationed is covered. Other elements of the entire Air Defense system are covered briefly.
Location: Aviation Room 201

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: The Terrible Teens – The Newer Fighters
2023-04-27 13:00 - 14:00 | Aviation Museum, 500 NE Captain MIchael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR, 97128, United States
Presenter: John Bronson
Descriptions & illustrations of the Museum’s collection of the newer US fighter aircraft. Specifically described are topics that led to the development of the Teen Series as a result of the Vietnam experience. Three topics of improvement are described and illustrated in some detail: Precision Navigation, Terrain Following radar, and Precision Guided Weapons.
Location: Aviation Room 201

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: The Berlin Airlift - The Ultimate Canned Food Drive
2023-05-04 13:00 - 14:00 | Aviation Museum, 500 NE Captain MIchael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR, 97128, United States
Presenter: John Bronson
Descriptions & illustrations of what led to the Soviet blockade of West Berlin, how it was addressed, and description of the aircraft used in the Airlift. Additional topics: Routes and navigation environment, Lt. Gail Halvorsen as the Candy Bomber, Airlift facts and legacy and the relationship to museum exhibits.
Location: Aviation Room 201

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: Getting to Mars in half the time! Reducing hazards for humans traveling to the Red Planet
2023-05-09 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
Presenters: John Jennings and Donn Anderson
If we are going to be serious about establishing a permanent human presence on Mars, the time it takes to get there and back must be significantly reduced. We have a rocket engine that can get us to Mars in 3 months instead of 6 months! First demonstrated way back in 1972, the nuclear thermal rocket propulsion system operated successfully for over 6,500 seconds! What does this rocket engine look like? How does its design concept produce so much thrust? And how does it compare to current rocket engines?
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: Century Series Fighters – America’s Need for Speed
2023-05-18 13:00 - 14:00 | Aviation Museum, 500 NE Captain MIchael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR, 97128, United States
Presenter: John Bronson
Descriptions & illustrations of the museum’s collection of American jet aircraft is highlighted. Specifically described are the Century Series Fighters; F-100 through F-106 including the design changes to achieve supersonic flight. Other jet aircraft in the museum’s collection are used for comparison to illustrate specific points.
Location: Aviation Room 201

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: Drones - Magic vs. Not!
2023-05-25 13:00 - 14:00 | Space Museum Galaxy Theater
Presenter: John Bronson
Descriptions & illustrations of early US drones, what makes unmanned aerial vehicles different than airplanes, illustrations of how they have been used, some descriptions of their onboard sensors, and associations with the museum’s exhibits.
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: SKYLAB – Our very first space station
2023-06-13 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
Presenters: Donn Anderson and John Jennings
What to do after Apollo ended? Use and repurpose the hardware planned for the cancelled Apollo 18, 19, and 20 missions into the gigantic for its time Skylab Earth orbiting Solar Observatory and Research Lab that hosted 3 crews for extended stays in space. How did that come about? What was it like to be onboard? And what did we learn?
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: Orbital Space Junk
2023-06-15 13:00 - 14:00 | Space Museum Galaxy Theater
Presenter: Bill Carton
Launched in 1958, America’s second satellite Vanguard 1 is the oldest known debris still on orbit. Recent estimates are that as many as one hundred million pieces of human-made objects are above the earth now. We are tracking 21,000 items over 10cm in size. Junk includes derelict spacecraft, upper rocket stages, explosion or collision debris, and even small flecks of paint which can be dangerous. What can be done about this growing problem?
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Unveiling the F-84 Cockpit & Celebrating Veteran Denny Smith
2023-07-01 13:00 - 14:00 | Aviation Museum, 500 NE Captain MIchael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR, 97128, United States
On July 1, 2023, Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is unveiling the cockpit viewing stairs of the Republic F-84F Thunderstreak aircraft to commemorate the service of Denny Smith, veteran, and former Oregon Congressman. The viewing stairs are rarely relocated, making viewing this cockpit a special occurrence. The ribbon cutting will take place at 1 pm, and Smith will be available after for a meet and greet along with pictures.

Storytellers Series: What’s Happening Today in Space
2023-07-02 13:00 - 14:00 | Space Museum Galaxy Theater
Presenter: Bill Carton
Current Space Activity: Countries as well as private companies are now heavily involved in space – with crewed spacecraft and private satellites. Including: Robots on other planets and on asteroid missions, suborbital space tourism, International Space Station improvements and expansion plans, and the James Webb Space Telescope. Plus: The US is going back to the moon with the Artemis program!
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: Vietnam War Aircraft - How They Were Used Part I
2023-07-06 13:00 - 14:00 | Aviation Museum, 500 NE Captain MIchael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR, 97128, United States
Presenter: John Bronson
Descriptions & illustrations of what led to the Vietnam War, what the US was attempting to accomplish with its aircraft, illustration of the types of missions assigned to tactical aircraft, and which of the Museum aircraft accomplished each mission. Four mission types are described and illustrated in some detail: Forward Air Control (FAC), Strategic Bombing of North Vietnam, and Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses (SEAD).  Through these detailed descriptions, it is shown how the several types of aircraft contributed to the conduct of the air war.
Location: Aviation Room 201

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: The Submarine Hunters – Protecting the U.S.
2023-07-13 13:00 - 14:00 | Aviation Museum, 500 NE Captain MIchael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR, 97128, United States
Presenter: John Bronson
Descriptions & illustrations of the museum’s sole exhibit on Maritime Air Patrol / Anti-Submarine Warfare aircraft is highlighted. Specifically described are the development of the defenses against submarines around North America. The application of anti-submarine warfare aircraft is illustrated and described.
Location: Aviation Room 201

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: The Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter – Our sharp eye orbiting the Moon
2023-07-18 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
Presenters: John Jennings and Donn Anderson
As a key part of the Artemis program’s focus of putting humans back on the surface of the Moon, for more than a decade NASAs Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has been producing our first highly accurate 3D Lunar maps identifying safe landing sites and locating potential resources on the Moon. It continually characterizes the global Lunar radiation environment with its biological impacts and potential mitigation with deep-space shielding involving a variety of materials.
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: Commercial Space Tourism
2023-07-27 13:00 - 14:00 | OR
Presenter: Bill Carton
Starting slowly in 2001, orbital space tourism now has 17 flown participants, with dozens on the waiting lists. Suborbital or very high altitude balloon missions have flown another 30+ passengers, but the focus of this discussion is the orbital, extended zero-G experience of living in space, not just short hops.
Long predicted as a huge growth industry, just as commercial passenger airline flights are available now to most affluent citizens, commercial orbital tourism will stimulate competing launch vehicles, and even destinations such as inflatable hotels, proposed private replacements for the International Space Station, or open enclosures for sport or artistic creators. Farther out, lunar orbital or landing missions should be possible – keeping in mind the treaty that says original lunar landing sites are places of historical preservation to not disturb.
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Storytellers Series: Orbiting around and landing on a comet – Ride along with the Rosetta spacecraft and its Philae Lander
2023-08-15 14:00 - 15:00 | OR
Presenters: Donn Anderson and John Jennings
How do you catch up with a comet? What would it be like to orbit a comet before, during, and after its close encounter with the sun? How big might the comet be? What does a comet smell like? Come find out as we “ride” along with the Rosetta spacecraft and its Philae lander to an up close encounter with Comet 67P!
Location: Space Museum Galaxy Theater

Cost: Included with Admission

Unleashing the Venom - Museum Members Only
2023-08-25 18:00 - 20:00 | Aviation Museum, 500 NE Captain MIchael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR, 97128, United States
Join us for the unveiling of the Museum’s newest aircraft, the de Havilland DH 112 Venom. Enjoy complimentary beverages and hors d’oeuvres and be the first to see our new exhibit. This event is for Museum Member’s only and names will be verified upon RSVP. If you would like to attend but are not a member, visit our Membership page to sign up.
RSVP Here

de Havilland Venom Exhibit Reveal featuring the USAF Band Brass Quintet
2023-08-26 13:30 - 14:30 | Aviation Museum, 500 NE Captain MIchael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR, 97128, United States
Join Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum for a reveal of our newest exhibit, the De Havilland DH112 Venom. The plane will be located on the far-side of the Aviation museum, near Vietnam aircraft and will be celebrated at 1:30 pm. The Air Force Brass Quintet band will be following the reveal with a performance at 2pm.
RSVP HERE

Author Series: Steve Snyder Author of Shot Down
2023-08-27 13:00 - 14:30 | Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum, 500 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way, McMinnville, OR, 97128, United States
Join us for an extraordinary opportunity to meet the author of the award winning book, Shot Down.
Winner of 20 national book awards, SHOT DOWN is set within the framework of World War II in Europe and recounts the dramatic experiences of each member of a ten man B-17 bomber crew after their plane, piloted by the author’s father, was knocked out of the sky by German fighters over the French/Belgian border on February 8,1944.
Some men died. Some were captured and became prisoners of war. Some men evaded capture and were missing in action for months before making it back to England. Their individual stories and those of the courageous Belgian people who risked their lives to help them are all different and are all remarkable.
The story is informative, insightful, and captivating. Prior to the fateful event, the book covers the crew’s training, their journey to England, what life was like on base as well as in London and the English countryside, and the perils of flying combat missions over occupied Europe and Germany.
Told through personal letters, oral and written accounts, declassified military documents, and interviews – all from people who took part in the events that happened over 70 years ago (even the German Luftwaffe pilot who shot down the Susan Ruth) – the stories come alive. Adding to the feeling of “being there”, are more than 200 time period photographs interspersed throughout the book.
To add background and context, many historical facts and anecdotes about and surrounding World War II are entwined throughout the book so that the reader has a feel for and understanding of what was occurring on a broader scale. SHOT DOWN is an account about brave individuals, featuring pilot Howard Snyder, set within the compelling events of the greatest conflict in world history.

Author, Steve Snyder
