applegate trail interpretive center

Very interesting stop outside of Canyonville near Grants pass Oregon. The museum guide was a hoot! My wife and I sat through his informative lecture of how the settlers came across the plains from Missouri and all the heart ache they encountered. Much historical information from this guide. Great experience.

This is a nice little museum that really holds one's interest. Both natives of the area and western history buffs can enjoy it and learn from it. The slide show is entertaining and original and the museum exhibits are great. One can vicariously experience the Oregon Trail. We spent about an hour here and, had my vote been final, we would have spent at least another hour or two. This museum provides a real education in the Oregon Trail, those who traveled it, and the courage and dedication they had to endure such hardship.

I took my out of town guests to this museum and they loved it. I loved it again for the first time. I've been to it before and thought is was great but this time I saw things I didn't see before, like the coin collection and the old song book with the page open to a "Song for a Boy." The short movie of historic events never gets old. Filmed with local residents. Nicely done.

This is a fine little museum about the Applegate Trail and the Sunny Valley area. We especially liked it because our family lived in Sunny Valley some years ago, and the receptionist remembered my parents. She also was a wealth of information about our neighbors in the valley and what happened to them.Jane L.

This museum as another has noted, is clearly a labor of love. The preservation of relics from the Oregon Trail and from local residents has created a treasure trove of journals, photos and just things that tell the story of real lives and hardship and determination and courage. The three-screen movie and slide show is professional and emotionally very moving. The displays, often with motion-activated sound effects, are educational and transport one to the challenges of the frontier.However: I was by myself on the return leg of this trip, and so went into the Museum alone. It was VERY CREEPY to find myself in there with the "quirky" "costumed" man who is the guide, curator and probably the soul of the Museum, with no one else there, particularly when there were about five or six cars parked directly in front. Every paranoid, horror movie-themed scenario played out in my head, as I tried to enjoy the Museum's collection. I HIGHLY recommend that visitors go and experience the Applegate Museum, but I am quite certain that families or groups of four or more, will enjoy it more than a single female traveler.

We stopped here by accident and the human interaction is what made it so special for us. The man at the front desk was kind, quirky, and full of knowledge about the Applegate Trail. The museum was not great, but good, and it broke our 12 hour trip up. We also met a fascinating neighbor - Mark - that just intrigued us. The gift shop is a little sad, but interesting nonetheless.

We stopped here on a whim during a roadtrip of the left coast. Much to our surprise, we were greeted by a costumed man, Dennis ( whom we've decided he is "a national treasure"), who proceeded to give us a 15 minute lecture about the hazards and history of the Applegate pioneer trail. Upon proceeding into the museum, we were further surprised by the quality and variety of artifacts at this small, private museum.The covered wagons outside are shocking to see how tiny the space the pioneers had to pack all their worldly possessions into.Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area.

We saw the sign on the freeway and decided to give it a look. The museum is very well done. They first give a short presentation, then a three screen slide show, then you are on your own to spend as much time as you like. The displays are very well done showing a good representation of what it was like to come west with your covered wagon. Outside there are a number of wagons to see as well as a log building and nearby covered bridge. The admission price was reasonable.

You MUST take a detour and visit this museum. We stopped just to check it out and were drawn in by Dennis' presentation and the outstanding array of museum pieces. Our teenagers left totally impressed, as did my wife and I, and we learned a great deal in such a short time. Be sure to ask Dennis how to use the cash register to tell if a silver dollar is real, and thank you Dennis for the gift to our kids. We talked about it all the way back to California...

This museum was EXCELLENT, the tour operator fitted the scene brilliantly & taught us so much about the early pioneers. He did a wonderful job & the videos & exhibits were great. 10/10 Thank you.

Dennis was amazing. Almost like going back in time. Made you realise what the original settlers had to go through. A must see if you are close & only a short walk to nice covered bridge. Dennis even explained why covered bridges are covered. Go ask him.

Wonderful little museum dedicated to the history of the Applegate route of the Oregon trail. Nicely presented displays of artifacts and dioramas chronicling the move west, many with sound effects. The guide was very knowledgable and gave me a great overview of the trail. Definitely worth getting off the road for a visit.

Hidden gem of a museum -- packed full of genuinely fascinating Oregon Trail memorabilia, professionally presented. Great stop on the I5.

If you're driving between Grants Pass and Eugene in Oregon, there's not a heck of a lot to see or do. But if you're ever on that trip and have an hour or two to spare, check out the Applegate Trail Interpretive Center that lies about 1/4-mile to the east of I-5 (Sunny Valley / exit 71). Sure, the place doesn't look like much from the outside. Nor is it all the impressive as you walk into the combination admission desk and gift shop. But after you pay your few bucks to get in, the exhibit area makes up for it all. The Applegate Trail Interpretive Center is clearly a labor of love. Within a few steps you feel like you've gone from hokey tourist trap to first rate history museum. It's absolutely a must-see for any Old West aficionado.After you've seen the museum, and if you still have some time to kill, continue the Old West experience with a trip up to the nearby ghost town of Golden, Oregon (http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_259.php). Golden has been restored to some of its former glory through the efforts of Oregon State Parks and is well worth the trip. It's about 3 miles east of the Wolf Creek exit (#76) on the very well maintained and paved Coyote Creek Road (or ask the nice folks at the Applegate Trail Interpretive Center for directions). Oh -- and just a bit up the road from the Applegate Trail Interpretive Center is a real roadside grave of a Martha Leland Crowley, a young woman ... a mere girl really ... who died on the wagon trip west and was laid to rest under a big oak tree near the Applegate Trail. The Interpretive Center folks can point you towards that too.And last but not least, on the way up the gravesite, you'll cross the Grave Creek Covered Bridge (http://www.southernoregon.com/sunnyvalley/index.html), one of Oregon's finest landmark structures. (Yes, Grave Creek was named for Martha's grave.) How much more history can you ask for from the small price of one museum ticket?!?