The Oregon Military Museum is temporarily closed as of November 16, 2008 and has begun its transition to a new facility on the Oregon National Guard's Camp Withycombe. Museum services and activities will be suspended until the grand re-opening. These include public visits, group tours, access to library, archives and collections for research purposes, off-site community displays of artifacts and vehicles, and artifact and library book donation offers. The museum must relocate from four of its buildings by June 1, 2009 to make room for the 41st Infantry Division Armed Forces Reserve Center that will serve 1,300 soldiers. Museum artifacts will be housed in the existing Clackamas Armory. The re-opening will be announced at a later date.

"Change is always hard," said Tracy Thoennes, museum director. "But this is an amazing growth opportunity for this quiet little museum.  This move will allow us to better serve our audiences, preserve our military history, and to tell meaningful and relevant stories of how military history and the National Guard impact Oregonians."

The new location will require reconfiguration to meet the needs of the museum's exhibition, education, administrative, collections, and research functions. The increased space and better facilities will provide long-term benefits to the museum and its audiences, said Thoennes. Museum master planning is underway to estimate the costs of this remodeling, and to develop a capital campaign to fund the needed improvements.

The Oregon Military Museum has been at its current location since it was established by the Oregon Military Department in 1975 as the state's official military history repository. The museum's mission is to tell the story of Oregon's military heritage, focusing on the early militia through today's Oregon National Guard, to collect and ensure access to historical artifacts and archives, to preserve the items entrusted to the Museum's care, and to educate and inspire visitors through exhibits, living history and interpretive programs. The Museum's artifact collection has more than 13,000 objects, 25,000 library volumes, and 750 cubic feet of archives.  It is part of the U.S. Army Museum System and the National Guard Museum System.

Contact Info: Captain Stephen Bomar

Deputy Public Affairs Office

Oregon Military Department

503-584-3885