Traveling Exhibits

We have flat panel, free standing exhibits available as well as three dimensional and virtual exhibits. If you would like us to design an exhibit for you by topic, dimension, or medium, we would be happy to discuss it with you

Free standing exhibits can be on a table top or the floor, one sided or two and 3 or 6 feet tall. Exhibit materials presently created cover the “History of Hops” showing the uses of hops, the hops boom in Polk County and the renowned “Hops Capital of the World” story of Independence; “Western Oregon University” history of the name changes over the last 150 years; “Our Hispanic Neighbors”  within our community beginning at the time of the Bracero Program; and “The On to Oregon Cavalcade” Wagon Train West explaining the Oregon Trail reenactment in 1959 for Oregon’s Centennial Celebration. We are planning more exhibits of the “Palms to Pines Air Race”, a “History of Monmouth” and a “History of Independence”.

Three dimensional exhibits can be loaned only on a pre-approved basis. Security of the artifacts is the most important concern with these types of loans.

Our virtual exhibit and artifact research is available online and in Kiosk form.

“Our Hispanic Neighbors”

This exhibit is quite popular for cultural events throughout the Willamette Valley. It depicts the migration of Mexican workers during the 1940’s when the Bracero Program was begun by the United States Government in order to harvest the crops during WWII when man power was scarce. There are many prominent families present today in the central Willamette Valley that moved to the area before, during and after the Bracero program. The exhibit highlights the accomplishments of a fraction of those families.

In the future we wish to create new exhibits focusing on the families that moved to the area prior to the Bracero program. If you are a descendant of one of those families perhaps you would be willing to help us with that endeavor, please contact us at the museum.

“History of Hops”

The history of hops exhibit was the first traveling exhibit that we created for the Hop and Heritage Festival. This exhibit shows the early uses for hops in medieval times for preservation of beverages and medicinal purposes. Then, at the turn of the century, how the hop industry increased the economy of Independence well into the 1940’s. Finally there is a panel of statistics showing how hops affected the entire Willamette Valley to present day Craft Brewing of Beers.