Oregon Trail Interpretive Center Explains Past

Facility Explores 19th Century Westward Movement by Pioneers

May 27, 2009 Cheryl Probst

A trip to the Oregon Trail Interpretive Center in Baker City, OR, is like taking a trip back in time. Dioramas, film strips and exhibits make history come alive.

The mid-19th century saw people leave their homes in the eastern United States, bound for a new life in a new, faraway land: Oregon. Oregon: a land brought to the forefront by the Lewis & Clark expedition in the early 1800s and by fur trappers who brought back tales of this pristine, beautiful land. Oregon: a land where a person had the opportunity to make a new life for himself and his family.

Pioneers Left Homes, Families Behind

By the thousands, people left their homes and families behind. They made their way to either St. Louis or Independence in Missouri, where they stocked up to make the long, treacherous journey to Oregon. The trip to Oregon was approximately 2,000 miles long on a route that crossed the Great Plains and through the Rocky Mountains. The route went through deserts, across raging rivers and hostile Indian Territory.

Still, the pioneers forged on. It could take up to six months to make the trip by wagon. There were no freeways, no bridges across rivers, and wagon trains were stopped in their tracks by the dreaded cholera.

Somewhere between 250,000 and 500,000 people may have migrated to the west over the Oregon Trail.

Oregon Trail Interpretive Center Brings Journey to Life

The National Historic Oregon Trail Interpretive Center brings this journey to life for modern travelers who can make the same journey in just a few days by car.

The center, operated by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, sits atop Flagstaff Hill, five miles east of Baker City, OR, on Interstate 84. The first thing visitors see when entering the center is a massive diorama, complete with wagons, horses, Indians and weary pioneers. To one side is a woman praying over the grave of a loved one. An estimated 10 percent of those who attempted the journey lie buried alongside the trail. There are smaller dioramas throughout the building, such as a campfire scene and emigrants trading goods for food with Native Americans.

Filmstrips recreate the journey west. Excerpts from diaries and journals are used to narrate the movies. The center also hosts programs daily on topics such as art and music of the Oregon Trail, women who made the trip, gold panning and encampments. A schedule is available on the center’s website.

Outside are several wagons which show how little space the pioneers had to transport their belongings, many of which had to be jettisoned along the way.

Wagon Ruts Are Still Visible

Wagon ruts are still visible below the hill. A paved loop trail of 2.5 miles takes visitors down to the ruts. Access to the ruts is also available about a half-mile west of the entrance; those ruts are just 30 feet off the highway.

The center opens daily at 9 a.m.; closing time depends on the season. It is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s. Admission is charged.

The copyright of the article Oregon Trail Interpretive Center Explains Past in NW U.S./Alaska Travel is owned by Cheryl Probst. Permission to republish Oregon Trail Interpretive Center Explains Past in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Oregon Trail Intepretive Center Diorama	Diorama Recreates Journey	Wagon Overlooks Valley, Mountains
Wagon Ruts Are Still Visible	Oregon Trail Interpretive Center at Baker City, OR