UNUSUAL SALEM-AREA SPOTS FOR CURIOUS VISITORS

If you’re into quirky history, fun facts, and the road less traveled, the Salem area is filled with places that will both intrigue and delight you. From vintage first-lady gowns adorned with lace to antique beer-bottle collections and cow tombstones—check out this offbeat lineup and get your weird on.

8/11/25

Salem Pioneer Cemetery | @klicknkapturephotography

IN SALEM

SALEM PIONEER CEMETERY
Take a contemplative walk through Oregon’s diverse past. Both notables and citizens are buried in this 1854 cemetery, including Japanese-Americans, emancipated African-American slaves, explorers, and women’s suffrage leaders. Even the grave markers are a fascinating representation of stone and metal craftsmanship. Don’t miss the Chinese shrine.

DEEPWOOD MUSEUM
Imagine yourself in Salem’s high society of yesteryear at the meticulously preserved 1894 Queen Anne Victorian, Deepwood Museum. It’s filled with grand period furniture, vintage wedding dresses, ornate silverware, and other enchanting odds and ends from the late 1800s to the 1930s. Architecture fans will love the original Povey stained glass throughout the house.

THE TINY WALDO PARK
At just .005 acres and comprised of a single Sequoia tree, this Salem public park is considered one of the smallest in the country. The Sequoia was planted in 1872 by Judge William Waldo on what was his farmland at the time. After Waldo left and the property became the site for a highway, the beloved Sequoia remained. Stop by and see the plaque in Waldo’s honor.

THE TOMBSTONE OF WONDER COW
In the early 1900s, dairying was big business in Oregon. So much so that when a Jersey cow championed for producing over 5,000 pounds of butterfat named Vive La France died, her owner honored her with a burial in his yard and a granite tombstone. The Wonder Cow’s grave was eventually moved, and you can visit her final resting place on the Oregon State Fairgrounds.

OREGON STATE HOSPITAL MUSEUM OF MENTAL HEALTH
If you saw the 1975 film “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest,” you might recognize parts of this museum, as the classic was filmed here. But even more interesting, the museum tells the stories of the many people who have worked and lived at the 130-year-old mental-health hospital through a fantastic variety of artifacts, documents, photographs, and audio recordings.

B-17 ALLIANCE FOUNDATION MUSEUM
Veterans and aviation enthusiasts will definitely want to visit this World War II museum at Salem’s McNary Field. It not only has uniforms and photographs of the men and women who served, it’s home to some of the few remaining B-17 bombers. Watch volunteers restoring the B-17G known as “Lacey Lady” back to airworthy condition—or sign up and pitch in yourself.

THE BRUNK FARMSTEAD
This renovated 1861 pioneer house is a living museum filled with items from three generations of the Brunk family, including a Story and Clark pump organ and a rope bed that made its way via the Oregon Trail. If you’re interested in learning some hands-on pioneer skills, sign up for blacksmithing and woodworking classes, held the second Saturday of each month.

AROUND THE SALEM REGION

ST. PAUL
FIRST LADIES OF OREGON GOWN COLLECTION
Get a glimpse into the lives of Oregon’s first ladies during the state’s provisional government, 1859 statehood, and up to Oregon’s 150th birthday in 2019 at St. Paul’s Newell Pioneer Village. This is a rare opportunity to learn about the women, as they were often overshadowed by their governor husbands. The oldest dress in the collection dates back to 1849.

MT. ANGEL
MOUNT ANGEL ABBEY MUSEUM
Tucked into the southeast corner of sprawling Mount Angel Abbey, this natural-history museum is brimming with eclectic curiosities sure to tickle the fancy of everyone in your crew. From a taxidermied eight-legged cow and Native American tools to an undigested two-pound hairball taken from a pig’s stomach, this is the spot to get your strange on.

SILVERTON
BOBBIE THE WONDER DOG MURAL
Silverton is famous for its 30-plus murals around the cute downtown area, but none will warm your heart more than the mural for local 1920s hero, Bobbie the Wonder Dog. Taking up half a block, the mural tells the story of an extraordinary Scotch Collie who was separated from his owners in Indiana and walked 2,800 miles to Silverton to be joyously reunited with them.

KEIZER
KEIZER HERITAGE MUSEUM
Step inside Keizer’s Cultural Center and uncover the charm of the Keizer Heritage Museum. Packed with artifacts and stories that bring the town’s past to life, it’s a place full of surprises, like a pair of 200-year-old wedding socks that traveled the Oregon Trail in 1843. Even the building itself is a piece of the past, once serving as the town’s original schoolhouse.

RICKREALL
POLK COUNTY MUSEUM
Wondering if you have relatives who traveled the Oregon Trail? In addition to an antique beer-bottle collection (Polk County was once known as the Hop Capital of the World), historic maps, and a life-size replica of a covered wagon, this thought-provoking pioneer museum has an extensive research library where you can research your family lineage.

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