Springfield History Museum reopens with exhibit on farm labor
Springfield History Museum reopens July 10 with a new farm labor exhibit that widens local history beyond pioneer stories.
Springfield History Museum will reopen Friday, July 10, at 10 a.m. after a six-month closure for collections care and gallery renovations, bringing back a refreshed Kathy Jensen Gallery and a new exhibit on the people who built the Willamette Valley’s agricultural economy.
The centerpiece is Farm Labor in the Valley, developed with community historians Nancy Bray and Herb Everett. The exhibit traces farm labor in Springfield, Lane County and the broader valley from pre-colonization to the present, with photographs, artifacts, oral histories and archival materials that highlight Indigenous stewards, Filipino workers in the hop fields, the Farm Workers’ Rights Movement, United Farm Workers and local labor organizing.
Mayor Sean VanGordon said the museum helps preserve the stories that define the community and will help future generations understand the people, cultures and events that shaped the area.
During the closure, museum staff, volunteers and University of Oregon interns researched, documented, photographed and rehoused more than 300 artifacts in archival-quality storage materials. The museum houses more than 11,000 objects tied to Springfield and rural east Lane County history.
The renovated gallery received new flooring, updated exhibit cases, improved interpretive signage and new reception and gift shop furnishings. The work was supported by community donors, Oregon Heritage and the Fred W. Fields Fund of Oregon Community Foundation.
The museum is managed by the Springfield Public Library, with guidance from the Springfield History Museum Committee, which City Council established in 2017 when the museum rejoined the city. The committee handles exhibit and programming decisions, community outreach, publicity and fundraising.
Admission will remain free, and regular hours are Thursday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The exhibit is scheduled to stay on view through Dec. 26, 2026. A companion reception tied to downtown Springfield’s Second Friday Art Walk is also planned for July 10.
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