Union County Museum Opens Season With Free Mother’s Day Event

The Union County Museum will turn Mother’s Day into a family outing on Sunday, May 10, when its free open house opens the 2026 season from 1 to 4 p.m. in Union’s National Historic District. Inside the five-building complex at 333 South Main Street, visitors will move from the Livery Station and General Store to a pioneer cabin, period rooms and archives that keep more than 150 years of Union County history in view.

The opening also marks 55 years since the museum was founded in 1971, a milestone that underscores how much of the county’s memory has been carried by volunteers. Organizers say the event committee has been preparing activities and a raffle, with refreshments available for visitors, while board president Josh White plans to highlight building improvements completed and underway with help from donors and grants.

The museum’s collection reaches well beyond a single display case or one era of local life. Its exhibits include agricultural implements, a carpenter’s shop, a blacksmith shop, Chinese history, Eastern Oregon Livestock Show material, Fred Hill photography, Hot Lake history, Grande Ronde River salmon history, Native Americans, Northeast Oregon mining, a Victorian period room, transportation displays, a typewriter collection, Union County brands, Century Farms records and an Oregon Trail history exhibit. Other featured spaces include the Watchmaker’s Collection, natural history displays, Hat Point Lookout material, period furniture and décor, and even a collection of Breyer horses and Barbie dolls.

One of the museum’s signature draws is Cowboys: Then & Now, which traces the history of cattle and cowboys in America. The museum says it acquired the exhibit from the Oregon Cattlemen’s Foundation in 1997 after its original Portland home closed, giving Union County a collection with roots that extend far beyond the Grande Ronde Valley.

After the season opener, the museum will be open Wednesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., through September. Admission will be $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $3 for children 6 and older. The City of Union says visitors also use the museum to research family history and explore photo archives, and that group and off-hour tours are welcome.

The museum is listed by Visit Eastern Oregon and Travel Oregon as a stop along the Grande Ronde Farm Trail, adding another reason for travelers and local families to step inside. For Union County, the season opening is more than a calendar date. It is a reminder that the county’s heritage depends on people willing to open the doors, keep the records and bring the past back into daily life.