The Micro-Enterprise Inventor's Program of Oregon (MIPO) invites the public to meet 25 local inventors as they showcase their work at the 2008 Oregon Inventors Showcase on Saturday, May 3 at OMSI. The event, scheduled from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., will also include the “Oregon Best Invention Contest” with prizes including financial support and resources to help develop the winner's invention. The public can help judge the contest, voting on the day of the showcase for the inventor who will receive the People's Choice award and prize.

PORTLAND, OR (April 9, 2008) — The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will honor its more than 400 volunteers during National Volunteer Week, April 27- May 3. OMSI is hosting a number of special activities leading up to the week, beginning with a volunteer appreciation celebration and awards presentation Sunday, April 13 in OMSI’s historic Turbine Hall. This year OMSI will recognize more than 100 volunteers who have contributed at least five years or 2,000 hours of service, with 13 of those having contributed more than 20 years or 5,000 hours of service.

Portland, OR (April 1, 2008) The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will host a new community event, Seeds of Science, April 19-20. Seeds of Science will feature over 20 exhibitors sharing their knowledge about sustainability in the food we eat and grow. Featured activities include local nurseries and community gardeners discussing landscaping and backyard farming and a special farmer’s market featuring vendors who provide food for OMSI’s Market Café.

Portland, OR (April 8, 2008) The Port of Portland has partnered with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) to sponsor the cargo crane that is part of OMSI’s Engineer It! exhibit found in the historic Turbine Hall. The cargo crane directly connects the physics of movement with the day-to-day operations of the Port of Portland, one of our region’s key economic drivers.

Bank of America and The Boeing Company have collaborated to present $2 Days at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). Beginning April 6, OMSI visitors will pay only $2 per person for general admission on the first Sunday of each month.

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will be taking part in a nationwide event called NanoDays (March 29–April 6) during which more than 100 museums, universities, and researchers across the country will be educating people about nanotechnology. Nanotechnology is the engineering of functional systems at the molecular scale. OMSI will be offering events and activities throughout the week to raise public awareness of nanoscale science and engineering.

PORTLAND, Ore. (March 4, 2008) Exhilarating river-rafting action, family fun and the grandeur of the Colorado River come to the giant-screen when Grand Canyon Adventure: River at Risk opens at OMSI’s OMNIMAX® Dome Theater Friday, March 14, 2008. Grand Canyon Adventure tells an engaging story of how ordinary people can make a difference for our parched planet. Grand Canyon Adventure comes to OMSI through the generous support of presenting sponsor Pepsi Bottling Group and sponsor Kiewit-Bilfinger Berger.

PORTLAND, Ore. (Feb. 14, 2008) — Vanishing glaciers are the most visually dramatic signs of climate change, an event of epochal geological significance happening in our own time. Using 26 time-lapse camera units placed near 15 sites across the northern hemisphere, internationally acclaimed nature photojournalist, James Balog is producing 300,000 images over the course of three years, capturing glacial melt as never before. Balog will be presenting his photography and speaking about the Extreme Ice project in the OMSI auditorium Tuesday, Feb. 19. at 7:30 p.m. This event is free and open to the general public.

Why did OMSI ask the state for financial help?
Part of the cost of OMSI’s current building was related to energy-efficiency components included in its construction. These cutting-edge features were expensive and the state agreed to loan OMSI $15.5 million through the Department of Energy. The rationale was that these features increased OMSI’s energy efficiency and made it a demonstration site for energy education to schools and the general public.

Access Algebra will target middle-school age students and engage visitors in design activities to promote creativity and innovation and build math literacy. Drawing on the successes of past OMSI-created exhibits such as Innovation Station, Animation, Engineer It!, and Moneyville, OMSI’s exhibit team will take a non-traditional, experiential approach to math learning, focusing on math as a tool to create and invent everything from rap music to race cars to a skate park.

Travel back in time 200 million years and witness China’s most spectacular ancient inhabitants in the largest collection of authentic Chinese fossils ever toured. Opening Feb. 2 at The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Dinosaurs: China’s Ancient Giants features twenty complete dinosaur skeletons (both casts and fossils), a “dig pit” where kids of all ages can become paleontologists for a day, and a 67 foot-long adult Mamenchisaurus—the longest-necked dinosaur ever! This exhibit comes to OMSI in part through the generous support of regional sponsors Key Bank, Mentor Graphics and The Standard.

PORTLAND, Ore. (Nov. 26, 2007)—On Nov. 15, 2007 the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) completed a $4.6 million payment against its 1991 construction loan from the state of Oregon. The payment fulfills a commitment from OMSI as part of a plan supported by the governor and legislature in which the state would match OMSI’s payment.

To date, the governor and the legislature have committed $2.3 million from the state towards the $4.6 million match. The legislature has expressed intent to appropriate the additional matching funds when they meet in February 2008. OMSI also has a request pending with the City of Portland to assist the state with a portion of the remaining funds.

PORTLAND, Ore. (Nov. 9, 2007)—The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will host The Spiderwick Chronicles Experience, a touring exhibit designed to bring the exotic worlds of The Spiderwick Chronicles film to life though an education inspired series of interactive displays. The exhibit will be stationed on the OMSI front plaza for one day only, Saturday, November 17, and tours are free and open to the public.

Portland, Ore. (November 6, 2007)—The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will receive the National Medal for Museum and Library Service, awarded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for extraordinary community service. The $10,000 award recognizes museums and libraries that use innovative and effective methods to attain a level of public service that goes well beyond the norm. Recipients are chosen for their success in improving communities and making a difference in people’s lives.

Sea Monsters brings to life the extraordinary marine reptiles of the dinosaur age, from the giraffe-necked Styxosaurus and 20-foot “bulldog” fish Xiphactinus to the T-Rex of the ocean — the 40-foot super-predator Tylosaurus — these wondrous beasts defy imagination.

PORTLAND, OR (Aug. 20, 2007) — Edible Paper. Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream. Electric Foamers. Science and food continue to collide in restaurant kitchens around the globe as popular gastronomy adopts the role of a working science laboratory. To honor some of the country’s emerging “science chefs” and explore this innovative scientific approach to food, The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) announces the theme for its annual fundraising gala, “Science in the Kitchen: An Evening with the Nation’s Top Culinary Alchemists,” on Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008.

PORTLAND, Ore.- OMSI needed a village and the village came. Fifty years ago on Aug. 17, 1957, 400 volunteer bricklayers laid 102,000 bricks and literally raised the walls of OMSI’s former Washington Park location in one day.

PORTLAND, Ore.— The bus stops here! “The Big Green Bus” will open its doors on the plaza of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) this Wednesday so that visitors can tour this remarkable vehicle that runs on waste vegetable oil collected from fast food diners and Chinese take outs. A group of Dartmouth students has been driving the bus across the country since June, stopping at America’s biggest concerts, conventions, and rallies, with the goal of hitting over 45 cities by the end of August. Their mission: To empower Americans to take charge of their environmental impact.

PORTLAND, Ore. — (Aug. 9, 2007) Today Gov. Kulongoski vetoed a provision of Senate bill 994 that intended to assist OMSI in the restructure of its debt with the state.

Over the past week there has been some news coverage and community discussion concerning recent action by the Oregon legislature that provided $4.6 million out of the public purpose trust to OMSI to help reduce OMSI's debt to the state.

Following this year’s Oregon Agate and Mineral Society’s 56th annual show at OMSI, a team of society members stopped by OMSI and made a generous donation of proceeds from the show. The society has supported OMSI since 1947.

PORTLAND, Ore. (June 15, 2007) — Is breakfast really that important? Are you eating enough fruits and vegetables? What does a healthy serving size look like? Visitors can learn the answers to these questions and more in Every Body Eats, a highly interactive traveling exhibit opening June 16 at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI). This 800-square-foot exhibit, developed in OMSI’s world-renowned exhibit shop, features hands-on interactives that appeal to children and their families and features text in English and Spanish.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Discover the story beneath your skin in The Human Body, a giant-screen film that is a dramatic combination of live action, computer-generated graphics, microscopy and the latest cutting-edge cinematic techniques opening on OMSI’s OMNIMAX® screen June 7.

PORTLAND, Ore. (March 14, 2007) — Ever wonder what it’s like in outer space? Or how hard it is to train to become an astronaut? And just how does a person eat in zero gravity? Now is your chance to hear the answers to these questions and more.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) announced today it will host the Pacific Northwest debut of the internationally renowned exhibition, Gunther von Hagens' BODY WORLDS 3: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies, opening June 7 for a limited engagement. OMSI also announced it has partnered with Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) for the exhibition run in Portland, marking an unprecedented sponsorship from the nationally recognized health and science university. The exhibition is also supported by Hillsboro-based Acumed, a provider of unique orthopedic trauma and reconstruction products.

PORTLAND, Ore. (Jan. 17, 2007) —This winter OMSI invites visitors to journey down the Amazon river to seven ports of call where they can encounter amazing creatures and diverse cultures in the new exhibit, Amazon Voyage: Vicious Fishes and Other Riches. Opening Saturday, Feb. 3, Amazon Voyage features a variety of fun interactive activities for the whole family including original multimedia presentations, computer interactive stations, story telling, live fish in uniquely designed tanks, original artifacts, dance, music, live demonstrations and more.

PORTLAND, Ore. — A powerfully moving giant screen film unlike any other, MacGillivray Freeman’s Hurricane On The Bayou, opening January 12, carries audiences behind today’s news headlines on a journey deep into the soul-stirring heart of Louisiana — before, during and after the unprecedented devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Unfolding against the poignant backdrop of the most costly natural disaster in America’s history and featuring state-of-the art CGI special effects depicting Katrina’s fury, Hurricane On The Bayou follows a group of four musicians, both legendary and rising, as they uncover the electrifying culture of New Orleans.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is pleased to announce it has received a grant from the James F. and Marion L. Miller Foundation. Over the next three years, OMSI will receive $900,000 to make a variety of key infrastructure upgrades throughout the museum that will include improvements in guest accessibility, public area renovations and more.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) has joined with FLIR Systems, Inc., to present visitors with two new exciting options to learn about cutting-edge infrared camera technology. FLIR Systems, Inc., a world leader in infrared camera systems, has generously donated two infrared cameras to OMSI and a new exhibit has been installed using these cameras.

PORTLAND, Ore. (Nov. 29) - Volunteers Bob Walters and Fred Carneau with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry were awarded the Historical Naval Ships Association’s Ship Maintenance, Preservation, Exhibition award for outstanding and dedicated work on OMSI’s U.S.S. Blueback submarine in a ceremony held at OMSI on Nov. 28.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Moviegoers will want to tap their way to OMSI's OMNIMAX theater when Happy Feet opens November 17. Digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® with proprietary IMAX DMR® (digital re-mastering) technology, Happy Feet: The IMAX Experience will debut concurrently with the nationwide 35mm release from Warner Bros. Pictures.

PORTLAND, Ore. (Nov. 3, 2006) - Don’t miss the excitement when high school robotics teams from throughout Oregon and SW Washington converge on the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry Saturday, Nov. 18, for a day of mechanical madness at the FIRST Robotics Competition. Get an up-close look at these 130-pound monsters and see them in action. Middle school FIRST LEGO League teams also will be talking about their program and demonstrating their smaller robots. Admission to this event is free and is held in conjunction with OMSI’s blockbuster Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination exhibit.

OMSI's Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination exhibit tickets on sale!

PORTLAND, Ore. (Aug. 30, 2006) — There's a place from which nothing escapes, not even light, where time and space literally come to end. It's at this point, inside this fantastic riddle, that black holes exert their sway over the cosmos … and our imaginations. Cross the cosmic threshold into the bizarre realm of a black hole when The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) debuts its new planetarium show, Black Holes: The Other Side of Infinity at the Kendall Planetarium Sept. 5, 2006.

PORTLAND, Ore. (August 14, 2006) — Where does a chipmunk sleep? What does an eagle feed its young? How do mother bats find their babies in a cave? You can learn the answers to these and other questions as you explore the hidden habitats and secret lives of forest animals in Animal Secrets, a new exhibit opening September 1 at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI).

Portland, Ore. (Aug 10, 2006) - The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) has been named the recipient of two prestigious awards for excellence in aerospace education. The two awards, the Civil Air Patrol's Pacific Region Frank G. Brewer Memorial Aerospace Award and the John Keener Aerospace Education Award of Excellence were presented to OMSI at the museum on July 31 at 2 p.m.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Could humanoid droids and vehicles that hover above ground – once limited only to the fantasy worlds of Star Wars — become a reality? On October 11, 2006, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will present the West Coast debut of an innovative exhibition, Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination.

Portland, Ore. - CBS News’ “The Early Show” will broadcast live from OMSI Friday July 7, 4:00am - 6:00am PDT. The live broadcast is part of their “Great American Vacation” giveaway in which CBS will give unsuspecting viewers a family vacation for up to four people. Portland, Oregon and OMSI are one of 16 locations chosen nationwide. The “Early Show” featuring OMSI will air locally on KOIN 6 Friday from 7am - 9am.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Today’s state-of-the-art technology will transport audiences back in time to the dawn of democracy and the birthplace of Western Civilization in MacGillivray Freeman’s new IMAX® adventure of discovery, Greece: Secrets of the Past. Set against the breathtaking, azure vistas of the Greek Isles, the film merges a contemporary archeological detective story with some of the most advanced and painstaking digital re-creations ever undertaken for an IMAX® film.

PORTLAND, Ore. - Visitors to OMSI's OMNIMAX® Dome Theater will be the first in Portland to see the summer's most highly anticipated film when Superman Returns: The IMAX Experience® makes its Portland debut Tuesday, June 27, at midnight.

PORTLAND, Ore (May 11,2006) — In science fiction, robots take on many unique and diverse forms, such as R2D2 & C-3PO from Star Wars, Robby the Robot from Forbidden Planet, or the cold steel behemoth, GORT, from The Day the Earth Stood Still.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is hosting an "OMSI Ride-In" on Sunday, April 30, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

PORTLAND, Ore — The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is pleased to announce it is now the full owner of the museum's longtime popular "Beginning the Journey" prenatal exhibit, effective December 31, 2005.

Portland, Ore. (March 24, 2006) — Spring break visitors to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will have the opportunity to meet the nation's top young inventors during Saturday's "March Madness for the Mind" collegiate e-team exhibition. They'll even have a chance to make a few inventions of their own during the science museum's action-packed week of brain-powered fun beginning tomorrow through April 2. The week's not-to-be-missed lineup includes:

PORTLAND, Ore — The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is pleased to welcome The Lemelson Foundation and its grantee partner the NCIIA for select events during the 10th Annual March Madness for the Mind — an annual celebration of E-Team innovation-collaborating groups of college students, faculty and industry mentors.

Portland, Ore. (February 14, 2006) — As the Tour de France cyclist navigates a sharp turn on a high-speed descent in the Pyrenees Mountains, a sudden cry of warning alerts him to a danger in the road ahead.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Discover Portland's own world-class animation scene at the Northwest Animation Showcase at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) Jan 14-15, 2006 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Throughout January, OMSI will be "all about animation," from the held-over Animation exhibit featuring Cartoon Network and the IMAX® BIG Shorts in the OMNIMAX, to the exclusive weekend "Northwest Animation Showcase" event featuring the best of the Northwest's animated shorts and artifacts.

PORTLAND, Ore. — The historic Turbine Hall at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will be shaking and quaking on Tuesday, Dec. 20, when the new Earthquake House and Natural Hazards Information Center opens to the public.

UPDATE: All Oregon Rail Heritage Foundation Holiday Express train rides for the weekend of Dec. 16-18 are on schedule! More Info

PORTLAND, ORE. — All Aboard! The Polar Express: The IMAX Experience will make its arrival at OMSI'S OMNIMAX Dome Theater on November 25. This unique holiday film from Warner Bros. Pictures has been digitally re-mastered (IMAX DMR®) into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience. Audiences will be immersed in the IMAX presentation of The Polar Express…watching snowflakes float down the giant IMAX screen and feeling the train rumble via 12,000 watts of digital surround sound...on a screen towering five stories tall.

PORTLAND, OR — Moviegoers will have the opportunity to further immerse themselves in the adventure of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire when the film opens at OMSI'S OMNIMAX Dome Theater Dec. 2. Digitally re-mastered into the unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experienceâ with proprietary IMAX DMRâ (digital re-mastering) technology, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire: The IMAX Experience will debut at OMSI two weeks following Warner Bros. Pictures' highly anticipated 35mm nationwide release.

PORTLAND, Ore. — On Saturday, Oct. 22, guests at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will get an inside look and try a hand at planning and creating a healthy and vibrant community during the second annual Community Planning Day.

PORTLAND, OR — Science museum visitors across the country will soon step into the exciting and visually rich world of animation when the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's (OMSI) brand-new, 6,000-square-foot, highly interactive exhibit, Animation, begins its national tour in October 2005.

PORTLAND, Ore. — At Northwest Osteopathic Medical Foundation's 7th annual Safety Safari, Sept. 24-25 at OMSI from 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., kids and their families will learn about everything from emergency preparedness to preventing everyday household injuries.

Portland, Ore. — Only 12 have walked on the moon. Beginning September 23, moviegoers at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's OMNIMAX Theater will be next! Through the magic of The IMAX Experienceâ, Magnificent Desolation: Walking on the Moon takes audiences to the lunar surface to walk alongside the 12 extraordinary astronauts who have been there to experience what they saw, heard, felt, thought and did.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Crawl, slither, and slide into the largest gathering of reptiles and amphibians in the Northwest on Labor Day weekend, September 3-5, when the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry presents one of its most popular events - the 21st Annual Reptile and Amphibian Show. The show, expected to attract 15,000 visitors, features hundreds of captive-bred, cold-blooded frogs, lizards, geckos, snakes, tortoises and turtles.

EDITORS' NOTE: Jim Todd is available for media interviews on these topics.

PORTLAND, Ore — The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's Kendall Planetarium is busily gearing up for its largest star party of the year on August 11, and planetarium staff continue to provide information to the public on several significant NASA August space activities, including the Shuttle Discovery landing on August 7, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter launch on August 10 and a Mars event email hoax rumored to occur on August 27.

PORTLAND, Ore — OMSI is going deep - 2,100 feet below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean - to take OMSI visitors on a remarkable journey to the newly discovered Lost City on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge with scientists Dr. Robert Ballard and Dr. Deborah Kelly.

Portland, Ore — Space exploration fans are invited to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's (OMSI) showing of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Space Shuttle Discovery launch on Wednesday, July 13, 2005 at 12 p.m. The launch of Discovery, scheduled for 12:51 p.m. PDT, marks the first U.S. space flight since the February 2003 loss of the shuttle Columbia.

PORTLAND, Ore — The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), a leading provider of science outreach programs, is celebrating a recent National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) reauthorization legislation amendment authored by Senator Gordon Smith to expand distance learning opportunities in rural areas of Oregon.

PORTLAND, Ore. — For the first time in its 13-year history, the OMNIMAX® Dome Theater at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will join the ranks of mega movie theaters across the nation, when first-run, Hollywood film, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory: The IMAX Experience opens on July 15, 2005.

PORTLAND, Ore — (June 28, 2005) Oregon space enthusiasts are invited to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s free “Deep Impact” party on Sunday, July 3 from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m., to witness the first-of-its-kind, hyper-speed impact between a space-borne iceberg and a copper-fortified probe scheduled for approximately 10:52 p.m. PDT on July 3.

PORTLAND, OR — Audiences of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry's five-story OMNIMAX Dome Theater will be able to "cast their spell in IMAX" as Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban: The IMAX Experience opens on June 15, 2005.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Mind reading. Floating in thin air. A head without a body. Is it magic or science? Or perhaps a little of both?

PORTLAND, Ore. — The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will join with museums, planetariums and science centers across the country from Guam to Maine in displaying two new mural-sized images taken by NASA's Hubble Space Telescope.

PORTLAND, OR (April 6, 2005) — The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is pleased to announce it has partnered with animation powerhouse, Cartoon Network, for OMSI’s new Animation international touring exhibit slated to debut on the science museum’s floor in Portland, Oregon, in October 2005.

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is holding a Grossest Pets We Love to Love Contest! The contest and other totally gross spring break activities from March 19-27 are being held in conjunction with OMSI's Animal Grossology exhibit on display now.

PORTLAND, Ore. (March 16, 2005) - The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is pleased to announce it has received a $76.2K grant from the Allstate Foundation for the upgrade of its "Earthquake Room" exhibit and the development of a natural disaster "Be Prepared!" computer-based kiosk exhibit.

PORTLAND, Ore. - The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) is hosting a "Totally Gross Spring Break", March 19-27, 2005. The weeklong gross events are part of OMSI's Animal Grossology exhibit on display now through May 1, 2005. Events include a Grossest Pets We Love to Love Contest and more!

PORTLAND, Ore. — The largest Brain Fair in the country kicks off this weekend at OMSI, the grand finale of Oregon Health & Science University's Brain Awareness Season 2005.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Two Americans have made history by completing one of the last great adventures of the modern age — the first complete descent of the Nile River from its source as the Blue Nile in Ethiopia to the shores of Alexandria where it spills into the Mediterranean Sea. Pasquale Scaturro of Colorado and Gordon Brown of California reached the mouth of the Nile on April 28, 2004, 114 days after launching their epic 3,250-mile journey.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Punxsutawney Phil may have seen his shadow earlier this month predicting six more weeks of winter but OMSI staff are wasting no time in gearing for this year’s jam-packed lineup of spring and summer science camps and classes. Because of the popularity of its annual program, prospective OMSI campers and students are encouraged to sign up early!

PORTLAND, Ore. — Rock hounds will gather at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) for the much anticipated "54th Annual Agate and Mineral Show" from February 18-20, 2005.

PORTLAND, Ore. (January 24, 2005) - The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will take more than 2,000 Pacific Northwest teachers and students on a virtual field trip to the Louisiana Bayou, to experience alligator encounters, wade through deep marshes, and work to save Louisiana's disappearing wetlands.

PORTLAND, Ore. (Dec. 29, 2004) — The first landing by a manmade space probe on the moon of another planet is set to happen. Europe's "Huygens" probe has separated successfully from its U.S.-built mother ship "Cassini" and is cruising toward Titan, Saturn's mysterious moon.

PORTLAND, Ore. (December 22, 2004) — With the arrival of the holidays comes an increase in the number of drinking drivers on the road – and many such drivers are underage. Concerned parents are encouraged to bring their teens to OMSI to visit Under the Influence: An Exhibit About Underage Drinking.

When was the last time you were truly en-GROSS-ed? Welcome to the interactive exhibition that takes a slightly different view of Fluffy, Fido and the rest of the animal kingdom in "Animal Grossology," premiering at OMSI January 29.

PORTLAND, Ore.- December 20, 2004 - A winter holiday visit to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry is a family tradition for many and this year is no exception - OMSI staff are geared and ready to provide science fun for families who come from around the Pacific Northwest, and sometimes further, to enjoy one of the top science museums in the country.

PORTLAND, Ore. (December 7, 2004) — A group of teens from OMSI's Rising Stars teen volunteer program recently attended their first professional sports event and collected $10K for the Rising Stars teen volunteer program at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) - thanks to a generous $10K donation and donated game tickets from Staples Foundation for Learning.

PORTLAND, Ore. (December 1, 2004) — The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) Board of Trustees is pleased to announce the appointment of four new members to its board of trustees:

PORTLAND, Ore. (November 29, 2004) — The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) recently received a $10K grant from Staples Foundation for Learning for OMSI’s Rising Stars youth volunteer program. The $10K donation will be presented to a group of teens from OMSI’s Rising Stars during halftime at the December 5 Portland Trailblazers basketball game against the Phoenix Suns at the Portland Rose Garden. Game time is 6 p.m.

Get into the Thanksgiving holiday mood by learning "to play the turkey baster" the weekend of November 20-21 at OMSI. All visitors who bring turkey basters to the museum the weekend before Thanksgiving will get a free music lesson in the museum’s Physics Lab.

PORTLAND, Ore. (October 14, 2004) — On Saturday, November 13, visitors at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) will get an inside look and try a hand at planning and creating a healthy and vibrant community during its Community Planning Day Block Party.

PORTLAND, Ore. (October 11, 2004)— The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry invites visitors to experience Innovation Station, a new permanent exhibit installed in the museum’s historic Turbine building. Opening November 11, Innovation Station encompasses more than 20 technology-themed exhibits, plus a new and expanded Vernier Technology Lab and the sure to be popular Inventor’s Ball Room—a wild, interactive exhibit that has nothing to do with dancing, and everything to do with the process of innovation.

PORTLAND, Ore. (September 22, 2004) – At Northwest Osteopathic Medical Foundation’s 6th annual Safety Safari, Oct. 16 - 17 at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry from 9:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., kids can learn the “survival” skills they need to brave the jungles of common safety dangers. With Toucan Andy (Safety Safari’s official mascot) serving as trail guide, kids and parents are invited to explore hands-on activities, interactive exhibits, and demonstrations led by local safety experts. The event is free for kids age 13 and under; $8.50 for adults and $6.50 for seniors.

PORTLAND, Ore. (September 9, 2004) — The ground moves, mountains explode, the sky turns black and violent, as natural forces that helped create life on our green planet are also ready to threaten it. Encounter Earth’s fiercest powers and the death-defying science behind them when “Forces of Nature” premieres in the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s five-story OMNIMAX® Dome October 8, 2004 and runs through March 2005.

PORTLAND, Ore. (September 7, 2004)— Oregon Museum of Science and Industry’s most frequent visitors – kids ages eight and under – will “christen” Science Playground, the museum’s new early childhood development hall on Wednesday, Oct. 6 with a splash from the new water wall and confetti of sand from the spacious sand box. Science Playground is the first hall to debut as a part of OMSI's landmark $4.2 million renovation project, which represents the largest capital improvement undertaken since the museum moved to Portland’s Eastbank in 1992.

PORTLAND, Ore. (August 26, 2004) — From August 28, 2004 to January 5, 2005, the Oregon Museum of Science of Industry displays Arctic National Wildlife Refuge: Season of Life and Land, an exhibit of photography by Subhankar Banerjee designed and produced by the California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California with the generous support of the Lannan Foundation.

PORTLAND, Ore. (August 16, 2004) — OMSI goes deep into the jungle with Discovering Chimpanzees: The Remarkable World of Jane Goodall, a traveling exhibit opening September 28.

PORTLAND, Ore. (June 7, 2004) – Mars, a new digitally animated space show, will open at OMSI’s Harry C. Kendall Planetarium on Saturday, June 12. The museum’s newest ultra-high definition, full-dome SkyVision™ show attempts to answer some of the questions that come to mind when we think of Mars: What happened out there? Was there once life? What happened to the water? Could there still be life…somewhere?

PORTLAND, ORE., (June 4, 2004) – Visitors to OMSI can join Dr. Robert Ballard’s expedition, Return to Titanic from June 4 – June 9. Through satellite technology, children and adults can take part in a ground-breaking, two-way virtual experience of the historic mission. Viewing sessions are scheduled for 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. from Friday, June 4 through Wednesday, June 9 except for Monday, June 7 when the museum will be closed. The program, entitled Titanic Live! will also enable participants to watch the making of National Geographic Channel’s television event, “Return to Titanic,” which originates from the expedition and will be broadcast live during the mission Monday, June 7.

PORTLAND, Ore. (May 19, 2004) - OMSI will be holding its annual Memorial Day ceremony to commemorate those who served on the Blueback and other local veterans on Monday, May 31 at 1:00pm. This year’s ceremony has special significance because OMSI is celebrating the 10th anniversary of the U.S.S. Blueback Submarine becoming a first-class exhibit at the museum.

PORTLAND, Ore. (May 17, 2004) - On Saturday, May 29, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will open a new exhibit, Titanic Science: The Real Artifacts, The True Stories. The exhibit, which will run through the summer, represents years of research and an unprecedented combination of science and human drama.

PORTLAND, Ore. (April 30, 2004) – As a partner of the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry announced they will be hosting live videoconferences and activities for students during the week of the fair, May 9-15. OMSI and Intel have partnered to organize these activities to honor the work of the ISEF participants and to inspire students throughout Oregon to pursue science and engineering.

PORTLAND, Ore. (April 30, 2004) –In honor of the 2004 Intel International Science & Engineering Fair (ISEF), The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has announced two special websites they have built to connect people around the world to share in the excitement of ISEF. The fair, which is being held this year in Portland, will bring more than 1,200 students from 40 countries, 1,000 judges and 3,000 out-of-town visitors.

PORTLAND, Ore. (April 15, 2004) – On Saturday, May 29, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will open a new exhibit entitled, Titanic Science: The Real Artifacts, The True Stories. The 8,000 square foot exhibit, which will run through the summer, combines real scientific findings with actual artifacts, creating a powerful educational experience. The highly interactive exhibit, sponsored locally by Comcast, will take visitors through an exploration of the April 15, 1912 disaster and the emotional journey that resulted in the loss of more than 1,500 lives.

WHAT: U.S. Representative David Wu of Oregon’s 1st District will announce four scholarships to space camps this Thursday at 10:00 a.m. at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. This is the third year that the Congressman’s office has organized the scholarship competition.

WHAT: The Governor of Oregon has officially proclaimed that the month of April is Financial Literacy Month. Jump$tart Oregon, a non-profit organization, will be holding a Financial Literacy Month kick-off event at OMSI to promote personal finance education at home and in school.

PORTLAND, Ore. (April 2, 2004)- A starry phenomenon is about to occur in the spring skies, on of all days, National Astronomy Day 2004. Four visible planets and Earth’s moon will dance across a palette painted by dusk April 24, when Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and the waxing crescent Moon will gather in the west in the evening sky.

PORTLAND, Ore., (March 31, 2004) — OMSI lead science teacher educator Blair Baldwin is one of a small handful of Oregon educators to be honored by the national Flight of Discovery organization for his work in bringing to life the lessons of Lewis and Clark’s historic expedition. In recognition of his outstanding work at OMSI, Baldwin will receive a “trunk of discovery,” valued at more than $1,000, at a special ceremony at OMSI, Thursday, April 1 at 10 a.m. Taking part in the event will be Mike Harding, Flight of Discovery Expedition Leader and Sigfried, a Great Dane and the official mascot of the expedition.

Portland, Ore. (March 18, 2004) – If you’re planning to stay in Oregon for spring break, take a trip to OMSI to see animatronic dinosaurs, experiment with flubber in our chemistry labs or go on a giant screen journey in our OMNIMAX® Theater. Here are more of the fun and exciting events happening at OMSI over spring break.

Portland, Ore. (March 17, 2004) - The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has hired Dr. Robert Sprackland as Science Director.

Portland, Ore. (March 15, 2004) - The Board of Trustees of the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has added Leslie Weldon as its newest member.

PORTLAND, OR and MELVILLE, NY, March 1, 2004 – “The Nikon Small World competition has looked for art where many people do not know it exists, on the microscopic level,” reported The New York Times in September when it previewed the winners of the 2003 Nikon Small World Photomicrography Competition.

PORTLAND, Ore – OHSU’s Brain Awareness Season 2004 will culminate with a flurry of activities the week of March 12-19 during the national observance of Brain Awareness Week. Events for all ages are planned, including multiple launches of a hot air balloon shaped like a brain, the popular Brain Fair at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, a theater presentation portraying patient experiences with multiple sclerosis, and guest speakers.

PORTLAND, Ore. – A fast-paced, light-hearted and at times hair-raising look at the science of speed and why and how humans keep going faster and faster is captured in Top Speed, a giant screen experience which enters the lives of four uncommonly fast individuals. These individuals take daring risks, go to new extremes and push the science of performance beyond the limits in the never-ending pursuit of ultimate velocity. The film opens Friday, March 5 at the OMNIMAX® Theater at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

PORTLAND, Ore – In recognition of the Kendall family’s generous giving to the museum, OMSI has announced that the name of its planetarium will officially change to the Harry C. Kendall Planetarium in memory of Harry C. Kendall.

PORTLAND, Ore.--Hiking boots and bug spray are a top priority for 4th grade teacher Heather Renz, who has been selected to lead an international science expedition to Panama’s rainforests and canal, January 26 through January 31, with some of the world’s leading scientists and teachers.

Portland, Ore - As Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity heads for landing on the red planet, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will sponsor a special Mars party to view the landing of the second of two U.S. crafts on Saturday, January 24, 2004 from 8:00 p.m. to midnight. Viewers will be able to watch in the OMSI Auditorium and Planetarium via a non-stop live link from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) control center in Pasadena, Calif.

Portland, Ore - Dinosaurs are back in Portland, and this time they are involved in a crime! The suspect: Tyrannosaurus rex. The victim: a Triceratops. “Whodunit?” Was the hapless Triceratops alive or dead when T. rex selected him for a meal millions of years ago? In other words, was this infamous dinosaur really a predatory killer or an opportunistic scavenger?

As Mars Exploration Rovers head for landings on the red planet in January, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will sponsor a special Mars party to view the landing of the first of two U.S. crafts, Saturday, January 3, 2004 from 8:00 p.m. to midnight. Viewers will be able to watch in the OMSI Auditorium via a non-stop live link from NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) control center in Pasadena, Calif.

In partnership with the City of Portland’s Bureau of Environmental Services, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry opened an exhibit today that presents an above ground look at the problem of combined sewer overflows (CSOs). The exhibit demonstrates one of the biggest CSO solutions - the West Side Big Pipe project - currently under construction along the Willamette River.

Heather Renz, a fourth-grade teacher at Vern Patrick Elementary School in Redmond, has been selected to work with an elite team of distinguished scientists to lead millions of teachers and students on an expedition of discovery to explore the Isthmus of Panama and its tropical rainforests.

Portland General Electric (PGE) and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) are pleased to announce the signing of an Option Agreement which gives OMSI up to two years to purchase PGE-owned property adjacent to OMSI’s current main building. With this agreement in place, OMSI will begin to explore opportunities for future growth of its facilities and science-based educational programs.

Did you ever wonder where your dollar bill traveled after it left your pocket to pay for your bus ticket or school lunch? OMSI, KeyBank and Clear Channel invite students in grades 3-8 to use their imagination and write a creative story that details the adventures of what happens to a dollar bill in one day. Entries must be turned into OMSI or postmarked by Nov. 14, 2003 to be eligible for prizes.

Mars will put on a special show in late summer, and the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will sponsor a special sky watch party for the event. OMSI will join the Rose City Astronomers (RCA) and Vancouver Sidewalk Astronomers (VSA) for a special Mars Viewing Party, Saturday, August 23 from 8:30 p.m. to midnight.

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will honor the 34th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing with a daylong celebration on Saturday, July 19. The museum’s annual Space Day will be filled with space-related events, activities and displays by OMSI science labs, community groups such as the Oregon L5 Society, the International Mars Society and the Portland State Aerospace Society, as well as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

PHOTOS available at http://www.omsi.edu/info/pr/infinity_express.cfm

The Murdock Planetarium at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has undergone a major upgrade with new advanced, state-of-the-art multi-media technology. A high definition video projector system called SkyVision, made by Sky-Skan, Inc., will allow the planetarium dome to be completely covered with real and computer-generated images to create a completely immersive environment.

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has been awarded a $17,000 grant from the Staples Foundation for Learning for the museum’s Rising Stars program. The Rising Stars program joins together up to 60 high school students from 30 traditional and non-traditional, public and private high schools throughout the Portland metropolitan area. Rising Stars are provided with professional development training, science education and an introduction to community service. The students engage in a combination of educational sessions and volunteer work experience on the OMSI floor in one of two six-week sessions during the summer.

Two new members have been named to OMSI’s Board of Trustees for the term running June 1, 2003 through May 31, 2006. In addition, John V. Harker has been named board chair. Harker, who has served on OMSI’s board since 1997, has been president and chief executive officer of InFocus Corporation since April 1992, and was appointed chairman of the InFocus board in 1994.

Because Earth’s moon will be in a perfect position for viewing on Saturday, July 12, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, Rose City Astronomers and Vancouver Sidewalk Astronomers have organized a Star Party, beginning at 9:30 p.m. in OMSI’s East Parking Lot. Jim Todd, OMSI’s Murdock Planetarium manager, said that the angle of the sun will cause deep shadows to fall on the moon’s surface, making its highlands and craters more easily visible. Beginning and expert stargazers are invited to use a variety of telescopes owned by club members to view the moon and other objects in the sky.

"Pulse: a STOMP Odyssey" - a film with no spoken words but with enough percussion, voice, dance and colorful visuals to speak volumes, opens Friday June 13 at the Omnimax Theater at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry.

Curators at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry are anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new species for the museum’s collection. Nearly 45,000 Eisenia foetida will be placed inside their specially made, vermicomposting exhibit on Thursday, May 29 at 10 a.m.

There's a new town in town, and it will soon be open for business at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. “Moneyville” is a colorful, new, city-like exhibit that focuses on an attention-getting subject -- money! OMSI is putting the final touches on the largest traveling exhibit it has built to date. The 6,000-sqaure foot “Moneyville,” designed and built by OMSI’s award-winning Exhibits Department, is the first large scale exhibit to be built since OMSI opened "Star Trek" ten years ago. That exhibit, along with 27 other OMSI-built exhibits, is still traveling internationally.

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and science classes from Franklin High School who teamed up to participate in Public Science Day 2003 learned this week that they won first prize in the national competition. Public Science Day, sponsored by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), is an annual event designed to raise public awareness about the importance of science education and to heighten enthusiasm for science and technology learning.

US Representative David Wu of Oregon’s 1st District will announce four scholarships to space camps tomorrow at10:30 a.m. at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. This is the second year that the Congressman’s office has provided the scholarships.

Two sessions each are available at OMSI’s Pacific Rim Space Flight Academy, and two at the U.S. Space Camp and Academy in Huntsville, Alabama. The five-day sessions provide comprehensive information and studies on space flight, space exploration, rocketry and include a variety of activities.

The story of reefs and how they’ve come to face worldwide decline is brought to life seven stories tall in Coral Reef Adventure, an all-new IMAX theatre experience that takes audiences on a fantastic voyage of discovery to the South Pacific’s reefs. The film, which opens Friday, March 7, provides an in-depth look at endangered reefs in the south pacific. Following husband and wife cinematography team Howard and Michele Hall, Coral Reef Adventure reveals both the remarkable contribution to life on earth and the imminent dangers coral reefs are facing. The IMAX cameras capture the vast array of unusual creatures that inhabit the reefs, while the Halls introduce people hoping to help save the reefs and team up with scientists exploring the reefs for clues about their health and for previously undiscovered species that are adding to what we know about life on earth.

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry staff members will move a large Burmese python to a new exhibit Monday. Bubba, who has lived in the museum’s Life Science Lab since 1997, will be placed in a larger, climate controlled enclosure in the Lab. Bubba is thought to be one of the largest snakes in the Portland area. Burmese pythons can grow to more than 20 feet and weigh up to 200 pounds. Keepers will take the opportunity to weigh and measure Bubba, estimated to be more than 14 feet long and 95 pounds, before they place him in the new enclosure.

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has been offered another opportunity to talk with astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The live conversation, which was cancelled after the loss of the shuttle Columbia, will take place on Tuesday, February 25. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Teaching from Space Program at the Johnson Space Center scheduled the program late last week. The program will take place between 7:30 and 8:30 a.m. in OMSI's Auditorium. The actual connection to the ISS will take place between 7:50 and 8:10 am.

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry will receive $900,000 from the FY 2003 omnibus spending bill approved last Thursday by Congress. Oregon Senators Gordon Smith and Ron Wyden will make an announcement tomorrow at 10 a.m. during OMSI’s live connection to the Johnson Space Center. The funding for OMSI is part of the $15.3 billion approved for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and will be used for distance learning.

Intel has granted the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) its third $150,000 grant to support the Tech Hall Initiative—an ongoing effort to redevelop OMSI’s Technology Hall with emphasis on five areas of technology, including communications, computers, robotics, transportation and medicine. Phase III of the Intel-OMSI Initiative will focus on the design and construction of exhibits that will allow technology to be presented in an accessible and engaging manner, fostering both a greater understanding of what technology is, and of the many and varied roles technology plays in our daily lives.

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has received $1,821,569 from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to support the development of an interactive technology exhibit in its 6,000-square-foot Technology Hall. The grant will help OMSI to renovate the hall with a series of highly interactive, hands-on exhibits, computer simulations, audio and video components, text, graphics and artifacts. The Tech Hall will contain exhibits which will help visitors become more comfortable with technology, grow aware of the history and consequences of the technologies we use, and understand how they can use technology to change the world around them.

The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry and nearly 2,000 schoolchildren across Oregon and Washington are taking part in a virtual field trip to Alaska through the JASON Project. And one student has been selected to join the expedition for a week in the icy north.