Boardman, Umatilla, and Pendleton, Oregon

Pendleton is one of those towns that travelers rush past on the freeway over and over again, possibly with no knowledge that Pendleton has an amazing and magical history to explore! Add a few more regional sites along the way and you have a great two-day visit to experience.

When to Visit: though this itinerary is a two-day visit, it won’t fit in the usual weekend slot as almost every site is closed on Sundays, but it’s perfect for a Friday-Saturday visit though if you intend to attempt a tour of the woolen mill, a Thursday-Friday visit may be best. Note that a visit in the off season will require visiting the SAGE Center and the Pacific Salmon Information Center on Friday; avoid January and February as Heritage Station is closed those months. The itinerary is written for travelers coming from Washington, Idaho, or northern Oregon; if coming from south of Pendleton, some rearranging of your itinerary may be required. Arrive early for breakfast at Two Barrels Taps & Grill!

Boardman

Breakfast at Two Barrels Taps & Grill: I enjoyed the best fried potatoes (they call them Lodge Potatoes) I’ve had at a restaurant. The photo below is our view of the river from our breakfast table.

6 Marine Dr NE, Boardman, OR 97818, 541-481-6800. Open: Mon-Fri 6-9, Sat-Sun 7-9.

Tugboat Captain Al James: the Captain Al James was actually built in Pasco, Washington by the Steel Construction Company and launched in 1959 from the same region as paddle boat steamers were launched in a previous era. Interpretive panels near the retired tugboat tell of the vessel’s history and tugboat service on the river system. The Captain Al James can be found along the way to Two Barrels Taps & Grill.

SAGE Center

I confess, when we considered placing the SAGE Center on our itinerary, I thought, “Okay, I suppose it could be kind of interesting.” I was wrong. It proved to be of fascinating interest!

The center presents a brief history of the region and then gets to its primary focus: energy production and sustainable agriculture and how developing technologies effect both. Plan on one to 1.5 hours for your visit.

Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:

SAGE Center, 101 Olson Rd NE, Boardman, OR 97818, 541-481-7243. Open: Memorial Day to Labor Day, Mon-Sat 10-4; Labor Day-Memorial Day, Mon-Fri 10-4; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, please call to inquire about other holiday closures. Admission: Adult $10, 62+ and Student $8, under 5 Free, Veteran and Active Military Free. Gift shop, Tillamook Ice Cream served.

Pacific Salmon Visitor Information Center at McNary Dam

The visitor center displays exhibits on many facets of regional history from indigenous peoples to the Corps of Discovery expedition. Visitors also learn about the dam, power generation, regional wildlife, and of course the fish in the river. A theatre on the 3rd floor offers an instructional movie, “Journey of the Pacific Coast Salmon.” Go to the 4th floor to take the upper walks out to see the apparatus used for moving fish past the dam; the visitor center educates about the great cost and effort that is invested in ensuring that the river’s migrating fish populations can get both directions over the dam. A fish viewing room that allows views of the fish ladder is also available a short distance from the visitor center. Plan on 30 minutes to one hour for your visit, closer to the longer time if you watch the movie.

Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:

82790 Devore Rd, Umatilla, OR 97882, 541-922-2268. Open: May-Sep, daily 9-4; Oct-Apr, Mon-Fri 9-4. Admission: Free.

Heritage Station Museum

For a museum found in a smaller municipality, Heritage Station is outstanding in its exhibits and presentation. The museum is housed in the 1909 train depot, which harkens back to a time when the depot served as an important, regional rail hub. The primary exhibit is “Umatilla Gold,” which presents the region’s history as a major producer of the world’s wheat and the development of the technologies to grow, harvest, and distribute to that world market.

Other exhibits focus on the depot’s history; be sure to go outside to visit other exhibits: a 1942 caboose (I’ve long wanted to see inside a caboose and this one shows how the train crew lived and worked in this rail car); the signal house displays the military history of the region and its citizens; a recreated barn and homestead of the Fix family, including the original family home which was moved from the homestead to the museum site. Plan on one to 1.5 hours for your visit—plan on the longer time if you watch the 20-minute video, “The Land They Overlooked.”

Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:

Heritage Station Museum, 108 SW Frazer, Pendleton, OR 97801, 541-276-0012. Open: Tue-Sat 10-4, closed Jan-Feb. Admission: adult $10, 55+ and veteran/active duty $8, student (K-12) $5, 5 and under Free. Free parking.

Check here for possible closures: https://heritagestationmuseum.org/events/

Shop Historic Downtown Pendleton

Shop Historic Downtown Pendleton and add a walk along the Umatilla River. Find ample free parking in front of the Heritage Station Museum or along Main Street. Look for commemorative plates on the more than a century old downtown buildings that tell each building’s history. There are several unique, mostly western-themed stores to visit, including Pendleton Hat Company, Lavender Mercantile Company, and Hamley Western Store and Saddle Shop. The Hamley store is worth a visit just to see the renovated, well over a century-old building with lots of art and even several bronzes on display. I’m not a cowboy, yet I was excited to tour the store. Visit the Pendleton Center for the Arts just across the Umatilla River from the historic downtown area on Main Street. The building is a beautifully restored Carnegie Library constructed in 1916. Go in and visit the art gallery and shop among locally crafted goods. Looking for lunch? Numerous restaurants with a variety of tastes are also found in the downtown area.

Dinner at Hamley Steakhouse and Saloon

Enjoy dinner in an old west-inspired restaurant in one of Pendleton’s most beautiful and iconic buildings. This turn-of-the-last century building has been home to many businesses, including a bank and Pendleton’s greatest department store, before becoming the home of Hamley Steakhouse. The building underwent a major renovation 2006-2007 to return it to its original, magnificent, wood work charm.

Hamley Steakhouse & Saloon, 8 SE Court Ave, Pendleton, OR 97801, 541-278-1100. Open: Tue-Sat 11-10. Reservations are strongly encouraged.

Pendleton Underground Tours

Day two begins with a tour of Pendleton’s fascinating and sometimes infamous history. The tour begins with a visit to the underground level below the downtown district of the city with a visit to the Shamrock Card Room, an 1880s underground bar, and then proceeds to a Chinese laundry, an ice cream parlor, then through the underground tunnels to the Empire Meat Market, a Prohibition speak-easy with its hidden room, and Chinese dormitories where you will learn of the anti-Chinese bigotry of the times; see where Chinese laborers were packed into the primitive, overcrowded underground within the rock walls that they built themselves, including their own jail and an opium den.

From the underground, proceed to “Cozy Rooms,” one of Pendleton’s 18 bordellos, and see how Stella Darby ran her brothel and took care of her girls; also learn how Pendleton’s bordellos finally met their end.

The tour is easy walking but is not handicap accessible. The tour takes 90+ minutes but there are exhibits in the gift shop building and the gift shop itself; plan on two hours for your visit. There are no restrooms available once the tour begins. Dress for seasonal weather and wear good walking shoes; be sure to bring water in warm weather.

Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:

Pendleton Underground Tours, 31 SW Emigrant Ave, Pendleton, OR 97801, 541-276-0730. Open: year-round, Mon, Wed-Sat 10-5; weather may cause other closures. Admission: Adult $20, 6-12 $15; must be at least six years old. No pets. Tour availability may vary with the season and advance reservations/payment are required, call 41-276-0730. Large gift shop on site.

Pendleton Air Museum

If you are an aviation history buff you will enjoy a visit to this little museum—it is literally just a couple doors down from the Pendleton Underground. The museum has very little space for its displays, but it turns out there is a lot of aviation history right here in Pendleton. Did you know that aircrews from Pendleton Field earned fame as Doolittle Raiders who first bombed Japan in World War II? And that’s just one fascinating Pendleton aviation history golden nugget you will learn about here. Plan 20 to 30 minutes for your visit, 40 more minutes if you drive to the airport to view the restored B-25 Doolittle Raid bomber.

Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:

Pendleton Air Museum, 21 SW Emigrant Ave, Pendleton, OR 97801, 541-278-0141. Open: Wed-Sat 10-5; winter 10-4. Admission: by donation. Small gift shop on site. No restrooms.

Pendleton Woolen Mills Tour

The Pendleton Woolen Mill originated in 1863; the two mills that form the woolen mills have remained a family -owned enterprise through six generations. Mill tours are available, go to https://www.pendleton-usa.com/help-center/about-us/mill-tours.html to sign up, but note that tours are not offered on weekends and there are frequent block out dates. You can also watch a video in the store that shows the entire mill operation from shearing the sheep to weaving the wool (you can watch the video on youtube but, hey, it’s somehow cooler to watch it at the store).

https://www.pendleton-usa.com/help-center/about-us/mill-tours.html

Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:

Pendleton Woolen Mills, 1307 SE Court Pl, Pendleton, OR 97801, 541-276-6911. Open: store open daily 10-5.

Tamastslikt Cultural Institute

Tamastslikt, which means “interpreting our own story,” presents the diverse cultures and history of the Cayuse, Umatilla, and Walla Walla Tribes and includes a large number of artifacts on display. This is a rewarding visit which allows indigenous peoples to tell you their stories in their own voices. Plan on one to 1.5 hours for your visit.

Here are details you will need, including the address to enter into your navigation app:

Tamastslikt Cultural Institute, 47106 Wildhorse Blvd, Pendleton, OR 97801, 541-429-7700. Open: Tues-Sat 10-5. Admission: Adult $12, 55+ $10, 6-17 $5, 5 and under Free; active military and their families Free. First Friday each month free admission. Gift shop and café on site, (café open 11-2).

And with that it’s time to head for home. We hope you enjoyed our itinerary for these Northeast Oregon sites and learned a little more of Northeast Oregon’s history along the way.

Updated July 2024