Portland has nabbed top honors for science nerds, according to Newsweek readers, who cast their votes and declared the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) the cream of the crop in the U.S. In what's being hailed as a win for the West Coast, OMSI outshone its competition, including San Francisco's Exploratorium, and became the darling in Newsweek's Readers' Choice Awards.
OMSI's first-time nomination turned into a gold medal performance, topping a list of 15 esteemed contenders for the title of best science museum, and much like a first kiss or riding a bike, the museum has made an indelible mark on generations of visitors - cementing nostalgia and wonder in one fell swoop. "We are equally humbled and overjoyed by this honor!" Erin Graham, OMSI's CEO and president said. "We are so grateful to our OMSI communities here in Portland and around the Pacific Northwest for their enthusiastic support," as per Here is Oregon.
Despite stiff competition from across the nation, including heavy hitters like Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry and The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, it was Portland's own that took the cake, not to be overshadowed even by another Portland spot, Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden, which secured a respectable fourth place in the botanical garden category.
OMSI is currently riding the crest of a wave, having opened its doors on March 2 to the "Tyrannosaurs - Meet the Family" exhibit, a fascinating showcase that features a trifecta of life-sized tyrannosaur skeletons, fossil bones and, if you can believe it, a 30-foot long tunnel simulating tyrannosaurs in modern-day Portland. Not just a relic from the past but a bridge to the present, the museum infuses the old with the new and converts the dusty into the dynamic, tickets to the exhibit are priced at $19 for adults and are free for children younger than three, according to Oregon Live.
