National Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 to October 15, will be celebrated with a special kickoff event at the Oregon State Capitol on Saturday, September 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, rain or shine. The four-hour event includes family-friendly activities like musical entertainment, crafts, exhibits, speakers and more. The presenting sponsor is the Oregon State Capitol Foundation and additional sponsorship from the Instituto de Cultura Oregoniana.

The Keizer Heritage Museum presents “A Willamette Farmer’s Legacy — Thomas Dove Keizur” through Aug. 28 in the Galleria at the Oregon State Capitol. The exhibit is free and open to the public during Capitol building hours, Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. This exhibit is part of the Capitol History Gateway Exhibit Sponsorship Program, funded by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation, a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization.

The Salem Philharmonia Orchestra will perform a free concert at State Capitol State Park on Saturday, July 11 starting at 11 a.m. The concert is free thanks to presenting sponsor the Oregon State Capitol Foundation.

To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States of America, the Oregon State Capitol will be hosting “A Passport to History and Democracy” event on Saturday, June 27 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is sponsored by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation.

The third Saturday in March is Cherry Blossom Day in Salem, thanks to Senate Bill 146, passed in 2017. Cherry Blossom Day on March 21 kicks off two weeks of events celebrating the cherry blossoms at State Capitol State Park. The Oregon State Capitol Foundation and the City of Salem are presenting sponsors of these events.

Seven downtown locations have partnered for this year’s “Spring Break Passport to Fun,” offering family activities during spring break, March 23-28. This event sponsored by the Capitol Foundation is free and open to the public.

Visit the Oregon State Capitol on Saturday, February 14, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to experience living history during the state’s 167th anniversary of statehood event. This event sponsored by the Capitol Foundation is free and open to the public.

The Oregon State Capitol has long displayed exhibits from entities throughout the state. The Capitol History Gateway Program facilitates exhibits that tell stories specific to Oregon’s rich history, hosting many with interwoven themes of democracy or government. This year, the Oregon State Capitol Foundation, which funds the exhibit program at the Capitol, has offered to support cultural and heritage museums wanting to tell their stories with a grant of up to $10,000.

National Hispanic Heritage Month, September 15 to October 15, will be celebrated with a special event at the Oregon State Capitol on Saturday, October 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event is free and open to the public, rain or shine. The four-hour event includes family-friendly activities like musical entertainment, crafts, exhibits, speakers and more. The presenting sponsor is the Oregon State Capitol Foundation.

The Salem Art Association (SAA) presents “ReEnvisioned: Contemporary Portraits of Our Black Ancestors” until June 30 on oregoncapitol.com. This digital exhibition, showcasing 10 powerful portraits, is accessible to audiences across Oregon and beyond. This digital presentation was funded by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation. 

Vanport Mosaic presents “From Vanport to the Capitol: The Journey of Jackie Winters” now through April 30 on www.oregoncapitol.com. This virtual exhibit will be available to explore through the Oregon State Capitol website as part of the Capitol History Gateway program. This digital presentation was funded by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation

Eight downtown locations have joined together to create “Spring Break Passport to Fun”, which offers activities for the family during spring break week, March 24 to 29. The City of Salem Library, Deepwood Museum, Hallie Ford Museum of Art, the Oregon State Capitol, Salem Art Association, State Capitol State Park, Willamette Heritage Center, and World Beat Gallery have teamed up to offer families a fun and free, or discounted, way to fill the week off school with activities. “Spring Break Passport to Fun” is sponsored by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation.

The Oregon State Capitol Foundation is proud to sponsor the Cherry Blossom events at State Capitol State Park. There will be free and family-friendly activities in on the Capitol Mall (directly across Court Street from the Capitol) between 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, March 15 for Cherry Blossom Day. To help celebrate, local calligraphers, members of Capital Calligraphers in Salem, have penned roughly 300 weathergrams to hang in the cherry trees on the Capitol Mall. Cherry Blossom Day kicks off two weeks of Yozakura, nighttime viewing of the cherry blossoms. On Saturday, March 29 at 7 p.m. SamaZama, Masumi Timson on Koto and Joseph Harchanko on Cello, will perform for an hour under the cherry blossoms in the mall. 

The Keizer Heritage Museum presents “A Willamette Farmer’s Legacy – Thomas Dove Keizur” now through September 30 on www.oregoncapitol.com. This virtual exhibit will be available to explore through the Oregon State Capitol website as part of the Capitol History Gateway program. This digital presentation was funded by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation.

Four Oregon organizations have been awarded monies to produce exhibits that will be displayed at the Oregon State Capitol. Funded by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation (OSCF), the awardees are; Vanport Mosaic: The Journey of Jackie Winters; Salem Art Association: Early Black Pioneers Portrait Collection; Southern Oregon Historical Society: Jackson County Rebellion; and Talent Historical Society: Talent, Stronger Together – Documenting the 2020 Almeda Fire and Recovery.

The Willamette Heritage Center presents “Caralyn B. Shelton – The Nation’s First Female Governor” now through May 31 on www.oregoncapitol.com. This virtual exhibit will be available to explore through the Oregon State Capitol website as part of the Capitol History Gateway program. This digital presentation was funded by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation and includes a narrated video that encompasses the entirety of the digital exhibit.

Five downtown locations have joined together to create “Spring Break Passport to Fun”, which offers activities for the family during spring break week, March 25 to 30. State Capitol State Park, Willamette Heritage Center, Hallie Ford Museum of Art, World Beat Gallery and Deepwood Museum have teamed up to offer families a fun and free, or discounted, way to fill the week off school with activities. “Spring Break Passport to Fun” is sponsored by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation.

Cherry Blossom Day at the Capitol, taking place this year on March 16, was created to celebrate the cherry blossom trees on the Capitol Mall, and organically became a celebration of the Japanese cultural influence in Oregon due to the significance of the cherry blossom (Sakura) to their community. There will be free and family-friendly activities in State Capitol State Park on the Capitol Mall from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cherry Blossom Day 2024 is sponsored by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation.

The Oregon State Capitol has long displayed exhibits from entities throughout the state. The Capitol History Gateway (CHG) Program allows storytelling in “the People’s Building” through revolving exhibits that are curated through vetted cultural and heritage museums and organizations. The Oregon State Capitol Foundation is financially supporting the curation of exhibits for up to $7500 per organization.

The Josephy Center for Arts and Culture presents “The Nez Perce in Oregon: Removal and Return” now through June 30. This virtual exhibit will be available to explore through the Oregon State Capitol website (oregoncapitol.com) as part of the Capitol History Gateway program. This digital presentation was funded by the Oregon State Capitol Foundation.

The Oregon State Capitol Foundation funded production of oral history videos that are posted on the Oregon State Capitol YouTube page. This month, five new videos were listed to the Oral Histories playlist. Those videos include the 1973 Session, the 1967 Beach Bill, Senator Hector Macpherson, Legislative Administrator Scott Burgess and photojournalist Gerry Lewin.

Salem, Ore. – In an effort to help preserve our state’s history and make it accessible to Oregonians, educators, art enthusiasts, history buff and others, the Oregon State Capitol Foundation is launching the Governors’ Portraits Search to locate and catalog missing portraits of former Oregon governors.

“We know many oil paintings of territorial and state governors were lost when the Capitol burned in 1935, but we also know some of them were saved from the fire,” said Joan Plank, Capitol Foundation Board member.

Salem, Ore. – The Capitol History Gateway (CHG) Program has been named as one of three winners of a 2022 Oregon Heritage Excellence Award. The Oregon Heritage Commission reviews the projects and programs nominated annually and awards recipients based on a specific set of criteria.

The CHG Program is a broad, multi-year program that focuses on Oregon’s heritage, diversity and access to democracy. Components of the program entail exhibits – both static and revolving; public events; tours – both guided in-person and virtual, as well as an all-virtual experience in multiple languages; a speaker series; and a digital welcome center.

The Visitor Services staff, under the direction of the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Administrator, build and implement the program, with funding support from the Oregon State Capitol Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

Your purchase of a Pacific Wonderland license plate helps the Oregon State Capitol Foundation and Oregon Historical Society share stories about what makes Oregonians and our beautiful Capitol special in thoughtful, illuminating, and provocative ways.