WELCOME TO COLUMBIA GORGE DISCOVERY CENTER & MUSEUM
Official Interpretive Center of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area
Come out and say hello
Open Daily from 9 am to 5 pm
5000 Discovery Drive, The Dalles, OR 97058
Mark your Calendars
In memoriam
Art Carroll
1935–2025
Art Carroll will be remembered as a longtime and passionate steward of the Columbia Gorge Discovery Center and Museum. He was instrumental in securing the federal funding to help build the Discovery Center while he served as the U.S. Forest Service Area. After retirement, he served as a dedicated and active Board member and advisor from 2011 until his passing. He will be deeply missed by us all.
A Sense of Place
A New Exhibition about Caring for the Land that Sustains Us
An Exploration of the History and Evolution of the Imperial Stock Ranch: Where sustainable sheep ranching from the high desert of Central Oregon meets the world of high fashion and the Olympics.
Read more about the exhibition in the news
Why Ralph Lauren is making the 2026 Olympic uniforms with wool from an Oregon ghost town
The permanent exhibit “A Sense of Place” also tells the story of Jeanne Carver and her late husband, Dan, owners of the 155-year-old Imperial Stock Ranch, and the origins of the Shaniko Wool Company.
Closed due to fire and water damage since June, the museum’s reopening in September 2025 includes a new exhibit celebrating the high desert rangelands of Wasco County and the ranchers and artists dedicated to sustainable stewardship of both the land and animals.
https://www.orartswatch.org/columbia-gorge-discovery-center-museum-reopens-after-rowena-fire/
Public Raptor Programs
Every Tuesday and Thursday at 2pm
Every Saturday and Sunday at 11am and 2pm
(included with admission)
Our raptor presentations are an inspiring way to learn about raptors, including kestrels, hawks, and bald eagles. Presentations address the challenges of declining habitat, the hazards of toxic chemicals, and the role humans have played in both endangering and protecting these majestic ambassadors from the wild. You will visit Liberty and Ferguson, the two bald eagles who are in our care. Both are non-releaseable due to previous injuries, so they help us educate the public about these magnificent birds and the environment of the Columbia River Gorge.
Our Mission:
To inspire stewardship of the Columbia River Gorge and Wasco County and to encourage active, life-long learning about our shared environment and the preservation, collection and interpretation of cultural and natural history of the region.
Admission
$12.00 General
$10.00 Seniors (62+)
$6.50 Scheduled Groups of 10+
$7.00 Ages 6-16
FREE Ages 5 & under
FREE CGDC&M members
Hours
Open Daily
9:00 am–5:00 pm
Closed
Thanksgiving Day
Christmas Day
New Year’s Day