14 Best Sights in The Willamette Valley and Wine Country, Oregon

Relics on display are devoted to Pacific Northwest anthropology and the natural sciences. Highlights include the fossil collection of Thomas Condon, Oregon's first geologist, and a pair of 9,000-year-old sandals made of sagebrush.

This parcel of open land on the banks of the Willamette River is named after the late publisher of Eugene's newspaper, the Register-Guard, and is the site of many community events. Live music is performed in summer at the Cuthbert Amphitheater. There's fine hiking and biking on a footpath that runs along the river for the length of the park, and an 18-hole disc golf course. Also worth seeing is the Whilamut Natural Area, an open space with 13 "talking stones," each with an inscription.

This birds-of-prey educational center and hospital is home to nearly 40 resident education raptors. A visit is a great outing for kids, who can learn what owls eat, why and where birds migrate, and all sorts of other raptor facts. Some of the full-time residents include bald eagles, owls, hawks, falcons, and osprey.

Formerly the Willamette Science and Technology Center (WISTEC), and still known to locals by its former name, Eugene's imaginative, hands-on museum assembles rotating exhibits designed for curious young minds. The adjacent planetarium, one of the largest in the Pacific Northwest, presents star shows and entertainment events.

This is the locus of Eugene's cultural life. Renowned for the quality of its acoustics, the center has two theaters that are home to Eugene's symphony and opera.

Works from the 20th and 21st centuries are a specialty in these handsome galleries on the University of Oregon campus. They feature works by many leading Pacific Northwest artists, and European, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese works are also on view, as are 300 works commissioned by the Works Progress Administration in the 1930s and '40s. You can also view an ever-changing collection of important works from private collections by internationally recognized artists through the museum's Masterworks On Loan program.

One of Oregon's largest producers is known for its crisp Pinot Gris and silky Pinot Noir and boasts the largest Demeter-certified biodynamic vineyard in the nation. Guests can sample wines at the tasting room (by appointment) or reserve a spot at the restaurant, which highlights local meats and organic produce grown in the estate gardens.

Housed inside a purpose-built pavilion, Lane County market offers produce and products that are grown or made in Oregon on Tuesdays and Saturdays throughout the year.

This beautiful nature preserve near southeast Eugene includes extensive all-weather trails, educational programs for all ages, and facilities for special events. Its visitor center holds workshops and features native amphibian and reptile terraria; microscopes for exploring tiny seeds, bugs, feathers, and snakeskins; "touch me" exhibits; reference books; and a working viewable beehive.

Rising from the south bank of the Willamette River, this forested enclave provides the best views of any of the city's parks; it also has the greatest historic cachet, since it was here that Eugene Skinner staked the claim that put Eugene on the map. Children can scale a replica of Skinner Butte, uncover fossils, and cool off under a rain circle. Skinner Butte Loop leads to the top of Skinner Butte, traversing sometimes difficult terrain through a mixed-conifer forest.

This estate vineyard lies on a prime sloping hillside in the heart of the Willamette Valley appellation. It also supplies grapes to several award-winning wineries. Bring a picnic and enjoy the amazing view from the lawn outside the tasting room, or take advantage of the food available for purchase. Friday-night tastings are embellished with cheese pairings and live music. They also have a second tasting room in the 5th Street Public Market.

The true heart of Eugene lies southeast of the city center at its university. Several fine old buildings can be seen on the 250-acre campus; Deady Hall, built in 1876, is the oldest. More than 400 varieties of trees grace the bucolic grounds, along with outdoor sculptures that include The Pioneer and The Pioneer Mother. The two bronze figures by Alexander Phimster Proctor were dedicated to the men and women who settled the Oregon Territory and less than a generation later founded the university.

With a long list of craft ciders, many seasonal, this casual spot is a great place to try out WildCraft’s locally celebrated wild-ferment ciders, many of which highlight the diversity of the Willamette Valley's apple bounty. Local favorites include the botanical Wild Rose cider (made with locally harvested rose petals) and "perries," unpasteurized pear ciders stored in wax-sealed bottles. WildCraft also has its own event space with regular live music.