Barn Exhibit Hall

The Troutdale Historical Society display in its Barn Exhibit Hall 732 E Historic Columbia River Highway, is entertaining, educational, suitable for all ages, and wheelchair accessible.

The Barn Exhibit Hall was completed in 1998 after a 10-year endeavor by volunteers through fundraising, design, and construction. The design was inspired by a barn on the old Helen Althaus Farm in Troutdale, Oregon.

The current exhibit, King of Roads - Byway of the People, opened Summer 2015 to commemorate the opening of the Columbia River Highway, June 7, 1916. The Troutdale Historical Society celebrated its opening exactly 100 years later, June 7, 2016. Since then we have added two displays one on a service station, Handy Bros. Service and the other on smelt dipping in the Sandy River.

Exhibits

Enhance your Historic Highway travels in Troutdale, Oregon by visiting the exhibit, King of Roads - Byway of the People, the story of building, preserving, and restoring the Historic Columbia River Highway one of the great engineering marvels of the twentieth century.

Troutdale, Oregon, is the Gateway to the Gorge and the beginning of the highway. The intriguing story of the first scenic highway in the nation, will enlighten and enhance your travels through the Columbia River Gorge.

The beauty of the Columbia River Gorge inspired early automobile owners to build a highway to carry automobiles past enchanting vistas, awe-inspiring waterfalls and lush forests. It was the coming of age of road touring. This new highway brought many businesses, tourists, and became a bustling roadway from Troutdale to The Dalles.

Participation in Museum Day is open to any tax-exempt or governmental museum or cultural venue on a voluntary basis. Smithsonian magazine encourages museum visitation, but is not responsible for and does not endorse the content of the participating museums and cultural venues, and does not subsidize museums that participate.