OMSI (1945 SE Water Ave., 503/797-4000, www.omsi.edu, 9:30 a.m.–7 p.m. daily summer, 9:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m. Tues.–Sun. winter, $11 adults, $9 seniors and children ages 3–13) is a family-oriented hands-on interactive museum encompassing 219,000 square feet with five exhibit halls and eight science labs, making it one of the largest science and natural history museums in North America.

Exhibits offer a vast array of learning experiences and interactive displays, ranging from how to pilot a ship or perform cardiology tests on a giant human heart to learning more about Oregon’s dinosaur past.

OMSI also hosts a large number of touring exhibits as well as mounting topical exhibits on current events or environmental issues.

OMSI’s 18.5-acre riverfront campus also features an OmniMax Theater with a five-story-high domed screen, the Northwest’s largest planetarium, and the USS Blueback, the last fast-attack diesel-powered submarine built by the U.S. Navy and now floating in the Willamette River.

OMSI also offers a variety of kids’ camps and classes during the summer; check the website to see what may be available during your visit.