BAKER CITY – For three years, the pioneer mother grieved alone at the Oregon Trail Interpretative Center. And Native Americans settled into evening camp, unbothered by curious tourists.
Now, the company is back for those lifelike exhibits as the U.S. Bureau of Land Management site outside of Baker City returns to duty.
The compound has been without visitors until recently, closed in 2020 first in response to the pandemic and then for a behind-the-scenes mechanical overhaul.
Vale has a close connection to the heritage center, which opened in 1991. Vale itself was a stop on the Oregon Trail, families and others using the hot springs. And the headquarters for the BLM district that includes the Baker City center is in Vale.
Sarah Sherman, BLM project manager at the Oregon Trail complex, moved from Arizona to take the Baker City post.
Opening day was Friday, May 24.
“My staff was ecstatic,” Sherman said. “It was electrifying to see the center coming back to life.”
An estimated 2,000 people trekked to the center for the Memorial Day weekend.
The main feature is a self-guided tour through galleries with Oregon Trail scenes.
Outside, a series of trails loop through the grounds. A paved half-mile hike takes visitors to an old stamp mill. Other trails drop through the sage land. Maps are available to guide hikers.
“When you are out on the trail system, you’re feeling that sense of solitude,” Sherman said.
She said the tour and a short hike takes roughly two hours.
The center has exhibits appealing to youngsters.
One is a collection of pioneer-style hats. Kids can put on a baker’s hat, a sun bonnet and more.
Another kid-friendly feature is a collection of wood blocks, labeled with what pioneers might try to take on the Oregon Trail. Kids – and adults – can try their hand at picking what to take and what to leave behind, confined by the typical 4-foot-by-10-foot bed of wagons normally used on the trail.
Through the summer, the heritage center is open seven days a week from 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for those 16 and older and $6 for seniors.
At 1 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, the center puts on ranger programs and details are available by calling 541-523-1843.
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