thompson's mill state heritage site

So often I roar up and down I-5 and not see the real Willamette Valley, but I finally visited Thompson's Mill and was very glad I did. It's a great place for a picnic, photo opp, or a glimpse at what the Willamette Valley used to look like. It's just a quiet, peaceful slice of history, which I am glad has been preserved. The state park employees and volunteers were very friendly and helpful.

Elaine the tour guide expressed so much enthusiasm and passion for the history of the place, I thought she was going to cry at the end of the hands-on tour. She turned on a lot of the old mill operations for us to observe. Just the engineering of the place was a marvel. The mill was the only portion open at that time, but we spent a good hour seeing how it used to work. They plan to open the little house and orchard in the future. Free parking and free entry, with a little gift shop where you can purchase your flour mill apron, tote or flour before you go.

This beautiful Oregon State heritage site is open from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and is located a few miles off the Interstate 5 highway. You will not see a sign about this site from the highway, but the site is easily located off the alternate route of 99E. The interpretive camp hosts or park rangers provide 45 minute to one hour tours of the mill at 10:00 am, 12:00 noon, and 2:00 pm, plus there is an interactive display which will walk you through the main floor of the building if you are unable to attend the tours. The site offers a view of the historic farmhouse, numerous outbuildings, and a wonderful array of free range farm poultry which are so fun to watch and enjoy. The site is a great location to stop and have a picnic or a snack, too.