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OMSI guests will notice some big changes in the Natural Sciences Hall upstairs starting this weekend, which is fitting: the theme of the new exhibition is climate change.
April 25 marks the official opening of the Nancy Stueber Natural Sciences Hall at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. The new permanent exhibition is called Climate of Change/Clima de Cambio and it explores the relationship between people and our environment.
The hall has been closed for the renovation since September 2025. The prenatal exhibit that used to be in the natural sciences hall is temporarily closed for maintenance until early 2027, according to the museum.
The entrance is made from reclaimed yellow cedar mass-timber construction by Timberlab (the same company that helped fabricate the Portland Airport roof.) The exhibition opens with wall text and photos about ways climate change is affecting our region, including the 2017 Eagle Creek Fire and the 2021 heat dome.
“Climate of Change/Clima de Cambio reflects the adaptability and collective strength of the Pacific Northwest,” said Akiko Minaga, OMSI’s Vice President of Learning Experiences, in a press release. “It weaves together climate science, industry partner insights and the lived experience and expertise of our local communities to create a powerful, place-based learning experience.”
Portland General Electric is the energy sponsor of the hall through 2030, the latest in a long partnership between the power company and OMSI. In 1989, PGE donated the land for OMSI’s move to Southeast Water Avenue. PGE and OMSI worked together to develop an interactive exhibit focused on “clean energy in the region,” according to the press release.
Willamette Week got a sneak peek of the revamped space earlier this week and can wholeheartedly recommend you check out the multimedia room in the back left of the exhibition. Amsterdam-based design studio Tellart created a 10-minute rotating Pacific Northwest nature experience. The exhibit shifts five times into different bioregions, with videos above and below, and sensors that respond to your movement. (People who have visited Hopscotch in Southeast Portland will be familiar with this technology.) First, you’re atop a mountain and powdery snow is swirling around; then you’re in a mossy forest and a mycelium root system is growing from under your feet, trying to connect to other people in the room. In the urban environment in Portland, the Broadway Bridge is above and the Hawthorne Bridge is below; look closely and see fish swimming underneath your feet.
The “Science on a Sphere” installation has gotten a glow-up, while still featuring weather data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Admission to Nancy Stueber Natural Sciences Hall is included in the general OMSI ticket price. It’s located upstairs, next door to the Science Playground.
GO: Climate of Change/Clima de Cambio in the Nancy Stueber Natural Sciences Hall at OMSI, 1945 SE Water Ave. 503-797-4000, omsi.edu. 9:30 am-5:30 pm Tuesday-Friday and Sunday; 9:30 am-7 pm Saturday. Opens April 25. $15.50-$22.50.
