Oregon Museum of Science And Industry
1945 SE Water Ave.
If it’s never occurred to you that the science museum could be used as a hot date night, then you’ve been missing out! OMSI offers an array of interesting events for nightlife seekers. OMSI After Dark, held the last Wednesday of each month, is a 21+ night that often features libations, live music and science-themed samplings for all five senses ($12 for non-members). OMSI also spreads the love throughout Oregon with twice a month science pubs. And don’t forget OmniMax, where you surround yourself in science, sound and visuals inside the dome of OMSI’s surround screen. Available to all ages for less dough than the average megaplex theater.
McMenamin’s Bagdad Theatre
3702 SE Hawthorne Blvd.
Did you think the Bagdad was just a movie theater surrounded by bars and tucked into some rad architecture? It’s much more than that. The Bagdad hosts comedy nights, lectures and featured speakers sponsored by Powell’s books, a monthly OMSI science pub, fundraisers like “The Pedal-Powered Talk Show” benefitting the Hawthorne Hostel and an International Fly Fishing Festival. It also plays host to Multnomah County’s sporadic “Sustainability Film Series,” with controversial political pundits and emerging business presentations. Did I mention the rad architecture? Don’t forget to check out the Back Stage Bar located on the other side of the film screen.
McMenamin’s Mission Theatre
1624 NW Glisan St.
The Mission is another funky McMenamin’s establishment with geeky offerings, like the Think & Drink Series—a bi-monthly lecture presented by Oregon Humanities. One science pub per month is here (yep, even more OMSI) and Mortified—a public reading of private teen-angst journal entries—is typically sold out each month. The Mission also hosts two viewings of Portlandia on Fridays, with a raucous music and burlesque-filled intermission between the two showings.
WayPost Café
3120 N Williams Ave.
A sweet little café tucked between a thrift store and an awesome community garden on the north Williams bike lane, Waypost offers a variety of foot-tapping and brain-churning events. Closed Mondays, they are open the rest of the week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Unfortunately for some, it just got a liquor license (sorry underagers). Here’s a sampling of what’s on tap (events-wise): “Know & Tell,” trivia for smart people, happens each Wednesday, and once per month “Surprise Party Theatre” performs a show, or rather, has the audience interactively perform a show—usually Shakespeare. Scripts, costumes and roles are provided. Though most nights you can find live music (including a monthly classical music performance), the Waypost prides itself on being a literary hub, with regular readings from authors, occasional open–mic–style readings and poetry and an interesting recurring experiment for writers called the “7 Minute Reading Series.”
Oregon Historical Society
1200 SW Park Ave.
Mere blocks from the Portland State campus, this museum often gets lost in the shadow of its more popular neighbor, the Portland Art Museum. In addition to its many permanent and rotating exhibits, the Oregon Historical Society hosts a series of lectures and events. The museum hosts a healthy mix of free lectures, fundraisers and pay-per-ticket events to choose from each month. March’s offerings include a genealogy workshop and “The Science and History Behind the Cocktail.” And, like all good Portland museums, the Society offers a monthly pub talk at McMenamin’s Kennedy School.
The Freakybuttrue Peculiarium
2234 NW Thurman St.
One of those places that must be experienced at least once, the Peculiarium is only open Friday through Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Feast your eyes on an alien autopsy, Al Capone’s safe, bad (and good) art, freaky clowns, strange ephemera and images of the occult. The small “museum” also gives you the opportunity to munch on popcorn and hot dogs and a bug on Sundays. Yep, a bug. Eat it, and you too can be a member of the Insectarian Club. Don’t miss out on the Sasquatch photo op or the gift shop for all the gag gifts you’ve ever dreamed of, from dog poop in a can to novelty magic tricks and black-light art and fixtures.