Enrichment Activities and Local Sites
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Friday: April 25, 2025
The following planned tours are in close proximity to each other. Most of them are about a 5-minute walking distance apart.
12:30-1:15 p.m.
Oregon Veterans’ Home in Lebanon “The Place Where Honor Lives”
600 North 5th St., Lebanon, 541-497-7265
The Edward C. Allworth Veterans’ Home is the second Veterans’ Home in Oregon. Organized around the idea of an intentional community or neighborhood, this veterans’ home offers residents a way to maximize normal living environments and routines, provides autonomy, a sense of community, and quality of life. The campus consists of four neighborhoods, up to three houses per neighborhood. Each house accommodates up to 14 eligible residents; each room is private. The veterans there enjoy many planned activities: deep sea fishing, local shooting range, and educational events.
The facility was established 10 years ago. Two years after opening, the new Oregon Veterans’ Home in Lebanon reached full occupancy and earned the Bronze Excellence in Quality Award for superior performance in the long-term and post-acute care profession.
Mary Mayer, AAUW member from Gresham Area, has served on the board of this Home and highly recommended a tour here as an enrichment activity.
1:30- 2:15 p.m.
Western University Campus of Health Sciences: College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific Northwest, 200 Mullins Drive, Lebanon
Western University of Health Sciences (WesternU), located in Pomona, California, and Lebanon, Oregon, is an independent nonprofit health professions university founded in 1977. In 2011, WesternU expanded its medical school, the College of Osteopathic Medicine of the Pacific (COMP), to a second site in Lebanon (COMP-NW). WesternU’s COMP & COMP-Northwest is one of only 15 institutions and one of only two Osteopathic Medicine schools named a Tier 1 Medical School for Primary Care by U.S. News & World Report 2024. WesternU has also been recognized for the most graduates in Primary Care and for Serving Rural Areas. COMP-Northwest trains 100 new osteopathic physicians each year, and will soon be breaking ground on a $22 million expansion project. This tour will introduce you to the curricular layout of the medical school, visit several lab spaces, introduce osteopathic manipulation and more.
Last Fall, 130 students were admitted for the new term; 60% were women.
2:30-3:15 p.m.
Linn-Benton Community College Healthcare Occupations Center
300 Mullins Dr., Lebanon
This Center opened in August 2017. It offers nine healthcare programs: Dental Assistant, Occupational Therapy Assistant, Diagnostic Imaging, Surgical Technology, Phlebotomy, Medical Assistant, Coding and Reimbursement, Nursing, and Nursing Assistant.
2:30-3:45 p.m.
Hoichi Kurisu Gardens, also known as the Santiam Health Sciences Campus Gardens, located next to the Boulder Falls Inn.
“Experience the Healing Power of Nature” – the gardens are known as “healing gardens,” and were designed by world-renowned Japanese landscape designer Hoichi Kurisu. He built three gardens in Lebanon for the benefit of patients, staff, and community. This enrichment activity includes a walking tour of the three gardens (one at the hospital; two adjacent the Boulder Falls Inn). To begin the tour, a background history of the gardens will be provided inside at the Samaritan Lebanon Community Hospital. The tour guide is Brandy O’Bannon. For more information www.samhealth.org/lebanonhealinggardens
Sunday April 27
Brunch on the Santiam Excursion Train
750 S. 3rd St., Lebanon, 541-610-0342
2.5 hour trip. All aboard at 10 a.m. $62 for adults age 17+; $54 for seniors age 65+ Amazing buffet with sweet/savory dishes (pancakes, eggs, coffee, mimosas). Dress well, as you are exposed to the outdoors during the trip. Book on your own; deadline to arrange the trip is April 12.
Ideas for activities on your own:
Victorian Chocolate Company
If you like chocolate, you don’t want to miss this little local gem. Located at 959 Grove St, an easy 1.3 miles from our hotel, it’s only open Wednesday – Saturday, 12:30 – 5:30 pm. Don’t let the funky exterior fool you, inside you’ll find a huge variety of the most delicious chocolates you’ve ever had – at an unbelievably affordable price. Here’s the catch: they only accept cash and checks, no plastic. Make sure you come prepared! 541-401-3765
Moore Family Vineyards
Angie Moore, 541-409-4566, 28041 Pleasant Valley Rd., Sweet Home, OR. (14.4 miles; 20 min. drive) Highly recommended by the Chamber of Commerce. Tastings are offered at 3:00 and 4:00 p.m., with some historic overview of the operation.There is a $25 charge for the tasting; this fee is waived if the participant purchases at least $50 worth of wine product. A food truck is present at 4:00 p.m.
Owned by Ron and Angie Moore, this is a charming destination just outside Sweet Home. Nestled in the scenic landscapes of the Willamette Valley, the tasting room offers a delightful variety of wines that reflect the rich terroir of the region. Our journey began in fall 2019, when we planted our vineyards with the invaluable support of friends and family from our community. In 2020, we seized the opportunity to transform a historic old radio station into our tasting room, creating a unique and inviting space for wine enthusiasts to gather. Here, history and passion blend seamlessly, inviting visitors to savor the fruits of our labor and the warmth of our community spirit.
Albany Historic Carousel & Museum
503 West 1st Ave., Albany, 541-497-2934
The Carousel’s vision is to “enchant young and old alike with the finest carousel in the world, promote the artistry of carousel building by sharing our skills and talents and build community spirit by opening our venue to events and activities.” Open from 11 am to 4 pm. Admission and tours are free. Rides are $2. It is important to call first as the Carousel gives priority to school groups and may be closed for outside tours.
Albany Regional Museum
136 SE Lyon St, Albany. 541-967-7122
Their mission is to preserve, exhibit, and encourage knowledge of the history and culture of the Albany, Oregon area. It is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $5 for ages 18-64 and $3 for ages 65+.
Local Hike
Boulder Falls to River (S. Santiam)
A 4.0 mile round-trip hike, easy, level walk on paved surfaces, taking Mark’s Slough Trail, which is multi-use (bicycles and walkers). For more details, and an overview map of the trail: https://buildlebanontrails.com/blt-trail-walks/boulder-falls-to-south-santiam-river-walk/
McDowell Creek Falls
Park with three waterfalls (1 hr. hike; easy), 22-minute drive from Lebanon (16 miles) For more info: https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/oregon/mcdowell-creek-falls-trail
Ankeny Hill Nature Center
130 Ankeny Hill Rd. SE, Jefferson, Oregon, 541-757-7236.
It is 25 miles NW of Lebanon, about 29 minutes by car. For information, website: ankenyhillnaturecenter.org/visiting
LBCC Advanced Transportation Technology and Heavy Equipment Center
2000 West Oak Street, Lebanon, 541-917-4506, open Fridays, 8-4.