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Wednesday 11am - 4pm Thursday 11am - 4pm Friday 11am - 4pm Saturday 11am - 4pm

North Lincoln County Historical Museum

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North Lincoln County Historical Museum

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Educational resource dedicated to the interpretation and preservation of North Lincoln County history

10/16/2026

Join us tomorrow, October 17, to celebrate Home Movie Day! From 1pm-4pm museum staff will be inspecting, repairing, and showcasing film reels for your viewing pleasure. You can also bring in your own family home movies and receive advice on how to preserve special memories long term! This event is free and open to the public.

🎞️ 8mm, super-8mm, and 16mm films will be accepted day of on a first come first served basis.

Photo: clip of home movie processed at NLCHM

10/09/2026

Want to take a drive down memory lane? Come join us at the museum for Home Movie Day Saturday, October 17th from 1pm - 4pm!

For this free annual event, you can bring in your own home movies to be inspected and repaired by film archivist and museum director, Christopher Melton. Receive advice on how to preserve your film long term and enjoy watching your own footage on the big screen. Additional family home movies and special footage from the museum’s archives will also be shown if you simply wanted to stop by and reminisce.

The details:

🎞️ Types of film accepted: 8mm, super8mm, and 16 films
📽️ Films will be processed day of on a first-come, first-served basis
🍿 To guarantee a spot you can drop off your film prior to the event at the museum (4907 SW Highway 101, Lincoln City, OR) during open hours

We are also looking for volunteers to help host the event and assist in processing film! If you are interested in volunteering please email: [email protected]

To learn more about Home Movie Day visit see The Center for Home Movies

09/25/2026

Museum staff and volunteers are working to scan film negatives from the local newspaper outlet, the News Guard. 📰

The News Guard was a local coastal newspaper which started in 1927 covering stories between Otter Rock and Pacific City. In January of 2024 the Lincoln City offices were shut down, and it merged with today’s Lincoln County Leader. The museum’s collection holds 86 binders of film negatives taken by unnamed photojournalists from 1971-1997. These photos include those that were printed in the News Guard, in addition thousands of unpublished photographs never before seen by the public. This collection holds an estimated 150,000 photos.

This project is generously funded by the Siletz Charitable Contribution Fund (STCCF). We thank the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians and STCCF for supporting the museum's efforts to preserve and share local history!

Photos 1-4: recently scanned News Guard film negatives from 1971.

09/14/2026

Many are familiar with Trader Joe's but do you know about Trader Rick’s? 🍔

Trader Rick’s was located in the Braemar neighborhood of Oceanlake and opened in 1962. The red and white stripped snack spot specialized in burgers and milkshakes. Driving through Lincoln City you’ll pass the Trader Rick’s building which is now the restaurant, Taste of India, just north of the Dorchester House.

Photos 1 & 2: Trader Rick's restaurant from 1962.
Photos from NLCHM archives.

09/09/2026

“Like a bridge over troubled water…”

Covered bridges are architectural gems that can elicit nostalgia and a respect for craftsmanship. Built with a roof and siding to protect wooden planks and travelers from the elements of wind, rain, and snow, covered bridges through North Lincoln County allowed residents to travel further distances and navigate a landscape abundant with streams and rivers.

Covered bridges were built over Schooner Creek, Drift Creek, Salmon River and Slick Rock Creek. Today, only one of those bridges still remains thanks in large part to Rose Lodge residents, Laura and Kerry Sweitz. The Drift Creek covered bridge was built in 1914 and is one of the oldest remaining covered bridges in Oregon.

Song lyrics, “Bridge Over Troubled Waters” by Simon and Garfunkel

Photo 1: Schooner Creek covered bridge
Photo 3: Drift Creek covered bridge
Photo 2: Salmon River covered bridge
Photo 4: Slick Rock covered bridge
Photos from NLCHM archives.

09/06/2026

“Taft’s skating rink was a very popular place. It was owned by the Ludwig family–five boys and the folks. It seems to me that in an elevated corner of the rink there was a big stove. Speakers carried organ music that originated from the office phonograph. I was a mediocre skater, spending a lot of time holding onto the railings, but numerous local kids–a few of whom even owned their own skates–were accomplished skates. I think the Ludwigs offered skating lessons”.

Account from Tom Edwards documented in "Pioneer History of North Lincoln County, Oregon Volume III: Life in the Villages, Towns, and Communities".

The skating rink building is currently Ace Hardware in Taft. The wooden skating floors can be seen in the back of the store.

Photo 1: Inside Taft skating rink
Photo 2: Taft business area along Highway 101 with the skating rink on the left
Photo 3: Roller skates shared by Hespack sisters, Evelyn and Roene. They took turns using these skates at the Taft Roller Rink in the 1940s-1950s, on display at museum.
Photos from NLCHM archives.

08/29/2026

The new school year is approaching, which means the highly anticipated (or dreaded) student photo days are also on the way.

Pictured is Ms. Vera Cole’s class with principle, Mr. Bond, of Otis Grade School in 1935. Otis grade school served 1st through 5th grade students living along the Salmon River. As depicted in this picture, young learners of many backgrounds including Native American, European, and Japanese ancestry attended the school together. The school building still stands and is currently Otis’ Fire Hall located north of Otis Junction along the Old Scenic Highway 101.

08/27/2026

As we remember the legacy of Dolly Parton we celebrate the power of books to expand our knowledge, fuel our imaginations, and inspire us to dream big dreams. Although it is unknown if the country music icon traveled to North Lincoln County, we know she performed not too far away and dedicated a song to the city of Eugene, Oregon. Akin to Dolly’s love of reading and her foundation to promote literacy, the museum has a free children’s book library that was dedicated to former President of NLCHM’s Board of Directors, Jean Majoska, who shared a passion for children’s education. 🩷🦋

Photo: "Take a book, leave a book" library in the museum's interactive room

08/14/2026

In what universe can you watch the latest Spider-Man movie AND support your local historical museum? It’s this one!

The BIJOU THEATRE LINCOLN CITY is donating a portion of movie ticket sales to support the museum’s efforts to preserve local history. Donations will go towards the digitization of TV 10 VHS cassettes that are at risk of deterioration. TV 10 was Lincoln City’s very own news broadcast station that captured the city’s unique surroundings and stories.

Photo: Street view of Oceanlake with Lakeside Theater, today's Bijou Theatre, with an interloper, your friendly neighborhood Spider-Man

08/05/2026

Help preserve Lincoln City’s history before it’s lost!

During the month of August the Bijou Theatre will be donating a portion of movie ticket sales to the North Lincoln County Historical Museum. Funds will support the museum’s TV 10 Digitization Project, an initiative to clean, stabilize, and preserve the tapes of TV 10 - Lincoln City’s very own TV station that was active in the 1980s to 1990s.

VHS tapes are prone to deterioration and overtime lose their quality until they are completely unviewable. Once digitized, TV 10 footage will be available for public viewing long-term!

When you are visiting the Bijou Theatre, you’re also enjoying a piece of local history! The Bijou is the longest operating theater in Lincoln City opening its doors as the Lakeside Theater in 1937. Current owners, Keith and Betsy Altomare have owned and operated the Bijou since 1996.

Photo of Lakeside Theater, today the Bijou Theatre, in the early 1930s.

Address

4907 SW Highway 101
Lincoln City, OR
97367

Opening Hours

Wednesday	11am - 4pm
Thursday	11am - 4pm
Friday	11am - 4pm
Saturday	11am - 4pm

Telephone

+15419966614

Website

http://www.nlchm.org/

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