Quirky Corvallis

Are you the kind of person who loves exploring silly or offbeat discoveries that make a tourist stop way more fun? Corvallis offers you a range of quirky things to check out.

Meet Bruce the Moose, an eight-foot-tall taxidermied moose with a long history in Corvallis. Bruce joined OSU’s Horner Museum collection in 1935 and once stood at the entrance to the museum, where generations of visitors rubbed his shoulder for luck. After the Horner Museum closed in 1995, Bruce found a new home at the Corvallis Museum, where he now greets visitors in the lobby. Stop by and say hello to one of the most unexpected museum mascots!

Who knows what you might find beneath Corvallis? In 2021, a utility crew digging for a natural gas line on NW 9th Street uncovered something they certainly weren't expecting: part of a Columbian mammoth tusk! Nearly six feet of the tusk was carefully removed, preserved, and eventually dated to about 12,700 years ago. Today, you can see this prehistoric piece of Corvallis history on display in the children's section of the Corvallis Library.

Midway Theatre, a former drive-in, may be gone, but its sign lives on in a new location as a Poetry Marquee. Wander up SW First Street from Madison as you stroll the waterfront. Before you reach Sugar J's Ice Cream Workshop, look over the parking lot to the side of the building. There you'll see the Midway Theatre sign in all its glory, featuring local poetry instead of the weekend's movie features.

Since you're on Madison Avenue, why not explore some interesting public art? Local favorite quirky statues are the brass dog ("Cassidy") and the whimsical "Clever Design" bronze sculpture featuring Avery the Alligator and Rembrandt the Raccoon. Using the Alley Art Walk map, start at 17 at the waterfront and head towards Central Park.

Did you know that Corvallis has two oversized picnic tables (and Benton County adds more to the list!).  Head to Avery Park's Lions Shelter or to the Benton County Fairgrounds with 60-100 of your closest friends to enjoy what may be Guinness Book of Records-length 84' long picnic tables, made from a single piece of lumber.

The bird-lover in you will enjoy this adventure. As you park in the shade of a beautiful Redwood tree on your way to Southtown's Farmerstand and Market, make your way to the sidewalk. Next to the tree, you'll come across a nest large enough for a human or two to sit in! To get here, take 99W to SE Alexander Ave. Afterward, walk down the street, cross over Crystal Lake Drive, and check out the Tuesday Market. 

Meanwhile, you can find the biggest beaver in the state (well, in our opinion) at the OSU campus. Benny Beaver has been immortalized as an oversized wood sculpture, easily towering over the OSU students he cheers on! To check out this memorable college icon, head over to OSU's Memorial Union student center's entrance on SW Jefferson Way at SW 26th Street.

If you're driving around checking out Corvallis' murals on NW 9th Street (between NW Hayes and NW Grant), be on the lookout for a great big, orange rocking chair! A good vantage point is across the street from the parking lot for the "Know Thyself: The Art of Wellbeing" mural by Erik Hoogan.

Thinking of riding your horse into town and looking for a place to park it while you have coffee, shop for toys or go to the hardware store? You're in luck! Saddle up and head over to SW 2nd between Bodhi Cafe and Wade Hardware, where there are eight iron horse rings on the curb. More unusual sidewalk signs can be found in the Historic Sidewalk Markers Walking Tour.

As you drive through town, you may come across railroad tracks and trains transporting lumber or grass seed. But did you know that Corvallis still has former train stations and an old Pullman train?

Start at The Old Spaghetti Factory (603 NW 2nd), located in a train depot originally constructed in 1910 and then moved twice - in 1917 and 1982. The other part of this train station still stands next to the train tracks behind City Hall.

About a 10-minute walk from City Hall, head towards SW 7th and SW Washington. There you will see another original train hub, the Willamette Valley & Coast Railroad Depot, built in 1887 and recently converted into Corvallis Depot Suites. Walk around, and an old Pullman train is between new OSU buildings and the depot! Such an unexpected sight!

Quirky, silly, oddball and offbeat can mean different things to different people. Ready to find the unexpected? Explore Corvallis with an open mind and a curious eye. You never know what you might discover just around the corner.

Article and photos by Stacey Newman Weldon. Keep up with Corvallis news, events and happenings by signing up for our email newsletter.