This among the oldest and largest professional theaters in the nation.  The theater presents 8 1/2 months of outstanding performances for the public to enjoy.

The community of Ashland is just 20,000 so you won’t have difficulty getting around and finding where you want to go.

There are backstage tours available for those that want a deeper understanding of how a production is put on.  This tour explores the history, design and technology of repertory theatre.  You must have reservations to attend this tour.  The regular tour is a walking tour and has six flights of stairs you must be able to manage.  Adult tickets are $12, youth (6-17) are $6.  Value season prices are $9 for adults and $6 for youth.  

There is a stairless tour available but they need at least three days notice. To order stairless tour tickets, please call (800) 219-8161 or (541) 482-4331.

February 24 – October 31 10:00 a.m.

You can also attend classes to learn more about the story, themes and characters of a play (all tickets are $5). 

OSF directors, scholars, and guest lecturers from around the country will share their insights about the plays, the playwrights and theater during their lecture series.  Check with the theatre to find out when they will be holding these sessions and where they will be held.

The embers of the theatre will be sharing their knowledge about the Festival and theatre in general, followed by a question and answer period which take place either in Carpenter Hall (in the spring) or the Bill Patton Garden (summertime).  It will be a great way to learn more about the productions as well as get to know others that are interested in Shakespeare.  This event is free to the public.

The theatre also produces productions of other talented playwrights.  There are 11 main stage productions each season so check to see what is playing while you are planning to be in the area on your Oregon vacation.

The OSF campus is comprised of three established theatres.  In addition to these they have other venues both indoors and outside.  The three primary theatres are the Angus Bowmer Theater (600-seat), New Theatre (250 to 350 seats), Elizabethan Stage/Allen Pavilion (1,200 seat).  Each of these will provide you with great seats and a huge memory of the great production.

There are Matinees and evening shows most days although it is dark (closed) on Monday.

It is highly recommended that you have reservations.  The cost of tickets vary so check with the theatre or online for rates.

The season runs from late February through early November;  you’ll find more to do mid-June through September, but tickets are cheaper February through June and in the fall

Location: 15 S Pioneer St
Ashland, OR 97520 (downtown Ashland)
Ashland is located on I-5, 350 miles north of San Francisco and 285 miles south of Portland, Oregon.

Phone: (541) 482-4331

You think you have everything under control, that you see what you see, feel what you feel and have a pretty good sense of balance.  Wrong.  Just step into the world of visual and perceptual phenomena, a step into the twilight zone! 

The House of Mystery gives you a glimpse of the strange world where the improbable is commonplace. You will experience physical facts that are reversed and what you know to be true isn’t so clear any longer.

You can even capture the experience on film to prove that you really aren’t losing your mind!

The building was originally an assay office and then tool storage building for the Old Grey Eagle Mining Company in 1904.  Although the mining company used it, the Native Americans would not go near the place, they  called it "Forbidden Ground", a place where even their horses would not go.

The Oregon Vortex is a spherical field of force, half above the ground and half below ground.  A cortex is like a whirling mass of water, especially one in which a force of suction operates, kind of like a tornado. 

It is the basic form of our universe. From our galaxy, whose vortex form we see as the countless suns of the Milky Way, throughout the gravitational vortex of our solar system, down to the vortex of an atom, the vortex form recurs throughout our world structure. The Phenomena that gives The Oregon Vortex its name are evident throughout the entire area. Nowhere in the circle do you normally stand erect. Inevitably the visitor assumes a posture that inclines toward magnetic north. The corona of The Vortex, as well as the minor vortices, discovered during the continuous study of The Vortex, are among the unique phenomena to be observed here.

Another person, standing on a level platform recedes from you towards magnetic south which makes them appear taller and so, when they come towards you, towards magnetic north, they appear to become shorter.  You truly have to see this to believe it because it is contrary to the laws of perspective as we know it.

When you visit you are welcome to bring you still camera, sorry, but you can not use a motion video or audio recorders of any kind because of copyright issues.

The road to the vortex is paved so the trip will be easy, even for larger trailer, buses and RV’s since there is a turn around there.

Open Everyday – Seven Days a Week:
March 1st through October 31st

Hours:
March, April, May, September, October – Open 9:00 AM PST to 4:00 PM PST
June, July, August – Open 9:00 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST

Prices:
Ages Price
5 and Under Free
6 – 11 $7.00
12 – 61 $9.00
62 and Above $8.00

Visa and Mastercard accepted.
No personal checks.

The Oregon Vortex
4303 Sardine Creek L Fork RD
Gold Hill, OR 97525-9732

Voice: (541) 855-1543
E-Mail: mystery@oregonvortex.com

Coming on I-5 Southbound, from Eugene, Portland, or Washington:

1. Take Exit 43 off of I-5 and turn left at the end of the offramp.
2. At the end of the overpass, turn right onto Highway 99.
3. Follow the road over Rock Point Bridge and continue on Highway 99 to the right.
4. Turn left onto Sardine Creek Road a quarter mile after the billboard.
5. Follow Sardine Creek Road for 3 miles and continue left at the fork, following the creek.
6. Follow Sardine Creek Left Fork Road 1.3 miles to The Oregon Vortex.

Coming on I-5 Northbound, from Ashland, Medford, or California:

1. Take Exit 40 off of I-5 and turn right at the end of the offramp.
2. Turn left at Highway 99, towards Gold Hill.
3. Follow Highway 99 for 2 miles through Gold Hill.
4. Turn right at the large billboard onto Sardine Creek Road.
5. Follow Sardine Creek Road for 3 miles and continue left at the fork, following the creek.
6. Follow Sardine Creek Left Fork Road 1.3 miles to The Oregon Vortex.

Pets and Animals:
Pets and animals are not allowed in the area or on tours. There are two exceptions to this. The first is a trained seeing-eye dog accompanied by a disabled person. Dogs still in training are not allowed. The second exception is a small dog that is nice, does not bite, and does not bark. These small dogs can be taken through if they are carried in a pouch or other carrier the entire time they are in the area. The House of Mystery is a very crooked building and your hands must be free while inside. There is shaded parking for warm days and a nearby creek that pets and animals may get a drink at with supervision. What many people do is have someone in their group wait outside with the pet. This allows the rest of your group to go through without needing to leave your pet in the car on a hot day.

Hours of operation and prices subject to change without notice.

"Scientifically" speaking, the Oregon Vortex is a spherical field of force that exists half above and half below the ground. This whirling mass of force and its accompanying confluence of magnetic fields are said to suspend several laws of physics at this location. The results are strange occurrences that can be observed with the naked eye, such as changes in height, balls rolling uphill, brooms standing on end, and other phenomena.

The Oregon Vortex was first opened as a tourist business in 1930. Millions of people have visited the Oregon Vortex since then, including psychics, mystics, scientists and curious folks passing through the area. Today the Oregon Vortex is still an intensely popular "mystery spot." It was even featured on an episode of the TV hit show "The X-Files" in 1999.

Although scientists are quick to call the phenomena you’ll see at the Oregon Vortex either fraud or optical illusions, no scientific studies have conclusively either debunked or proven anything. Interest in the spot is likely to continue, in large part because the mystery of the Oregon Vortex is so interesting and the strange occurences are so much fun.

The spot identified as the Oregon Vortex is situated within a woodsy, hilly, ¾-acre circular area that contains the House of Mystery. The House of Mystery is a wooden shack that was built in 1890 by a gold mining company. The House of Mystery rests at a disorienting slant, as it has since it originally slipped off its foundation. The House is used as a sort of tourist laboratory for exhibiting some of the strange phenomena that occurs as a result of the Vortex.

Regardless of whether or not you believe the strange sights you’ll observe at the Oregon Vortex are a trick of the eye or real phenomena, it’s well worth a tour. The Oregon Vortex is open every day, 7 days a week from March 1 through October 31.

4303 Sardine Creek L Fork Road
Gold Hill, Oregon 97525

Do a quick search for train trips on the web and you’ll get plenty of specials shoved in your face. Train companies are offering the public, vacation deals. You can spend around 1000 dollars and receive an eight day trip to all sorts of fun locations. These getaway deals typically include the train ride, your lodging, and some of your meals. Not too shabby, but maybe not as classy as you expect either. The first time I decided to take a train ride was about five years ago. I traveled on Amtrak from Oregon to Iowa. This was a train trip quite different from what I assumed. To be completely frank, it was nothing special. I had always wanted to make this trip by train, as opposed to the routine commercial flights I was used to. Well, all I have to say now is NEVER again. Naturally the train ride was longer than I would have spent on an airplane. Furthermore, it was too crowded to enjoy. I thought it was pathetic to see how filthy the train windows were as well. There’s no doubt that some great scenery is a plus to train trips, but who can see through nasty, clouded windows? If you can’t tell, I won’t be taking anymore Amtrak train trips.

You may have to save for a while if you want the dream. I imagine the ideal train trip is one where you have your own personal room/car to lounge in with your loved one. This would make a world of difference in my opinion. Sadly it’s not so easy to come by these days. So the next time you’re considering a train trip, be sure to investigate the process fully before forking out the dough.