Author: bhmsalem

The Groundbreaking Women of Salem Walking Tour

Posted on by bhmsalem in Events, Special tours and events

The Groundbreaking Women of Salem Walking Tour

The Groundbreaking Women of Salem Walking Tour

Saturday, May 16, 2026 through Sunday, May 17, 2026

Time:

2:00pm – 3:30pm

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Description:

Take a trip back in time during this special tour where we learn about the women of Salem who were devoted wives, mothers, teachers, gardeners, and philanthropists.

The tour starts at Deepwood on Saturday, May 16th at 2pm, where we will get a glimpse of the lives of Willie Bingham and Alice “Alla” Bretherton Brown Powell and tour through their house and gardens.

At 2:30pm, we tour the living legacy of sisters Sally and Eugenia Bush at Bush House, where they will be talking about the beloved community members and lifelong gardeners of Bush’s Pasture Park.

On Sunday, May 17th, the tour begins at 2pm at Salem Pioneer Cemetery, where we delve into the lives of Chloe Willson, a teacher and landowner; Mary Kinney, Oregon Legislator and suffragist; Charlotte Dickinson, teacher and ministry; and Tabitha Brown, teacher and co-founder of Pacific University. 

From there, we will see where the Bush family was laid to rest at Pioneer. We will conclude at City View, where the women of Deepwood were laid to rest.

Tickets are $30 each. Pre-registration is required to help us prepare for the event.



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Cost:

$30 per person. Pre-registration required.

All proceeds benefit the care, preservation and programs of both Deepwood Museum & Gardens and Bush House Museum.

Location:

Deepwood Museum & Gardens, 1116 Mission Street SE, Salem, OR 97302 (Free parking located off of 12th & Lee streets.)
Bush House Museum, 600 Mission St SE, Salem, OR 97302 (Free parking is available next to the museum in the lot off of High Street. Additional parking is available off of Mission Street.)
Salem Pioneer Cemetery, 2201 Commercial St SE, Salem, OR 97302 (Parking along Hoyt Street).
City View Cemetery, 390 Hoyt St SE, Salem, OR 97302

During this special tour as we will be visiting various locations, please be prepared to walk on uneven surfaces, grass, and gravel paths. Please dress accordingly. The tour will go on rain or shine.

Contact:

Call us at 503-363-1825 with any questions.

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BUSH HOUSE MUSEUM EXTENDED 90 MINUTES TOUR

Posted on by bhmsalem in Special tours and events, Uncategorized

Sunday June 7, 2026 From 1:30 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. | Bush House Museum

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But Wait! There’s More!
During the standard Bush House Museum (BHM) tour, we run out of time before we run out of stories. What to do? An extended, 90 minute tour, of course. Let’s snoop in some closets, whisper some rumors and might there be a scandal? And how does that contraption work?

Date: Sunday, June 7, 2026

Time: The tour will begin promptly at 1:30 pm and will conclude at 3:00 pm.
Please meet your tour guide, Robin Cunningham, outside on the front porch before heading into the Museum as a group. 

Location: Bush House Museum, Mission Street Southeast, Salem, OR, USA

Tickets

We plan to schedule more tours in the future. To be notified of future tours, please join the waitlist!

Bush House Museum Architecture Tour: History and Mysteries

Posted on by bhmsalem in Events, Special tours and events

Sunday May 17, 2026 From 1:30 P.M. to 2:30 P.M. | Bush House Museum

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Back by popular demand!  We will conduct the Bush House Museum Historic Architecture tour.

Are you curious about the architecture of the Bush House Museum? What’s with that door to nowhere? Why is the basement mostly above ground? What’s with those two steps up from the servants level? What style is this architecture and who was the architect?

Take a deep dive into the architecture of the Bush House.  Learn about its Italianate style of architecture, rooted in Italian villa design and the Romantic movement in 19th century art. Explore finely crafted wood and metal details and exquisite marble fireplaces throughout the house.

Join us for an interesting and enlightening tour of the oddities of Bush House Museum. and enlightening tour of the oddities of Bush House Museum.

Date: Sunday, May 17, 2026

Time: The tour will begin promptly at 1:30pm and will conclude at 2:30pm.
Please meet your tour guide, Kathy, outside on the east side of the House to view the exterior architecture before heading into the Museum as a group. 

Location: Bush House Museum, Mission Street Southeast, Salem, OR, USA

This tour is capped at 12 guests, so please be sure to register to hold your spot! 

Tickets

HERITAGE TALK – A WILLOW TREE BECOMES A FOREST

Posted on by bhmsalem in Events

HERITAGE TALK – A WILLOW TREE BECOMES A FOREST

Friday, April 3, 2026 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. | BUSH HOUSE MUSEUM

We are excited to continue our lecture series, Heritage Talks. This series offers a deeper look into the rich history of the Bush House Museum. Dr. Russell Low‘s talk will explore the struggles of Low’s family to establish roots and pursue their dreams in a world of Chinese Exclusion.

The little-known, decades-long partnership between the Hop Lee and Bush families in Salem reveals a powerful story of friendship and cooperation—one that honors the immigrant spirit that helped build America.

Date: Friday, April 3, 2026

Time: The talk will begin promptly at 6:00pm and will conclude at 8:00pm.

Location: Bush House Museum, Mission Street Southeast, Salem, OR, USA

Tickets
About the presenter:

Russell Low is a California-born, fourth-generation Chinese American physician and the great-grandson of a Transcontinental Railroad worker and a rescued child slave. His family’s story—celebrating connections to the past and the valor of the World War II generation—has been featured by the History Channel, BBC Radio, NPR, the Voice of America, and major museums, including the Smithsonian. Low brings his passion for research and storytelling to his books, including Three Coins, The All-American Crew, Avengers, Wildcats, & Crickets, and A Willow Tree Becomes a Forest.

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Tickets

This talk is capped at 25 guests, so please be sure to register to hold your spot! 

In order to plan for our talk, please register by Friday, February 27 at 4pm; we will close the registration page after that time and we can not accommodate walk-ups for this talk.

The recommended ticket price is $20. Our ticket fees directly support the work we are doing at Bush House Museum. Please consider adding an additional donation in support.

*At the Salem Art Association, we prioritize inclusivity. To ensure that our arts and culture events remain accessible to all, we have set aside a limited number of free tickets. Please reach out to laura@salemart.org if you would like a promo code to waive the admission fee.

Heritage Talk – 1863 Salem Scandal: When White Elites Defied Custom to Attend a Black Wedding

Posted on by bhmsalem in Events, Special tours and events

Heritage Talk – 1863 Salem Scandal: When White Elites Defied Custom to Attend a Black Wedding

Sunday, June 14, 2026 from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
| Bush House Museum

We are excited to continue our lecture series, Heritage Talks. This series offers a deeper look into the rich history of the Bush House Museum. Brian Waldo Johnson will talk about the 1863 Salem Scandal.

African Americans Richard Bogle and America Waldo were married in Salem on January 1, 1863—the same day the Emancipation Proclamation took effect.

The wedding quickly became notorious across the West Coast due to the unprecedented attendance of prominent members of White society at a Black wedding. This presentation will explore the backgrounds of those in attendance, the circumstances that made the event so extraordinary, and the hostile reaction from much of the press, which viewed the wedding as a bold assertion of equality.

Date: Sunday, June 14, 2026

Time: The talk will begin promptly at 2:30pm and will conclude at 3:30pm.

Location: Bush House Museum, Mission Street Southeast, Salem, OR, USA

About the presenter:

Tickets
About the presenter:

Throughout his professional career Brian Waldo Johnson has focused on the collection and analysis of research data in both the biological and social sciences, most recently as Associate Research Fellow at Western Oregon University. Since retiring in 2018 he has turned his research skills to family genealogy and Oregon history, with a main focus on members of the Daniel Waldo family and their relatives, including America Waldo Bogle. Brian also regularly provides historic research on early Oregonians for his daughter’s archaeological company.

Tickets

This talk is capped at 25 guests, so please be sure to register to hold your spot! 


The recommended ticket price is $20. Our ticket fees directly support the work we are doing at Bush House Museum. Please consider adding an additional donation in support.

*At the Salem Art Association, we prioritize inclusivity. To ensure that our arts and culture events remain accessible to all, we have set aside a limited number of free tickets. Please reach out to laura@salemart.org if you would like a promo code to waive the admission fee.

HERITAGE TALK – HELP WANTED: THE WORKING HANDS OF THE BUSH HOUSE

Posted on by bhmsalem in Events

Sunday, March 1, 2026 from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.
| BUSH HOUSE MUSEUM

We are excited to kick off 2026 with a new lecture series, Heritage Talks. This series offers a deeper look into the rich history of the Bush House Museum.

Join our speaker, Bill Galbraith, to hear compelling stories of the immigrants and others who lived and worked in and around Bush House and Salem at the turn of the 20th century.

Date: Sunday, March 1, 2026

Time: The talk will begin promptly at 1:30pm and will conclude at 2:30pm.

Location: Bush House Museum, Mission Street Southeast, Salem, OR, USA

Tickets
About the presenter:

Bill is a volunteer docent at Bush House Museum who has always been interested in history, especially in the lives of common people in the past.  His curiosity about the life experiences of working women and men employed at Bush House led him to do research with Bush House staff.

Tickets

This talk is capped at 25 guests, so please be sure to register to hold your spot! 

In order to plan for our talk, please register by Friday, February 27 at 4pm; we will close the registration page after that time and we can not accommodate walk-ups for this talk.

The recommended ticket price is $20. Our ticket fees directly support the work we are doing at Bush House Museum. Please consider adding an additional donation in support.

*At the Salem Art Association, we prioritize inclusivity. To ensure that our arts and culture events remain accessible to all, we have set aside a limited number of free tickets. Please reach out to laura@salemart.org if you would like a promo code to waive the admission fee.

Bush House Museum Tour: Sally Bush – Renaissance Woman of Salem

Posted on by bhmsalem in Events, Past show and installations

SunDAY, JanUARY 11, 2026 from 1:30 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. | BUSH HOUSE MUSEUM

Join us on this special tour to learn about Sally Bush, a Renaissance woman of Salem who served as lady of the Bush House.

She was also an accomplished photographer, gardener, animal lover, art patron, philanthropist, and Vice President of Ladd and Bush Bank.

Date: Sunday, January 11, 2026

Time: The tour will begin promptly at 1:30pm and will conclude at 2:30pm.

Location: Bush House Museum, Mission Street Southeast, Salem, OR, USA

Tour Sign-ups

his tour is capped at 12 guests, so please be sure to register to hold your spot! 

In order to plan for our tour, please register by Friday, January 9 at 4pm; we will close the registration page after that time and we can not accommodate walk-ups on this tour.

The recommended ticket price is $20. Our ticket fees directly support the work we are doing at Bush House Museum. Please consider adding an additional donation in support.

*At the Salem Art Association, we prioritize inclusivity. To ensure that our arts and culture events remain accessible to all, we have set aside a limited number of free tickets. Please reach out to laura@salemart.org if you would like a promo code to waive the admission fee.

WINTER HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS

Posted on by bhmsalem in Events

Saturday December 6, 2025 From 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. | BUSH HOUSE MUSEUM

HAPPENING AT THE BUSH HOUSE MUSEUM

From 1:00 P.M. to 4:00 P.M. visitors can can enjoy music and explore immersive history by traveling back in time in the Museum’s seasonally decorated and beautifully maintained home and grounds!

  • December 3, and through December 6, Bush House Museum will begin collecting non perishable food donations for Marion Polk Food Share. Your generosity helps support families right here in our community throughout the winter months. We’re also pleased to be partnering with the Bush House Museum and Deepwood Museum & Gardens during the day-long Holiday Happening where all three sites will be collecting food donations on December 6. *Prior to Saturday, December 6, donations can be dropped off at the Bush Barn Art Center front desk.

ENJOY LIVE MUSIC THROUGHOUT THE DAY At THE BUSH HOUSE MUSEUM:

Constant Billy | 1:00 P.M. – 2:00 P.M.

Constant Billy is known for their Celtic and Americana music, performed with voices and acoustic instruments. For this special Holiday performance spanning the late 19th century and into the early 20th century, the duo- Emily Standish & Bill Galbraith- will do an entirely acoustic hour of holiday music from the 1870s- the period when Bush House Museum was completed and the Bush family was in residence.

Jabberwocky Quartet | 2:00 P.M. – 3:00 P.M.

Jabberwocky Quartet is an a cappella quartet made up of Micky Logan, Walt
Haight, and Gayle and Jim Rastorfer. They incorporate elements of jazz, barbershop, doo-wop, rock’n’roll, and quirky (thus their name “Jabberwocky”).

Melissa Terrall | 3:00 P.M. – 4:00 P.M.

Melissa Terrall is an award-winning classical pianist currently based in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. A 2023 Fulbright grant recipient, she spent a year researching Mexican piano repertoire in Mexico City.

Melissa holds degrees from the University of Kansas and Portland State University. An equally passionate performer and teacher, she has worked as interim piano professor at Linfield University and Clark College while also maintaining a private piano studio.

Location: Bush House Museum, Mission Street Southeast, Salem, OR, USA

HAPPENING AT THE BUSH BARN ART CENTER AND ANNEX

From Noon to 4:00 P.M. Shop while enjoying some holiday treats! Visitors can enjoy one stop shop for unique gifts. More than 50 artists will be selling traditional art, plus jewelry, ceramics, textiles, tree ornaments, greeting cards!

We are excited to offer our members an additional 15% savings on purchases —
a 25% discount on this day only (for items over $10).

Shop while enjoying some holiday treats!

11:00 A.M. ARTIST TALK WITH JO HAMILTON

o’s exhibition “Shine On” featured in the A.N. Bush Gallery will talk about the intricate process of making her large-sale crochet installations.

Lecture RSVP

ARTIST-IN-RESIDENT OPEN STUDIO HOURS

Come meet Anna Thoreau during open studio hours and learn more about her her illustration process and project, “I Can Haz Fly”.

LOCATION
The Bush Barn Art Center & Annex
600 Mission St. SE, Salem, OR 97302

November BUSH HOUSE MUSEUM EXTENDED 90 MINUTES TOUR

Posted on by bhmsalem in Uncategorized

SUNDAY November 9, 2025 From 1:30 P.M. to 3:00 P.M. | BUSH HOUSE MUSEUM

tickets

But Wait! There’s More!
During the standard Bush House Museum (BHM) tour, we run out of time before we run out of stories. What to do? An extended, 90 minute tour, of course. Let’s snoop in some closets, whisper some rumors and might there be a scandal? And how does that contraption work?

Date: Sunday, November 9, 2025

Time: The tour will begin promptly at 1:30 pm and will conclude at 3:00 pm.
Please meet your tour guide, Robin Cunningham, outside on the front porch before heading into the Museum as a group. 

Location: Bush House Museum, Mission Street Southeast, Salem, OR, USA

Tickets

We plan to schedule more tours in the future. To be notified of future tours, please join the waitlist!

Art Lover’s Tour of the Bush House Museum

Posted on by bhmsalem in Events

SUNDAY, August 31, 2025 From 1:30 P.M. to 2:30 P.M. | BUSH HOUSE MUSEUM

The inaugural Art Lover’s Tour was a sell-out success with a waitlist. Here’s your chance to join the next one.

There’s never enough time on the standard tour to do justice to the Bush family art collection. Here’s your chance to satisfy your curiosity and fundraise for Bush House Museum.

Don’t miss out on this incredible opportunity to experience a private tour with a focus on the Bush family art collection in the historic Bush House Museum.

Date: Sunday, August 31, 2025

Tour Sign-ups

This tour is capped at 12 guests, so please be sure to register to hold your spot! 

Date: Sunday, August 31, 2025

Time: The tour will begin promptly at 1:30pm and will conclude at 2:30pm.

Location: Bush House Museum, Mission Street Southeast, Salem, OR, USA