Things to Do in Corvallis

Diamond Hill Paintball's two outdoor fields evoke historical battlegrounds for tournament-style and recreational play. A net encloses the regulation NPPL speedball course, whose symmetrical layout of inflatable bunkers is designed for intense competition. The rec-ball field's mounds and muddy foxholes help conceal casual players as they advance and protect feral canvases from the Technicolor volley. A unit of paintball veterans ensures safe, fun play at all levels, and distributes safety gear to accompany Tippmann 98 rental markers.

The acrobatic arm of the River Road Park and Recreation District, Gymnastics Northwest offers classes and parties for tumblers aged 18 months to 16 years. Reflex beams, rings, a pommel horse, and an in-ground trampoline await first timers and astronauts-in-training for weekly classes and events. Open-gym sessions run on Fridays for acrobats up to age 8, and Action Nights see junior jumpers aged 6–12 bound on the spring floor and feed the vaulting horse every third Saturday of the month.

The McKenzie River flows past some of Oregon's most awe-inspiring natural scenery—douglas fir–blanketed mountainsides, bald eagles diving to catch trout, and gargantuan boulders splitting the current into Class II and III rapids. Operating in partnership with the Willamette National Forest Service, the Oregon State Marine Board–licensed guides of All-Star Outfitters unveil these sights to visitors on both whitewater- and scenic rafting adventures. Additionally, guides equip outdoorsmen with fly or spinning rigs and guide them on fishing trips on the McKenzie River, Siuslaw River, and Lake Creek to catch rainbow and cutthroat trout, spring- and fall-run chinooks, and steelheads. The guides can also arrange lunch options for every outing, such as deli-style sandwiches, Wild West barbecue, or hot dogs on a hook.

Listed in the National Registry of Historic Places, the McDonald Theatre has enjoyed a long, strange history since its establishment in 1925. Originally a community playhouse equipped with both a stage and a screen, the theater found new life in the 1950s when One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest author and psychedelic pioneer Ken Kesey began presenting free cartoons there every Saturday morning. The McDonald spent the next six or so decades as a movie house exclusively, but in 2001, the Kesey family returned, producing concerts and community events under the theater’s enormous proscenium arch. Kesey Enterprises finally purchased the time-weighted stage in 2009, and today the building hosts events ranging from high-school proms to reggae concerts to plumbing-fixture lifting contests.

Local artist and glass master Dan Watts opened the doors of MorArt more than a year ago with a ribbon-cutting ceremony that attracted the likes of actress Tippi Hedren of Hitchcock's The Birds fame. After the confetti settled and the balloon outlines of Hitchcock's silhouette popped, Lincoln City was left with a haven for hands-on glass making. 

Dan teaches the arts of glass fusing, mosaic building, and glass painting during one-on-one sessions or group classes. Equipping students with the tools, materials, and knowledge necessary, he lets them roam free to breathe life into their own refractive creations. Though he remains on-hand for advice, instruction, and assistance, the onus lies on each individual to create a masterpiece worthy of mantel display. Once students finish, Dan fires up his kiln's bedchamber so that each piece can stay and solidify overnight. Masterworks can be shipped for an additional fee, delivered express via the studio's catapult, or picked up from the store along with a few pieces of Dan's original work.

The fishermen could carry their bounties off in coolers, but by the time the boat reaches the marina, each angler stands clutching a fat salmon for all bystanders on the dock to see. After posing for photos and recounting the battle with the day's largest catch, the anglers drop by the on-site cleaning shop to have their hauls filleted, packed, and readied to take home.

Barbara and Jerry Powell—a third-generation fisherman with more than 50 years of experience—charter ocean adventures like these year round to fishing destinations such as the inner reefs of Yaquina Bay. Aboard USCG-inspected and certified boats, the Powells' team outfits anglers with well-maintained equipment to hook deep-sea creatures such as halibut, shark, and Aquaman. Alternatively, captains take parties into tidal waters to catch bay crabs, or journey out toward open waters on whale-watching cruises.

The crew at Captain's Reel Deep Sea Fishing recommends guests check out the trip-preparation and FAQ pages before they head out. Guides can also furnish one-day licenses to those who lack the proper documents.