Founded in 1964, the World Forestry Center educates the public about forestry in three different ways. Firstly, it has its 20,000 sq. ft. Discovery Museum, which boasts of Cascadian architecture characterized by a grand entry way and elaborate hand carvings. In 2005, the museum had undergone a six-month renovation that cost $7M.

One interesting exhibit at the museum include Peggy the Train, a 1909 42-ton Lima Shay geared locomotive that had hauled approximately 1 billion of logs in its long and distinguished career. The train, retired in 1950, was donated to the museum by the National Railway Historical Society?s Pacific Northwest Chapter, which restored the train to its original condition from 1969 to 1971. Another interesting exhibit of the museum is the large petrified stump that was donated by Lew Smith. The stump is 5 million years old, weighs 10,000 pounds, and came from a Giant Sequoia in North Dakota.

The other two programs of the World Forestry Center include a tree farm and the World Forest Institute, which it opened in 1989.