Things To Do
International Rose Test Garden
It’s not called the City of Roses for nothing -- from April to October, peaking in June, the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park is alive with hundreds of blossoming rose bushes of all scents and colors
Powell's City of Books
One of the city’s most famous landmarks, Powell’s City of Books is a testament to the longevity of the printed word, a multi-story maze of literature and text
Portland Mercado
Portland is famous for its food cart scene, with pods abounding throughout town. One of the best is the Portland Mercado, a colorful collection of Mexican, Central American, and South American food trucks, as well as a Latin American market, bar, and butcher.
Portland Art Museum
Portland may not be the art mecca as cities like New York or Chicago are, but it does have a modestly sized museum that offers some classic and contemporary art pieces, as well as local and Native American art. It’s actually one of the oldest museums in the country and it’s worth the trip for any art lover.
Portland Japanese Garden
The Japanese Gardens are an oasis of serenity in the city, a series of gardens and walkways lined with streams and a traditional Japanese tea house, all with a beautiful view of Mount HoodT
Multnomah Falls Lodge
The Columbia Gorge boasts a multitude of hikes and sites, the most famous of which is the picturesque 600-foot-tall Multnomah Falls.
Get out of town
One of the most endearing things about Portland is its accessibility to places that are not Portland. The city is only a few short hours to the wild and beautiful Oregon coast and the small towns that dot it, like Cannon Beach, Astoria, and Seaside. So too is it a brief jaunt east, out to cute little Hood River with its exceptional breweries and windsurfing, or the vaulting Cascade Mountain Range --
Sit and sip a cappuccino
Sure, Portland is famous for Stumptown Coffee, but that’s not the only craft coffee shop roasting beans and pulling espresso shots throughout town. Water Avenue Coffee, Portland Roasting Company, Coava Coffee, Good Coffee, and Upper Left Roasters all make amazing coffees, while shops like Barista and Never work magic with other people’s beans.
Pittock Mansion
Built in 1914, Pittock Mansion tells the story of Portland’s transformation from pioneer town to modern, industrialized city through the history and legacy of one its most influential families, the Pittocks.
Grab a donut that's not Voodoo
Portland’s Voodoo Doughnuts have somehow acquired national attention. Skip the line and head to a donut spot like Blue Star, Delicious Donuts, or Pip’s. Or honestly don’t get a donut at all, it’s not really the most Portland thing. If you really want to wait in line for a gimmicky Portland treat, you might as well just get an ice cream at Salt & Straw, which might be the only thing in town worth waiting 45 minutes in line for.
Hoyt Arboretum
Founded in 1928 to conserve endangered species and educate the community, Hoyt Arboretum encompasses 190 ridge-top acres and 12 miles of hiking trails just minutes from downtown Portland. Home to 2,300 species of trees and shrubs from six continents, the Arboretum is a place of beauty and serenity no matter the season
Oregon Rail Heritage Center
Opened in September 2012, the free, volunteer-run museum’s modern exhibit space showcases three vintage steam locomotives.
Take a walk through the largest city park... and the smallest
It’s a bit of a factoid that Forest Park, which sprawls all through the northwestern part of the city, is the largest park in city limits in the US. Whether or not that’s actually true is unimportant. The lush forest is an essential visit for anyone coming into town. Stroll through sun-dappled pathways or take a foggy early morning run and enjoy the quiet serenity of Forest Park. Or, visit what made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s smallest park, Mill’s End Park, a tiny spot in a median strip on Naito.