25 things to do in

Portland Oregon
From:
www.EatAdventures.com

Here are 25 of my favorite things to

do in Portland.
Whether youre entertaining or just need to explore a little more of this awesome city,
this list of things to do in Portland should keep you busy for awhile. They are in no
particular order.

Powells Books-
Powells is the worlds largest independent bookstore. So the biggest small one I guess.
Its huge, its in the structure of an old parking garage, and has a great coffee shop to
read books and sip a latte. Go here. One the corner of SW 10th and W Burnside.
Open till 11pm everyday!

http://www.powells.com/

Japanese Gardens-
5.5 acres of manicured gardens with 5 Japanese style sub-gardens. This place is very
peaceful and beautiful. Its a great stroll and offers a nice view over downtown Portland
at the Garden pavilion. They regularly have events from different artists in the
gardens. Check the website for more info.

http://japanesegarden.com
Downtown Art Museum-
Its the oldest art museum on the west coast, and the seventh oldest in the US. The
permanent collection has over 42,000 pieces. There is always a major traveling exhibit
on show.

http://portlandartmuseum.com

Voodoo or Blue Star Donuts-

Voodoo is the shop that really put Portland on the map for donuts. They put bacon on a
maple bar, got plugged on the travel show, and bamm, instant huge lines around the
block. BlueStar however, is newer and took the artisan-local-ingredients-approach to
making donuts. Think Blueberry Bourbon Basil. Its been a huge success as well with
5 stores in Portland, 2 in LA, and 7 in Tokyo.

http://www.bluestardonuts.com/ http://voodoodoughnut.com/

OMSI-
The Portland Science and Technology Museum is perfect for kids with a variety of
hands-on exhibits. They also have the after-dark events for adults which basically adds
beer and food to the exhibits. They regularly have rotating exhibits that are worth the
entrance fees alone.

http://www.omsi.edu/

Portland ZOO-
Portlands Zoo has a few things I havent seen at other zoos. A very good elephant
exhibit, an anaconda, a Northwest exhibit with back bears, condors, & cougars, and a
pretty good primate section with a cool orangutan.

http://www.oregonzoo.org/
Crystal Springs Rhododendron
Garden-
As the name implies, this is a garden full of Rhododendrons. Its also located right on
the crystal springs lake, offering nice views, a couple walking trials and good bird
watching. Ita a relaxing spot to sit and take in the view over the lake with the golf
course in the back ground. Also look for the infamous nutria or coypu rodents here.

crystalspringsgarden.org

International Rose Test Garden-

A huge rose garden with more rose varieties than you could ever imagine existed. My
favorite is the wing ding variety. The Shakespeare garden is one of my favorite spots to
sit and take in all the flora and roses. Here is the entire list of roses so you can check
them off as you walk around. -List of roses here-

-rose garden park info here-

Pittock Mansion-
The Pittock Mansion is a French Renaissance-style chteau in the hills behind
downtown Portland. It was original built and owned by one of Portlands elite, Henry
Pittock. He owned the Oregonian newspaper a long time ago. You can go inside and
visit the intricate and detailed interior for 8 dollars. The grounds are open to the public
for free, and offers on of the best views over all of Portland.

Pittock Mansion Info Here

SE Hawthorne Street(Between 25th

and 40th)
SE Hawthorne street has a very diverse collection of shops. The area is known for
some of the more colorful residents in Portland. Come for the vintage clothing stores,
local coffee shops, and tattoo parlors. Definitely check out the Baghdad theater, and
the adult soap box derby (if your visiting in August).

-SE Hawthorne info here- -Soap Box Derby Here-

Pearl District (and 3 NW parks)-

The Pearl District is one of Portlands most dense, walk-able, and livable
neighborhoods. There are many art galleries, restaurants, bars, and local shops to keep
someone occupied for a good while. One of the best things about the pearl are three
awesome parks along NW 10th avenue. Start at Jamison Square and head north 2
more blocks to Tanner Springs Park, and just 1 more block north youll end up at the
fields park.

-Pearl info here-

Portlandia Statue-
The Portlandia Statue is the second largest copper statue in the US. She would be 50 ft
tall if she was standing up. The statue is located in an odd spot on the front of the
Portland Building on SW 5th, but is still impressive to see. If you go into the Portland
building and up to the mezzanine level there is a little history on the statue, and a life
size replica of the statue face.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portlandia_(statue)

The Grotto-
The grotto is an outdoor Catholic shrine and walking path in NE Portland. Even if your
not into religion, this place is worth checking out just for the meditation room. The
meditation room is a quite space with huge floor to ceiling windows that looks north over
the Columbia river. If you visit in December you can check out the festival of lights.

Grotto info here

Saturday Market-
The Saturday market, which also is open on Sundays now, is a outdoor market where
you can buy goods made by local artists. Everything from wood home decor, to local
board games, to glass jewelry, youll be able to find your local gifts from Portland here.
The Market is located on SW Naito right near the Burnside bridge. March 1st through
New Years Eve.

http://www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com/

Portland Farmers Markets-

There are over 40 farmers markets happening all over Portland. The most popular one
to visit is located at Portland state University (PSU). The PSU market is the flag-ship
farmers market in Portland. Here youll find all your local fruits and veggies, as well as
local food artisans, and some chef demonstrations. If you want to see where the cities
best chefs get some of that amazing fresh produce, this is one of the best things to do in
Portland. Open 8:30 2pm on Saturdays.

https://www.portlandoregon.gov/bps/article/303417

PSU Farmers Market Here

Tom McCall Waterfront Park-

The Waterfront Park is a large 36 acre park sitting on the west-side of the Willamette
river in downtown Portland. This used to be a large free-way type road, but in 1974
Portland decided to make it into a little bit of green space. Its a great place to walk on
any given day and has a great path that connects around to the other side of the river.
If you want a good 3 mile jog with some good views and good people watching this is
the spot to do it.

Water Front Park Info

Portland Chinese Gardens-

The Chinese gardens in the Old town / Chinatown district of Portland are a walled off
city-block (about 45,000 square feet), with a open air manicured Chinese-style garden
inside. The Chinese gardens are one of the many relaxing things to do in Portland.
There is a tea-court on the north-side where you can have traditional Chinese tea and
relax while overlooking the garden space.

http://www.lansugarden.org/

Forest Park Portland-

If you feel like getting out into the woods of what basically looks like the middle of the
Cascade range, go for a hike in Forest Park. The municipal park is the largest in
Portland and one of the largest city parks in the US. You can really feel like your miles
away from the city while still being within city limits. Forest park is one of the great
hiking things to do in Portland. Start at the trail-head at NW 29th Ave & Upshur St for a
good introduction.

Forest Park Info

First-Thursday Portland (Art Walk in

Pearl District)-
During the first Thursdays of every month from March through December, NW 13th
between NW Davis and NW Johnson, is closed to car traffic and turns into a street fair
with music, art, and some food. Participating art vendors show off their works, some of
it for sale. The galleries around the area are usually open and free for the afternoon as
well.

First Thursday Info

Portland Last-Thursday Street Fair

on (NE Alberta)-
The last Thursday Street Fair is held every month between May and October on NE
Alberta between NE 15th and 30th Aves. If youre looking for artistic things to do in
Portland, head to last Thursday on NE Alberta. This monthly event has grown to be
one of the largest art events in Portland, taking up 15 blocks. Last Thursday is a
community grown event promoting local artists, musicians, and performers. This is a
good community event and place to get out and see a lot of everything Portland all at
once. The larger street events are seasonal and only run June, July, & August.

Last Thursday Info Here

NW 21st & NW 23rd Aves-

The areas on NW 21st and NW 23rd between W Burnside and NW Thurman, is a great
area to take in some of Portlands great shopping. It has a lot of boutique shops, fine
dining, home decor shops, and specialty ice cream shops. It is also know as Nob-Hill,
or the alphabet district.

Nob Hill Info Here

Antique Malls in Sellwood-

If you like antiques, some of the biggest and best stores for all things old and nostalgic,
can be found in the SE Portland neighborhood of Sellwood. The neighborhood is very
walk-able and the antique stores are relatively close together. If youre thinking
Portland might be a good spot for thrift shopping, youre right. Thrift store shopping is
one of the more unique things to do in Portland. Start your pickin at Stars. Located on
the corner of SE 17th and SE Milwaukee. From there follow SE 17th north and youll
find half a dozen more stores to rummage through.

Sellwood Antiques Info Here

4T-Trail-
The 4T trail is a route that combines the Train, Tram, Trolley, and Trail. You ride the
MAX, use the Street Car, take the arial tram, and hike to council crest park. It will take
about 4 hours, with 2.5 miles of walking. Buy a $5 all-day pass through one of the Max
or Street car stops, and then buy a tram ticket for $5. This is a very good way to
explore some interesting corners of the city, and take in some great views too!

4T Trail Map Info Here

Blazers Game-
If you like basketball, this is a good town to be in. The Blazers won the championship a
loooong time ago in 1977. Even though its been awhile since weve seen some glory,
this town has some of the best fans in the NBA. Buy tickets online, at the box office, or
try your luck with some of the scalpers out front of the Moda Center.

Portland Trailblazer Info Here

Kennedy Soaking Pool-

If you havent been to a McMenanmins Property, the Kennedy School is a great place
for an introduction. The Kennedy School is an old 1915 elementary school converted
into an eclectic hotel, bar, event space, cigar lounge, movie theater, and soaking pool
all wrapped up into one unique spot to spend the day. The soaking pool uses
chlorinated saltwater. Apparently this makes it more buoyant. Spend the day soaking,
then grab a beer, see a show, maybe a movie, get some food, oh and might as well just
spend the night too. The soaking pool is one of the more local things to do in Portland.
General public over age 18 welcome daily, 10 a.m. til 8 p.m.

McMenamins Kennedy School

There are of course many more things to do in Portland other than just these 25 things.
Hopefully this gets you started.