Portland, Oregon Visitors Guide
Roses, microbreweries, parks, and museums—this and so much more make up Oregon’s largest city. Portland is the hub of eco-friendly commerce and industry, conventions, cultural arts and countless coastal adventures. It is host to a variety of festivals like the Chamber Music Northwest, the Portland Rose Fest, and the Elephant Garlic Festival; it has full service hotels such as the Avalon Hotel & Spa, the Riverplace the Benson Hotel and fine dining like the Genoa, the Plainfield or the Wildwood Restaurant and Bar. When you come to Oregon, don’t forget to put Portland on your itinerary---it is definitely Oregon tourism at its best!
Portland Museums
American Advertising Museums - To see
how advertising has evolved and its effect on culture, be
sure you spend some time here.
Children’s Museum 2nd Generation - An interactive user-friendly
museum where children can explore. There is the Vroom Room
of wheeled objects,
a KidCity market and a variety of temporary exhibits.
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
- With 6 exhibition halls, a planetarium, the OMNIMAX Theatre,
and a non-nuclear Navy submarine, this is a great place
to spark your family’s interest in science and its place
in daily life.
Police Historical Museum - An inside look
at items used by some of our nation’s finest. Here you will
find police badges, uniforms, photos, confiscated weapons,
and other police memorabilia.
Portland Art Museum - To seeartwork from the Renaissance to
modern day, as well as from all over the world, spend a
day here. You will be delighted by the over 32,000 works
ranging from pre-Columbian to classical Greek, sculptures
to English silver, paintings to photography and much, much
more.
Portland Science & History
Howell Territorial Park & the Bybee House -Located on Sauvie Island, this 93 acre park boasts the restored 1858 Greek Revival styled historic home.
Oregon Historical Society - If you are researching your family tree or simply interested in bygone days, be sure to spend some time looking at the photos, artifacts and books found here. Also available are audio tapes and a library with more than 35,000 books.
 Pittock
Mansion - Set in the center of a 46 acre forest
and a beautifully landscaped garden, the French Chateau-esque
mansion is an impressive sight. As an extra feature, you
will find the sensational views of the surrounding area—rivers,
the city, Mt. Hood, and Mt. St. Helens to be quite remarkable.
World Forestry Center - Since 1971, the WFC has been educating and entertaining its guest through interactive exhibits, gallery shows and assorted programs. Its most interesting feature is the 70 foot high talking tree (speaks in 5 languages.) which teaches about forest ecology.
Portland Gardens
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden - With its lush paths winding through azaleas, rhododendrons and other plants, this is the perfect place for a peaceful and beautiful walk.
Hoyt Arboretum - With its 175 acres and
over 900 varieties of trees and shrubs, the Arboretum is
one of the largest collections of conifers in America.
International Rose Garden - “A rose by any other name...”
Here in this incredibly stunning rose garden you will find
more than 8,000 rosebushes. Begun in 1917, the Garden  was
established as a refuge for roses that had grown in battle
scared Europe.
Japanese Garden - Calming, peaceful, and
tranquil these are but a few ways to describe this garden
retreat. You can meditate, reflect and relax as you wander
the natural beauty found in the Sand & Stone Garden,the
Tea Garden, the Flat Garden, the Strolling Garden and the
Natural Garden found here.
Portland Parks & Recreation
Benson State Recreation Area - Just outside (app. 30 miles) of Portland at Multnomah Falls is the Benson State Recreation Area where you can enjoy fishing, swimming, boating, golfing, and picnicking.
Council Crest Park - Portland’s highest
park
and perfect for panoramic views of the city
and its
sights.
Mount Tabor Park - From basketball to
horseshoes, tennis courts to a playground this is a great
place to play. The Park is also has an extinct volcano.
Peninsula Park - Here you will find Portland’s
first public rose garden which has over 8,000 plants in
a 2 acre area, along with sports fields, a swimming pool,
playground and horseshoe pits.
Washington Park - For wonderful views of Mt. St. Helen and Mt. Hood as you visit the historic memorial, spend an afternoon here. Also of interest are the International Rose Garden and the Japanese Garden.
Portland Arts & Entertainment
 The
Rose Quarter - For music to sports this is the
place to go. You can hear popular bands and entertainers
or take in a hockey or basketball game here at the nearly
20,000 seat coliseum.
Lloyd Center - For shopping, fine dining, movies and more visit here, the biggest mall in Oregon.
Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall (aka The Schnitz) -Reserve your seat here to listen to the Oregon Symphony Orchestra, and other assorted events. Also available are tours of this historic building.
Keller Auditorium -This is the place for Portland Opera, the Oregon Ballet and the Oregon Children’s Theatre productions.
Gerding Theatre -Home to the Portland Center Stage theatrical group, you can also tour the historical building, or eat at the café--- even when it’s not show time.
To combine food, beer, and movies be sure to visit one of these Portland hotspots—the Bagdad Theatre, the Laurelhurst Theatre, Cinema 21 or the McMenamins Kennedy School (or better yet a playground especially for adults). Other Portland microbreweries include the Laurelwood Public House, Bridgeport Brew Pub, Hillsdale Brewery & Public House and the Widmer Brothers Gasthaust Restaurant and Pub.
Photo Credits: Portland at night by byMisserion;
Kid Museum in Portland byShad Bolling; Pittock Mansion by
Hydrolix; Garden roses & Tampisaw by Shubert Ciencia;
Keller Auditorium by JW Lander;
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