Sights and landmarks in Portland

41 sights worth seeing in Portland: landmarks, galleries, monuments and viewpoints.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first. Showing the top 40 of 41.

SeeNorthwest
Chapman Swift Watch
During September evenings, Portlanders gather around Chapman Elementary School to watch thousands of Vaux's swifts, a small bird species, roost in the school's chimney as they prepare to migrate as far south as Venezuela. Street parking can be difficult to find but the parking lot on the west side of the Montgomery Park building a few blocks north is available after 5:30PM.
Free
SeeSoutheast
Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
A display and test garden was initiated in 1950 that includes more than 2,500 rhododendrons, azaleas, and companion plants. Beginning in early spring and continuing into summer, the gardens provide a magnificent display of color, giving visitors the opportunity to view many varieties rarely seen in the Pacific Northwest. During the fall, many companion trees add dramatic coloring. Spring-fed Crystal Springs Lake surrounds much of the garden, attracting many species of birds and waterfowl.
Summer: 6AM-10PM daily, winter: 6AM-6PM daily$4 in the summer months (free for children under 12); free for all in the winter
SeeNorthwest
Forest Park
Located on the hills northwest of Downtown, Forest Park is one of the nation's largest urban parks at 5,000 acres. There are many great hiking and biking trails to be found winding through this natural forest setting.
Daily 5AM-10PMFree
SeeSouthwest
Hoyt Arboretum
A large arboretum with paved trails of varying length and over 1,000 species of trees and plants in a natural setting.
Grounds 6AM-10PM daily; Visitor Center Mon-Fri 9AM-4PM, Sat Sun 11AM-3PMFree
SeeSouthwest
International Rose Test Gardens
The largest rose test garden in U.S., perched on a hill overlooking Downtown Portland, with thousands of roses planted in every possible way: rows, bushes and vines. Best to come between May and July, when it gets fragrant as everything's in bloom. Volunteer gardeners offer free guided tours at 1PM during the summer months.
7:30AM-9PM dailyFree
SeeSoutheast
Ladds Addition Historic District
Planned residential development in Southeast Portland that is now a historic district. Built between 1905 and 1930 and contains five small parks and several diagonal streets
SeeNorthwest
Lan Su Chinese Garden
formerly the Portland Classical Chinese Garden
A beautiful urban retreat in the heart of Chinatown with a pond, a teahouse, pavilions, and lots of gardens. If you are on a budget, you can peek in through the ornate open windows and see much of the gardens without paying admission.
Summer: 10AM-6:30PM daily; winter: 10AM-4:30PM daily$16 adults, $15 seniors/students, $13 youth (6-18), children 5 and under free
SeeSoutheast
Laurelhurst Park
A beautiful park designed by a horticultural expert from the same team that designed New York City's Central Park. This park has a great atmosphere in good weather, with lots of locals and visitors enjoying the duck pond, the bike paths, and the off-leash dog area.
5AM-10:30PM dailyFree
SeeSouthwest
Mill Ends Park
The "smallest park in the world", a title backed up by the Guinness Book of Records, Mill Ends was created satirically for the purpose of being "a leprechaun colony and racetrack for snails." It is in the median of SW Naito, and consists of nothing more than a single small tree in the crosswalk on the north side of the intersection.
Free
SeeSoutheast
Mount Tabor Park
At the eastern end of the Hawthorne District, Mt Tabor is a forested park situated atop an extinct volcanic butte with great views of the city. The park contains a couple of reservoirs and lots of winding trails, and is also the home of the popular PDX Soapbox Derby event (see below under Do).
5AM-midnightFree
SeeSouthwest
Oregon Maritime Center and Museum
Located on the Portland, a steam sternwheeler tug boat moored in the river, the museum contains numerous ship models, maritime artifacts and memorabilia, while tours are offered of the ship.
Wed Fri-Sat 11AM-4PM, closed Sun-Tue Thu$7 adults, $5 seniors, $4 students, $3 youth, children under 6/military free
SeeSoutheast
Oregon Museum of Science and Industry
OMSI
OMSI is great for kids, with hundreds of hands-on activities with a particular emphasis on technology and earth sciences; you can spend a full rainy day here and not get bored. Moored in the river just outside is the USS Blueback, an old navy submarine which is open for tours (separate ticket required). There's also a planetarium and an IMAX theater which requires separate admission, but you can view the IMAX projector in operation without paying for the movie ticket.
Summer: 9:30AM-7PM daily; winter: Tue-Sun 9:30AM-5:30PM$22.50 adults, $15.50 youth (3-13), $20.50 seniors (parking $5/ 2 hrs., $8/all day; IMAX theater, planetarium, and submarine tickets require separate admission)
SeeSoutheast
Oregon Rail Heritage Center
Two working steam locomotives are on display here, with a third undergoing restoration. Many parts needed on these locomotives are no longer manufactured, so you may see volunteers working in the machine shop as well as locomotive and car maintenance crews. Short excursions on trains are occasionally offered, especially during the holiday season.
Thu Fri 1PM-5PM, Sat Sun Noon-5PMAdult $6, Senior (65+) and Military $5, Child (3-13)$4, Infant (under 3) free
SeeSouthwest
Oregon Zoo
A good-sized zoo with Pacific Northwest animals, a primate house, and an Africa area, as well as a large Asian Elephant exhibit and breeding area, which is noteworthy among zoos.
Winter 9:30AM-4PM daily; summer 9AM-6PM daily. Grounds remain open one hour after close$17.95 adults, $15.95 seniors/military, $12.95 children, aged 2 and under free (discount for public transit users)
SeeSouthwest
Pioneer Courthouse Square
This is the central courtyard of downtown Portland, a big gathering spot that's popular with tourists and locals alike. Notable features of the park are a cascading waterfall fountain, chess boards, and the Weather Machine, a machine that predicts the weather every day at noon. Many other sculptures and art elements surround the square, including Kvinneakt, the bronze statue of a nude woman that's otherwise known as the "Expose Yourself to Art" statue after a popular poster featuring a flasher (former Mayor Bud Clark) facing this work. An annual Christmas tree lighting ceremony takes place here the Friday evening after Thanksgiving to ring in the holiday day season and get everyone attending into the holiday cheer.
Free
SeeNorthwest
Pittock Mansion
A stunning Victorian mansion in the hills of west Portland, dating back nearly a century now and preserved just as it looked then. The mansion also contains beautiful artworks and furniture collected by the original owners.
Feb-Jun, Sep-Dec 11AM-4PM daily; Jul-Aug 10AM-5PM daily; grounds open 5AM-9PM daily$8.50 adults; $7.50 seniors above 65; $5.50 youth 6-18; free for children under 6
SeeSouthwest
Portland Aerial Tram
An aerial tram which connects the South Waterfront neighborhood to the Oregon Health Sciences University campus on a hill to the west. The tram is sleek and offers an excellent view of Downtown and the surrounding area, with splendid views of the mountains on a clear day. The joint-venture project is part of Portland's public transit system.
Trams depart every 6 minutes Mon-Fri 5:30AM-9:30PM, Sat 9AM-5PM, Sun Jun-Sep 1PM-5PMRoundtrip $8, children 6 and under free
SeeSouthwest
Portland Art Museum
Has several outstanding collections and is regularly updated by moving exhibits. It is an expansive museum where one could easily spend an entire afternoon. The Whitsell Auditorium in the basement of the museum is where the Northwest Film Center hosts film screenings.
Sun noon-5PM, Mon-Tue closed, Wed-Sat 10AM-5PM$25 adults, $22 seniors/students, children 17 and under free, members free; free on the 4th Friday of every month 5PM-8PM
SeeNorthwest
Portland Audubon
Bird sanctuary adjacent to Forest Park with four miles of trails, an interpretive center, and store.
Dawn to duskFree
SeeSouthwest
Portland Japanese Garden
A haven of tranquil beauty across the seasons, Portland Japanese Garden has been proclaimed as one of the most authentic Japanese gardens outside of Japan.
Winter Tue-Sun 10AM-4PM, Mon noon-4PM; summer Tue-Sun 9AM-7PM, Mon noon-7PM$21.95 adults, $18.95 seniors, $17.95 students, $15.95 youth (6-17), child 5 and under free
SeeSouthwest
Portlandia
Looming over the west entrance of the Portland Building is the second-largest hammered-copper statue in the U.S. (after the Statue of Liberty); a classical sculpture of a woman bearing a trident, crouching over the entryway and reaching down to welcome visitors. For its sheer size, it's surprisingly easy to miss - keep your eyes peeled for Michael Graves' historic postmodern building painted in red, blue, and tan.
SeeNortheast
Sapporo Friendship Bell
This gift from Portland's sister city Sapporo, Japan is encircled by red and yellow roses.
SeeSouthwest
Source Fountain Plaza
Modest brick plaza with a small fountain evoking a mountain spring.
Free
SeeNorthwest
The Freakybuttrue Peculiarium and Museum
Museum featuring eclectic exhibits and art as well as a gift shop.
Daily 11am-11AM-7PM 7pm$10 per person except $7 per person Tuesdays
SeeNortheast
The Grotto Gardens
National Sanctuary of our Sorrowful Mother
A tranquil and spiritual sanctuary which hosts reflection ponds, secluded gardens, and shrines on the top of a basalt cliff. The best time to visit is during the holiday season when the grotto is illuminated with lights. The Grotto also makes for a very romantic destination for a special night out.
Grounds open at 9AM; closing time varies from 3:30PM in the winter to 8:30PM in the summer; consult website for precise dates/times. Gift shop open 9AM-5PM daily (to 10PM during holiday season)Lower level free. Upper level token sold at gift shop: $7 general, $6 senior/military, $4 children 6-12, children under 6 free. Upper level tokens sold up to 1 hr before closing
SeeSouthwest
Tom McCall Waterfront Park
This wide expanse of green lawns along the downtown Portland waterfront is a scenic slice of park land, with views over the Willamette River and of the skyline. At one point, this narrow stretch of land was a four-lane freeway, but growing environmental awareness led to the city replacing the freeway with this park. Along the waterfront there are a number of fountains, memorials, and gardens, including the Salmon Street Springs, a large fountain at the Salmon Street entrance that's popular with kids during the summer; the Battleship Oregon Memorial, the old mast of the USS Oregon battleship between Oak and Pine Streets; and the Japanese American Memorial Garden at the north end of the park has monuments telling the story of people of Japanese descent in the US, including the WWII internment camps. The park is also home to many festivals throughout the year, including a Cinco de Mayo celebration, the Waterfront Blues Fest, and the carnival-like Rose Festival.
5AM-midnightFree
SeeSouthwest
Washington Park
Washington Park is a classic urban park, sprawling over about 140 acres, with many trails that take you between the stands of trees, around the hills and through the canyons - a park so large it can be easy to get lost without a map. In addition to the many attractions listed below, it also contains memorials for the Korean and Vietnam Wars, the Holocaust, and the Lewis and Clark expedition, and has beautiful vistas of Portland and Mount Hood. The MAX red and blue lines can take you to the park; the station is located at the south end of the park, outside the World Forestry Center and the Oregon Zoo entrance.
5AM-10PM dailyFree (some enclosed attractions have separate ticketing). Parking $2/hr, $8/all day
SeeNorthwest
Witch's Castle
Stone House
Located near where the Lower Macleay and Wildwood Trails meet in the southern part of Forest Park is this former "comfort station" that was partially destroyed in the 1962 Columbus Day Storm. Visitors can explore the small edifice.
SeeSouthwest
World Forestry Center Discovery Museum
Built like a giant log cabin, this museum is devoted to the science and cultural impact of Pacific Northwest forests.
10AM-4PM daily$10 adults, $9 seniors (62+), $6 youth (3-17), children 2 and under free
SeeSouthwest Not mapped
Halprin Open Space Sequence
Landmark of modern landscape design representing Oregon's waters' passage from mountains to sea, spread across a string of four downtown parks with fountains and connecting pedestrian malls.
SeeNorthwest
Blue Sky Gallery
Oregon Center for the Photographic Arts
22 NW 8th Ave
Free
SeeSouthwest
Keller Fountain Park
Features the dramatic Ira C. Keller Fountain.
5AM-9PMFree
SeeSoutheast
Leach Botanical Garden
6704 SE 122nd Ave
Tue-Sat 9AM-4PM, Sun 1-4PMFree, donations welcome
SeeSouthwest
Lovejoy Fountain Park
Plaza with the vigorous Lovejoy Fountain.
5AM-midnightFree
SeeSouthwest
Oregon Historical Society
Lots of artifacts and exhibits on the history of the state.
Mon-Sat 10AM-5PM, Sun noon-5PM$10 adults, $8 students/teachers/seniors 60+ w/ID, $5 youth; free for ages 5 and under, members, and Multnomah Co. residents w/residency proof
SeeNorthwest
Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education
724 NW Davis St
Tue-Thu 11AM-5PM, Fri 11AM-4PM, Sat-Sun noon-5PMAdults $8, students and seniors (62+) $5, 12 and under free
SeeSouthwest
Pettygrove Park
Paths among serene rolling hills.
5AM-midnightFree
SeeNorthwest
Portland Chinatown Museum
127 NW 3rd Ave
SeeSoutheast
Portland Puppet Museum
906 SE Umatilla St
Thu-Sun 2-8PM
SeeNortheast
Robot Aley
Eclectic art installation in a residential alley.
10AM-10PM, closed MonFree

Browse all 162 places in Portland

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Portland (CC BY-SA 4.0).