Travel Details > Things to Do

Attractions

Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)
The Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (1945 SE Water Ave, 503-797-4000) contains two auditoriums, including an IMAX dome theater, and a variety of hands-on permanent exhibits focused on natural sciences, industry, and technology. [www.omsi.edu]

Oregon Zoo
The Oregon Zoo (4001 SW Canyon Rd; 503-226-1561) is the largest zoo in the state of Oregon and includes a narrow-gauge excursion train that connects to the International Rose Test Garden inside the park.  It is now owned by the regional Metro government and has successful breeding programs for California Condors and Asian elephants. The zoo also boasts an extensive plant collection throughout its animal exhibits and specialized gardens.  [www.oregonzoo.org]

Portland Saturday Market
The Portland Saturday Market (SW Ankeny St and Naito Parkway; 503-222-6072) is an outdoor arts and crafts market in Portland, Oregon. It is the largest continuously operated outdoor market in the United States. It is held every Saturday and Sunday from February 28 to December 24, at the junction of SW Ankeny and the Naito Parkway located under the west end of the Burnside Bridge stretching as far as Ankeny Park. The market's hours of operations are from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m on Sundays, and admission is free. [www.portlandsaturdaymarket.com]

Powell's City of Books
Powell's Books (1005 W Burnside St; 503-228-4651) is a chain of bookstores in the Portland metropolitan area. Powell's headquarters, dubbed Powell's City of Books, claims to be the largest independent new and used bookstore in the world. Powell's City of Books is located in the Pearl District on the edge of downtown, and occupies a full city block. The inventory for its retail and online sales is over four million new, used, rare, and out-of-print books. Powell's buys around 3000 used books a day. [www.powells.com]

Rose Garden/ International Rose Test Garden
The International Rose Test Garden (400 SW Kingston Ave; 503-823-3636) is a rose garden in Washington Park. There are over 7,000 rose plants of approximately 550 varieties. The roses bloom from April through October. New rose cultivars are continually sent to the garden from many parts of the world and are tested for color, fragrance, disease resistance and other attributes. It is the oldest continuously operating public rose test garden in the United States and exemplifies Portland's nickname of the City of Roses. [www.portlandonline.com]

Culture and the Arts

Portland Art Museum
The Portland Art Museum (1219 SW Park Ave; 503-226-2811) is the oldest art museum on the West Coast and 7th oldest in the United States.  Upon completion of the most recent renovations, Portland Art Museum became one of the twenty-five largest art museums in the United States. The permanent collection has more than 42,000 works of art, and at least one major traveling exhibition is presented most of the time. The Portland Art Museum features a center for Native American art, a center for Northwest art, a center for modern and contemporary art, permanent exhibitions of Asian art, and an outdoor public sculpture garden. [http://portlandartmuseum.org]

Portland Center for the Performing Arts
The Portland Center for the Performing Arts (1111 SW Broadway; 503-248-4335) is an organization within Metro that runs venues for live theatre, concerts, cinema, small conferences, and similar events in Portland, Oregon, United States. The PCPA consists of three separate buildings: the Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Antoinette Hatfield Hall (formerly the New Theatre Building), and Keller Auditorium. It is the fifth largest center for performing arts in the United States with more than 1000 performances and one million patrons annually. [www.pcpa.com]

Rose Quarter
The Rose Quarter (300 N Winning Way; 503-321-3211) is an entertainment complex that contains two multipurpose arenas, a large theatre, as well as a box office, four parking garages, a 40,000 square foot convention facility, several restaurants and bars, and a large public space, the Rose Quarter Commons. [www.rosequarter.com]

Bars and Restaurants

Burgerville
Burgerville (1135 NE M L King Blvd; 503-235-6858) is a fast food chain offering hamburgers, shakes, fresh halibut, fries, and desserts. [www.burgerville.com]

Elephants Delicatessen
Elephants Delicatessen (1611 SE 7th Ave; 503-224-3955) has been providing Portlanders with fresh deli fare since the dying days of disco. Items are made from scratch daily, with several location, including the delicatessen's highly praised soups, including the beloved tomato orange soup. [www.elephantsdeli.com]

Equinox Restaurant
Equinox (830 N Shaver St; 503-460-3333) offers fresh, hand-made seasonal cuisine in a relaxed and unassuming atmosphere. Pacific Northwest ingredients inspire new dishes and amplify classic combinations. Ambitious, affordable menus bring the urbane and the rustic together on plates, in glasses, and on chairs. [www.equinoxrestaurantpdx.com]

Grand Central Bakery
Grand Central Bakery (1444 NE Weidler St; 503-288-1614) offers a selection of fresh hearth-baked bread and artisan pastries as well as tasty soups, salads and sandwiches made from seasonal ingredients. Unique in form, but united by deliciousness, Grand Central Bakery reflects the culture and charm of its neighborhood. [www.grandcentralbakery.com]

Jim and Patty's Coffee
Friendly folks greet you as you step in the door at Jim and Patty’s Coffee (4951 NE Fremont St; 503-284-2121) with expertly prepared espresso drinks, fresh brewed house coffee from Stumptown, and scratch baked sour cream coffee cakes. The long lines move quickly in this family oriented neighborhood living room. [www.jimandpattys.com]

Old Town Pizza
Since 1975 Old Town Pizza (5201 Northeast M L King Blvd; 503-200-5988) has lured customers not only with its pizza but also with its decor: Each fixture, railing and chair seems to have been fashioned from the same giant tree. Pick off a piece of crisp-around-the-edges pepperoni, grease puddling inside, pop it in your mouth and beware of sensory overload. [www. oldtownpizza.com]

Pearl Bakery, Inc.
Pearl bread (102 NW 9th Ave; 503-827-0910) is served on the tables of some of Portland’s finest restaurants as well as neighborhood favorite locations. [www.pearlbakery.com]

Saraveza. Don't miss the food and beer pairings at Saraveza (1004 North Killingsworth Street; 503-206-4252; saraveza.com), which opened in 2008. The kitchen makes homemade sausages and special pastries every few days. Pairings are sometimes accompanied by this advice: "It depends how you're trying to drink and how you're trying to eat." [www.saraveza.com]

Vita Café
Since 1999, Vita Café (3023 NE Alberta St; 503-335-8233) has been serving the community with wholesome meals at a fair price. Our restaurant serves primarily vegetarian and vegan fare as well as free range, all natural, hormone free meats and eggs. We choose to use local and organic products as much as possible and strive to reduce our overall impact on the environment by focusing on using sustainable business practices. [www.vita-cafe.com]

Bamboo Sushi
Bamboo Sushi (310 SE 28th Ave; 503-232-5255) is the first certified, sustainable sushi restaurant in the world, offering the best fish, meats, and produce available. [www.bamboosushipdx.com]

The Beer Scene

Belmont Station
Belmont Station (4500 SE Stark St; 503-232-8538) in Portland, Ore., which stocks more than 1,200 different beers alongside a 26-seat taproom, offers one or two free tastings a week. Over the course of the year you can taste well better than 500 bottled beers. [http://belmont-station.com]

Deschutes Brewery
The Portland Deschutes Brewery and Public House (210 NW 11th Ave; 503-296-4906) opened in Portland’s Pearl District in May 2008 and has become a destination for great beer, delicious food and a relaxed urban atmosphere. The pub’s design is similar to a Scottish pub, but with a distinct Northwest style that brings a taste of Central Oregon to the heart of Portland. [www.deschutesbrewery.com

Hopworks Urban Brewery
Hopworks Urban Brewery (2944 SE Powell Blvd; 503-232-4677) is Portland’s first Eco-Brewpub to offer all organic handcrafted beers, fresh local ingredients, and a sustainable building with a relaxed and casual atmosphere. Brewmaster Christian Ettinger has spent the past year and half constructing his "dream brewpub." HUB incorporates all aspects of sustainability, from composting to rain barrels and hand dryers. [www.hopworksbeer.com]

Saraveza. Don't miss the food and beer pairings at Saraveza (1004 North Killingsworth Street; 503-206-4252; saraveza.com), which opened in 2008. The kitchen makes homemade sausages and special pastries every few days. Pairings are sometimes accompanied by this advice: "It depends how you're trying to drink and how you're trying to eat." [www.saraveza.com]

Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.
Widmer Brothers (929 N Russell St; 503-281-2437) was founded in 1984 by brothers Kurt and Rob Widmer. It is the 7th largest brewery in the U.S., and the largest in Oregon. [www.widmer.com]

Transportation

Tri Met
TriMet (4012 SE 17th Ave; 503-238-7433) provides public transportation in the Portland, Oregon metropolitan area. [http://trimet.org]

Portland Street Car
The Portland Street Car (1516 NW Northrup St; 503-823-2900) is a central city streetcar line running from Nob Hill to Portland State University. [www.portlandstreetcar.org]

Outside Portland

A to Z Wineworks
A to Z Wineworks (30835 N Highway 99W, Newberg, OR; 503.554.1918) is the collaboration of four industry veterans  skillfully combining premium lots of wine from all over the state at affordable prices. [www.atozwineworks.com]

Bonneville Dam (Bonneville Power Administration)
Located in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area 40 miles east of Portland, OR and Vancouver, WA, Bonneville Lock and Dam (Interstate 84, Exit 40; 541-374-8820) spans the Columbia River and links the two states. [www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/b/home.asp]

Columbia River Gorge
The Columbia River Gorge (Off Interstate 84 near Hood River, OR; 541-308-1700) is a spectacular river canyon cutting the only sea-level route through the Cascade Mountain Range. It's 80 miles long and up to 4,000 feet deep with the north canyon walls in Washington State and the south canyon walls in Oregon State. [www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia]

Cooper Mountain Vineyards
Cooper Mountain Vineyards (20100 Southwest Leonardo Lane, Beaverton, OR; 503-649-0027) is recognized as an innovative leader in Biodynamic farming, creating wines that truly represent their roots. [www.coopermountainwine.com]

Hood River
The city of Hood River (Interstate 84, Exit 63; 541-386-2000) is a port on the Columbia River, and is named for the nearby Hood River. Previously known for growing luscious apples, pears, cherries, peaches and other fruits, and for the view of the majestic snowcapped peak of Mt. Hood, Hood River has become a destination for wind surfers from around the world. [www.hoodriver.org]

Mount Hood
Mount Hood is Oregon's tallest peak. Portions of Highway 26 parallel the historic Barlow Road – the original track taken by pioneers traveling the Oregon Trail. Historic Timberline Lodge, nestled in a national forest, offers award-winning snowboarding, nearly year-round skiing and a spectacular view of the Cascade Mountains. [www.travelportland.com/visitors/daytrips/hood.html]

Multnomah Falls
Plummeting 620 feet from its origins on Larch Mountain, Multnomah Falls is the second highest year-round waterfall in the United States. Nearly two million visitors a year come to see this ancient waterfall. [www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia/recreation/waterfalls.shtml]

Oregon Coast: Cannon Beach and Seaside
Oregon's nearly 363 miles of pristine, public coastline is made up of diverse terrain that changes from rugged cliffs to evergreen forests to Sahara-like dunes and boundless sandy beaches. [www.travelportland.com/visitors/daytrips/coast.html]

Sokol Blosser Winery
Sokol Blosser (5000 Northeast Sokol Blosser Lane, Dayton, OR; 503-864-2282) is a second generation family owned and operated Winery and Tasting Room in Dundee, Oregon producing Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris wines. [www.sokolblosser.com]

Stoller Vineyards
Located in the heart of Oregon's Willamette Valley in the Dundee Hills American Viticulture Area, Stoller Vineyards (16161 Northeast McDougall Road, Dayton, OR; 503-864-3404) uniquely offers world class wines and genuine hospitality in a stunning setting. [www.stollervineyards.com]