Portland (Oregon)/Southwest

Coming by train or bus to Portland, you'll likely end up at the Union Staion or Greyhound terminal in northwestern Portland, a few blocks north of the border to southwest Portland (as defined in this travel guide).
See Portland_(Oregon)#Get_around for getting in from elsewhere in the city.

• Oregon Historical Society

  phone: +1 503-306-5198
  address: 1200 SW Park Ave
  Lots of artifacts and exhibits on the history of the state.

• Portland Aerial Tram

  address: at SW Moody and Gibbs
  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.

• Portland Art Museum

  phone: +1 503-226-2811
  address: 1219 SW Park Ave
  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.

• Portlandia

  address: 1120 SW 5th Ave
  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.

• Oregon Maritime Center and Museum

  phone: +1 503-224-7724
  address: SW Naito Pkwy at Pine St
  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 itself.

Parks and gardens

• Mill Ends Park

  address: SW Naito Pkwy & SW Taylor
  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.

• Pioneer Courthouse Square

  phone: +1 503-223-1613
  address: SW Broadway and Yamhill
  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.

• Tom McCall Waterfront Park

  address: Naito Pkwy
  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.

• Halprin Open Space SequenceLandmark 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.

• Source Fountain PlazaModest brick plaza with a small fountain evoking a mountain spring.

• Lovejoy Fountain ParkPlaza with the vigorous Lovejoy Fountain.

• Pettygrove ParkPaths among serene rolling hills.

• Keller Fountain Park

  address: SW 3rd Ave and Clay St
  Features the dramatic Ira C. Keller Fountain.

Washington Park

• Washington Park

  phone: +1 503-823-2525
  address: SW Park Pl
  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.

• Hoyt Arboretum

  phone: +1 503-865-8733
  address: 4000 SW Fairview Blvd
  A large arboretum with paved trails of varying length and over 1,000 species of trees and plants in a natural setting.

• International Rose Test Gardens

  phone: +1 503-823-7529
  address: 850 SW Rose Garden Way
  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.

• Oregon Zoo

  phone: +1 503-226-1561
  address: 4001 SW Canyon Rd
  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.

• Portland Children's Museum

  phone: +1 503-223-6500
  address: 4015 SW Canyon Rd
  Lots of interactive exhibits designed for kids.

• Portland Japanese Garden

  phone: +1 503-223-1321
  address: 611 SW Kingston Dr
  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.

• World Forestry Center Discovery Museum

  phone: +1 503-228-1367
  address: 4033 SW Canyon Rd
  Built like a giant log cabin, this museum is devoted to the science and cultural impact of Pacific Northwest forests.

• Portland Rose Festival

  phone: +1 503 227-2681
  This wonderful festival, held in early June, is Portland's largest event. The Portland waterfront is turned into a carnival for a couple of weeks, starting with Fleet Week as military ships moor alongside Waterfront Park and culminating with a bunch of festivities on the second weekend, including the centerpiece of the festival, the Grand Floral Parade held on the last Saturday. Other events include flower shows, other parades, fireworks, and dragon boat races.

Watch sport

• Portland Timbers

  phone: +1 503-553-5400
  address: Providence Park, 1844 SW Morrison
  Portland's Major League Soccer team, the Timbers, play at Providence Park (formerly PGE Park and JELD-WEN Field) and are known for their strong local support. Games against the Seattle Sounders are especially heated, though fan conflict is almost always verbal. Getting tickets can be tricky, as the stadium is rather small—even after an expansion project completed during the 2019 MLS season, it still holds only a bit more than 25,000.

• Portland Thorns FC

  phone: +1 503-553-5400
  address: Providence Park, 1844 SW Morrison
  Portland's newest top-level professional team, the Thorns (which are owned and operated by the Timbers) are charter members of the National Women's Soccer League, which began play in April 2013. The NWSL season runs from April to late September, with playoffs in October. While not quite as popular as the Timbers, they've drawn over 10,000 per game in all of the league's first seven seasons, something that only one other team in the league (Utah Royals FC in the Salt Lake City area) has done even once, and their 2019 average attendance of just over 20,000 compares favorably with many MLS teams and makes them the biggest spectator draw in all of U.S. women's sports.

• Portland State VikingsSports teams representing Portland State University, the city's largest institution of higher learning. The Vikings field 15 NCAA Division I teams in all (6 men's and 9 women's), mainly in the Big Sky Conference. As with all other Big Sky schools, Vikings football plays in the second-tier FCS. Football and basketball are typically the highest-profile sports. The main indoor venue is , home to both basketball teams and women's volleyball. However, the football team doesn't play on campus, instead using Providence Park and Hillsboro Stadium, the latter in the suburb of that name.

Music

• Crystal Ballroom

  phone: +1 503-225-0047
  address: 1332 W Burnside St
  Crystal Ballroom often referred to as "The Crystal" is one of the nicest venues in town. The Ballroom is great size and has great art and period light fixtures. This is a clean, well maintained venue. The Crystal has a bar inside with upstairs balcony seating for 21+. The main floor is standing room only which makes the show much more intense. The floor gives under the weight of the crowd and can "bounce" if the crowd decides to jump in unison (to bring on an encore, for example). According to the Crystal's website, at the time of its construction, the Crystal's mechanical dance floor (now fully restored to proper working order) was said to be unique on the Pacific Coast. Today, it may be the only one left in the United States.

• Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall

  phone: +1 503-248-4335
  address: 1037 SW Broadway
  Home to the Oregon Symphony, Portland Youth Philharmonic and the Metropolitan Youth Symphony. Contains intricate Italian architecture in the hall. The concert hall seats 2,776 people and hosts lectures, symphonies, comedians and big name musical acts.

• Dante's

  phone: +1 503-226-6630
  address: 350 W Burnside St
  Home of the weird, bizarre, and devilish live music and shows.

• The Old Church

  phone: +1 503-222-2031
  address: 1422 SW 11th St

• DowntownJust about any street in Downtown Portland has some neat shops, restaurants, food carts and coffee houses; particularly around Pioneer Square and Broadway.

• Pioneer Place

  phone: +1 503-228-5800
  address: 700 SW 5th Ave
  Similar to Lloyd Center, though more upscale.

• Columbia Sportswear Company

  phone: +1 503-226-6800
  address: 911 SW Broadway (or 1323 SE Tacoma St.'s outlet store)
  The Broadway location is the flagship store of the outdoor sportswear company, which has an emphasis on cold and rainy weather clothing.

• Saturday Market

  address: SW 1st Ave
  This market and craft fair, where everything sold is handmade, is the largest open-air crafts market in continuous operation in the U.S.

Budget

• Voodoo Doughnut

  phone: +1 503-241-4704
  address: 22 SW 3rd Ave
  A restaurant of a local chain, see Portland_(Oregon)#Local_chains for description.

• Sizzle Pie – West Burnside

  address: 926 W Burnside St
  A restaurant of a local chain, see Portland_(Oregon)#Local_chains for description.

• EuroTrash

  address: SW 10th Ave & SW Washington St
  Mediterranean food with a sloppy American twist. Cute pink, black and teal cart, fantastic for lunch and dinner.

• Pine Street Market

  address: 126 SW 2nd Ave
  Nine restaurants serving different food styles in a casual and open food hall located inside an historic Portland building.

• Laughing Planet

  phone: +1 503-224-2326
  address: several locations; Downtown location at 1720 SW 4th Ave
  Another easy and less-expensive option. They have a number of vegetarian & vegan dishes available as well as a small outside dining area when the weather is nice.

• Cha! Cha! Cha! – South Waterfront

  phone: +1 503-224-0100
  address: 3135 SW Moody Ave
  A restaurant of a local chain, see Portland_(Oregon)#Local_chains for description.

• The Old Spaghetti Factory

  phone: +1 503-222-5375
  address: 0715 SW Bancroft St., Portland OR 97239
  Although not the original location, this is the flagship location and headquarters of the nationally known Portland-based spaghetti chain, with views of the Willamette riverfront. Lovers of their mizithra cheese spaghetti will want to make a pilgrimage here.

• Fat City Cafe

  phone: +1 503-245-5457
  address: 7820 SW Capitol Hwy, Multnomah Village
  Local favorite, serves excellent breakfasts. The French toast is recommended.

• The Original Pancake House

  phone: +1 503-246-9007
  address: 8601 SW 24th Ave
  This is the flagship location of the well-known American pancake restaurant chain, and it is in fact in a house. Many of the familiar favorites (apple pancakes and Dutch Babies) are available. Cash only.

Mid-range

• For New York-style pizza, it's hard to beat Escape from New York Pizza at 622 NW 23rd (+1 503-227-5423), and at 7737 SW Barbur Blvd uptown (+1 503-768-4408). The restaurants are shrines to New York, unlike their chain-restaurant counterpart, Pizza Schmizza, which is also quite good with locations spread throughout Portland.

• Huber’s

  phone: +1 503-228-5686
  address: 411 SW 3rd Ave
  Portland’s oldest restaurant, open since 1879, this place is known for its turkey dinners and Spanish coffees, poured right at your table.

• Pizzicato

  phone: +1 503-226-1007
  address: locations throughout the metro area; Downtown location at 705 SW Alder St
  Excellent thin-crust pizza; try the faux-Italian options.

• Hot Lips Pizza

  phone: +1 503-224-0311
  address: several locations; downtown location at 1909 SW 6th Ave
  Another place with excellent thin-crust pizza. Get any of the surprisingly good veggie pizza toppings, like artichoke.

• Salvador Molly's

  phone: +1 503-293-1790
  address: 1523 SW Sunset Blvd
  Caribbean and South American cuisine with a pirate twist. Try the Great Balls of Fire (a habanero cheese fritter); if you eat 5 you will get your photo on the wall of fame.

• Little Bird Bistro

  phone: +1 503-688-5952
  address: 215 SW 6th Ave

Splurge

• McCormick and Schmick's

  phone: +1 503-220-1865
  address: 0309 SW Montgomery St
  Has now expanded across the US, but "way back when" it was just a Portland seafood restaurant. They still serve fresh seafood, too, and it's excellent almost any way they prepare it.

• Southpark Seafood Grill & Wine Bar

  phone: +1 503-326-1300
  address: 901 SW Salmon St
  The food is excellent Mediterranean-Italian fare with a regional seafood twist.

• Fogo de Chao

  phone: +1 503-241-0900
  address: 930 SW 6th Ave
  Authentic Brazilian steakhouse serving traditional Brazilian foods and 'churrasco' style meats.

• Red Star

  phone: +1 503-222-0005
  address: 503 SW Alder St, located below Hotel Monaco
  Upscale new American classics done very well.

• Portland City Grill

  phone: +1 503-450-0030
  address: 111 SW 5th Ave, 30th floor of the Unico/US Bancorp Tower
  This expensive, lavish restaurant has been made into one of the most romantic spots in Portland. If you are lucky enough to get a table or smart to reserve a table next to a window, you can enjoy your meal overlooking the great city of Portland. The menu offers only the finest selection of steak and seafood and you get as good as you pay. Lunch, however, is not as expensive and offers the same wonderful view and good food. Happy Hour is even cheaper (4:30-6:30PM) for the same good food, but much more crowded than lunchtime.

• Pazzo Ristorante

  phone: +1 503-228-1515
  address: 627 SW Washington St
  Both an excellent location near several movie theaters and the shopping district and solid Italian-Pacific Northwest fusion cuisine. It gets quite crowded on Friday and Saturday nights, however, so be forewarned.

• El Gaucho

  phone: +1 503-227-8794
  address: 319 SW Broadway Ave
  A chain with other restaurants in Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma. The steak and ambiance don't come cheaply, however, so be prepared.

• Jake's Famous Crawfish

  phone: +1 503-226-1419
  address: 401 SW 12th Ave
  A Portland institution and birthplace of the McCormick and Schmick's chain, this is considered one of the finest seafood restaurants around. This is the place you take someone you want to impress, although with extremely limited vegetarian options.

• Stumptown Coffee Roasters

  phone: +1 503-295-6144
  address: several locations; Downtown location at 128 SW 3rd Ave
  One of the most celebrated and appreciated local coffee roasters in a city known for good coffee, Stumptown is credited for having beans that taste as fresh as a good home roast. Frequent customers include a quirky assortment of hipsters, yuppies, artists and the like. Many other coffee shops around town sell exclusively Stumptown coffee, and beans can be purchased whole at any of the five locations, as well as more gourmet grocery stores such as Wild Oats and Whole Foods.

• Bailey's Taproom

  phone: +1 503-295-1004
  address: 213 SW Broadway
  Offers 20 constantly rotating taps, plus one beer engine, encompassing the entire range of beer styles with emphasis on Oregon breweries. Located in downtown Portland, convenient to most hotels, mass transit, events, nightlife, restaurants and welcome to both microbrew fanatics and the uninitiated. One of the most eclectic selections of beer around and encourages enthusiasm for the unfamiliar.

Budget

Mid-range

• The Park Lane Suites

  phone: +1 503-226-6288
  address: 809 SW King Ave
  Apartment-like suites with kitchens (stove, refrigerator, coffee-maker, and dishwasher). Rooms also include a living room and comfortable beds. It's a short bus ride on the 15 to downtown. Rates are reasonable.

• Marriott Portland City Center

  phone: +1 503-226-6300
  address: 520 SW Broadway

• Fulton House Bed & Breakfast

  phone: +1 503-892-5781
  address: 7006 SW Virginia Ave
  Located in the southwest part of the city, one block from a beautiful park on the Willamette River.

Splurge

• The Benson Hotel

  phone: +1 503-228-2000
  address: 309 SW Broadway
  A grand historic 1912 hotel located downtown.

• Embassy Suites Portland Downtown

  phone: +1 503-279-9000
  address: 319 SW Pine St

• Hotel Fifty

  address: 50 SW Morrison St
  Convenient to downtown and MAX train stops.

• Hotel Monaco

  phone: +1 503-222-0001
  address: 506 SW Washington St

• Kimpton Hotel Vintage Portland

  phone: +1 503-228-1212
  address: 422 SW Broadway
  Luxury hotel with free daily wine tasting in the lobby.

• Sentinel Hotel

  phone: +1 503-224-3400
  address: 614 SW 11th Ave
  Historic four star hotel.

• The Heathman Hotel

  phone: +1 503-241-4100
  address: 1001 SW Broadway

• Hilton Portland Downtown

  phone: +1 503-226-1611
  address: 921 SW 6th Ave

• Hotel deLuxe

  phone: +1 503-219-2094
  address: 729 SW 15th Ave

• Hotel Lucia

  phone: +1 503-225-1717
  address: 400 SW Broadway

• Hotel Modera

  phone: +1 503-484-1084
  address: 515 SW Clay St
  Stylish boutique hotel in downtown.

• Mark Spencer Hotel

  phone: +1 503-224-3293
  address: 409 SW 11th Ave
  A less-flashy, but highly dignified entry in Portland's hotel market, the Mark Spencer receives excellent reviews. Its arts theme is well served by its location near the junction of the West End, Pearl District, Northwest District, and Downtown neighborhoods.

• Marriott Downtown Waterfront

  phone: +1 503-226-7600
  address: 1401 SW Naito Pkwy

• The Nines Hotel

  address: 525 SW Morrison St
  A grand boutique 4-star hotel located in the upper floors of historic Meier Frank Plaza building in a central part of the downtown core. The basement and the first five floors are being redeveloped into office and retail spaces while the Nines occupy the 6th through the 15th floors accessed from SW Morrison.

• Riverplace Hotel

  phone: +1 503-228-3233
  address: 1510 SW Harbor Way
  Four star hotel overlooking the river.

• The Westin Portland

  phone: +1 503-294-9000
  address: 750 SW Alder St

• The Duniway Portland, a Hilton Hotel

  phone: +1 503 553-7000
  address: 545 SW Taylor St, Portland
  A boutique hotel in downtown Portland near Pioneer Square