Washington Park

Address: 400 Southwest Kingston Avenue, Portland, Oregon
Admission: Free

ATTRACTION Keywords:
Good for Kids, Walking/Hiking, National Park

10:24 AM Sunday, May 19
Mostly cloudy. Cool.
7 day forecast

Once a dense forest prowled by mountain lions, Washington Park has been Portland's most well-manicured green space since the early 1900s. Home to the city's immensely popular zoo, a pair of fun and educational museums and a series of spectacular gardens, this sprawling woodland is one of the city's most visited attractions. The park is open from dawn to dusk and admission is free, though some attractions within come with a fee.

Located in Southwest Portland, the park provides a convenient escape into nature. The Portland Japanese Garden meanders beneath vine-draped arbors and over curving bridges, past waterfalls, stone sculptures and five styles of garden design. The International Rose Test Garden, the most famous landscape in the park, was originally formed as a safe haven for European rose hybrids during World War I; these days, it's one of the largest rose gardens in America, with more than 9,500 bushes of over 600 rose varieties.

The Hoyt Arboretum contains acres of meadows and one of America's most varied collection of tree species, including conifers native to the Pacific Northwest. The World Forestry Center also focuses on trees, providing a dry, indoor raft ride through forest exhibits from four continents, as well as important messages about environmental sustainability.

The Portland Children's Museum, the sixth largest in the world, features a 12-foot waterfall, a room dedicated to clay sculpting and a two-story play home. Also a hit with little ones, the 64-acre Oregon Zoo is home to over 2,200 animals from North America, Asia and Africa; the zoo's beloved female elephant, Rose-Tu, is due to deliver a baby pachyderm by the end of 2012.

Latest Reviews

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All Washington Park Reviews

Review by JIM M, April 2013
Doing what: Best of Portland Small-Group Sightseeing Tour

Our guide, Jeff, was great - he was from Portland and knew the city and the general area very well and could answer all questions articulately. Jeff offered coffee and pastry - I suggest he take his guests to one of Portland's many great cafe's (and charge another $5 if necessary).

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Review by Carolee R, March 2013
Doing what: Best of Portland Small-Group Sightseeing Tour

A fantastic insight into the heartbeat of what Portland is all about. Our guide Jeff could not possibly be improved upon...with any other company, anywhere. I am recommending it to everyone! Portlanders need to take this trip, no matter how well they think they know the area. A+++

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Review by Abhay P, March 2013
Doing what: Best of Portland Small-Group Sightseeing Tour

Very well organized small group trip. Would recommend it to my friends. Will use it again when I visit the pacific northwest.

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