Abutting the south end of Forest Park’s immense wilderness Washington Park is like a Matryoshka, one of those Russian nesting dolls, where dolls hide within dolls, each smaller than the last. The park is full of other parks, memorials, museums, gardens, and an arboretum. Dolls within dolls. Portions of the park provide great views across the city.
Originally called City Park these 129.51-acres (Washington Park only) were renamed on recommendation of the Olmsted brothers. The park has all the usual amenities and a few extras. There are lots of sports facilities in the park including 6 lighted tennis courts. Besides athletic fields and trails the park also contains a number of artworks, including:
--The 34-foot statue of Sacajawea, made of Oregon copper, designed by a woman (Alice Cooper) artist and unveiled by women (including Susan B. Anthony), was the first statue of a woman unveiled in America.
--The Chiming Fountain creates its signature sound through water impacting a series of bronze pans.
--Teddy Roosevelt laid the foundation stone for the Lewis & Clark Memorial, a granite obelisk-like column with bronze seals of the 4 States comprising the Northwest Territories, one to a side.
The Max light rail station, at 260-feet down, is the deepest transit station in North America. Station Art both in and outside of the station pays homage its location and geology. The high-speed elevators indicate position within the shaft equating to points in geologic time.
All sites within or adjacent to the park are easily accessed by public transit. The Max station, where the buses also stop, is mere yards from the entrance to several attractions including the Zoo. A shuttle (running summer only) services Washington Park’s attractions, you can ride all day at no additional cost with a valid transfer or day pass.
- #63 Washington Park, Tri-Met bus (Schedule & Maps).
- The Max Blue Line.
- The Washington Park Shuttle runs Memorial Day through Labor Day, every 15 minutes, from 10am-7pm.
Places Within Washington Park
Washington Park is several days worth of activities and a Portland favorite.
(-*- below indicates an item covered in my first Portland journal.)
-*- International Rose Test Garden Over 8,000 bushes, and more than 400 varieties on 5.12-acres.
-*- Rose Garden Children’s Park A large elaborate children’s play area.
--Japanese Garden Chosen as the best Japanese Garden outside of Japan from over 300 gardens. (Covered elsewhere in this journal.)
--Children’s Museum Generation 2 Hands-on, for kids of all ages, but mostly 10 and under.
--Oregon Zoo The most successful Asian Elephant breeding program anywhere and much more.
--Forestry Discovery Center Formerly the World Forestry Center. Learn about forests everywhere.
--Oregon Holocaust Memorial This recent addition is a powerfully emotional experience.
-*-Hoyt Arboretum 214-acres, 880 species, 10-miles of trails.
-*-Vietnam Veterans Living Memorial Black granite walls etched with names of those fallen with a timeline.
Open: 5am-10pm
Contacts: 503-823-PLAY or 503-823-2223v/tt, pkweb@ci.portland.or.us