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Washington Park Reviews

Southwest Park Place, Portland, Oregon 97210

Featured Review : You can get lost in Washington Park, a favorite of local residents and visitors alike since 1871. The park contains the Oregon zoo, Portland Japanese Gardens, International Rose Testing Garden, World Foresty Center, Port...See Full Review

  • #8 most popular
    thing to do in Portland
  • Avg. User Rating:
    5 out of 5 stars

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  • Washington Park

  • 5 out of 5 stars
    CurlyGirl from New York
  • November 22, 2007
  • Best of IgoUgo
Quote: Sunlight shines through the trees Photo - Washington Park, Portland, Oregon You can get lost in Washington Park, a favorite of local residents and visitors alike since 1871. The park contains the Oregon zoo, Portland Japanese Gardens, International Rose Testing Garden, World Foresty Center, Portland Children's Museum, a Holocaust Memorial and Veteran's Memorial. You can stay busy with a visit to Washington Park!

We spent most of our time in the Hoyt Arboretum, an amazing collection of over 1,000 species of trees & plants. The Visitor's Center provides a plethora of brochures, including several options for walking the Arboretum - at one, two and four miles tour. You can also choose your own path, with well marked signs and a handy free map.

We winded through bamboo, the conifers, grand Sequoias, spruce, fir, Himalayan pines, the Redwoods Collection... the majestic trees were amazing, and the blend from one collection to the next was impressive. You felt as if you were in a myriad of forests at once, each their own secluded splendor. We met with a few runners, and some couples taking a leisurely Sunday afternoon stroll, but the solitude and magnitude of the trees overpowered any encounter we had with others.

On just a brief self selected tour, we were able to see at least one third of the Arboretum in an hour. We could have spent much more time with the trees, but enjoyed each moment we had in the outdoor wonders!

The tour options include a one mile tour for strollers and wheelchairs. View all the ours, plants & more at www.hoytarboretum.org - or just arrive and experience the wonder firsthand, site unseen!
From journals Brisk Weekend in Portland

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  • Washington Park

  • 5 out of 5 stars
    Migin from Salem
  • February 1, 2005
  • Best of IgoUgo
Quote: Journeys and Views Photo - Washington Park, Portland, Oregon 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


From journals Portland Greenspaces: Something for Everyone