Things to do

Darcelle XV: was an absolute legend of Portland’s entertainment landscape. Walter Cole was an author, playwright, actor, costume designer, owner and headliner of the Darcelle XV Showplace; the oldest continuously running cabaret in the United States, celebrating over 50 years.  In 2018, Darcelle was named the Guinness World Record’s “Oldest working drag queen”.

For more information, click Here 

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 between NW 10th and 11th Avenues and between W. Burnside and NW Couch Streets

The Raven’s Manor is a haunted themed bar and restaurant located downtown. 
Make a reservation for the "elixir experience" in which guests create creepy cocktails under the guidance of  characters Dr. Raven, "a 19th-century physician who kidnapped and experimented on his party guests in a quest for immortality", and his assistant Dr. Creeps.

With three auditoriums, including a large-screen theatre, planetarium, and exhibition halls with a variety of hands-on permanent exhibits focused on natural sciences, industry, and technology, the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry has something for all ages. 
if you want to enjoy some time away from the kiddies, OMSI After Dark takes place the last Wednesday every month and is only open to those 21+. 

The Rose Quarter is a 30-acre (12-hectare) sports and entertainment district located in Portland's Lloyd District on the east bank of the Willamette.

The Rose Quarter contains two multipurpose arenas, a large theatre, as well as a 40,000-square-foot (3,700-square-meter) convention facility, several restaurants and bars, and a large public space, the Rose Quarter Commons.

For the Rose Quarter event calendar, click Here.

Located on NW 5th and Couch, at Ground Kontrol, you can play some of the best arcade games from the ‘70s through today in an authentic game room environment. Real cabinets, real gameplay, and real arcade atmosphere, just like you remember! Get ready to pull on those Pumas and terrycloth wristbands, get in your stance, and immerse yourself in the electric glow of years gone by.

The Portland Spirit is a 150-foot yacht with three public decks, two of which are enclosed and climate controlled. It has a seating capacity of up to 340 guests on the two interior decks for plated meals and is licensed by the coast guard to carry up to 499 passengers. The Portland Spirit features delicious Northwest cuisine prepared by an onboard galley, two full-service bars, two baby grand pianos, a ship-wide sound system and a marble dance floor.

The Pittock Mansion is a French Renaissance-style château in the West Hills. The mansion was originally built in 1914 as a private home for London-born Oregonian publisher Henry Pittock and his wife, Georgiana Burton Pittock. It is a 46-room estate built of Tenino sandstone situated on 46 acres (19 ha) that is now owned by the city's bureau, parks, and recreation and open for touring.^[2]

Modeled after victorian and French Renaissance architecture, the mansion is situated on an expanse in the West Hills that provides panoramic views of downtown Portland. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

A circus of fire-dancing, DJs & debauchery. Every Sunday night for 21+ years...  Sinferno Cabaret is the longest-running weekly cabaret show on the west coast!

Portland is home to breweries galore and some of the finest beer on Earth. Since the early 1980s, Portland brewers have been hard at work, pioneering the craft beer movement with fresh ingredients like Willamette Valley hops and Bull Run water. Along with bustling brewpubs and a calendar overflowing with beer-themed events, Portland brewers’ innovative creations make Portland a must-visit beer destination.

In a traditional beer town just minutes from one of North America’s great wine regions, Portland’s under-sung distillery scene is still largely under the radar nationally, but growing in vibrancy ever year. Many distilleries are part of the Distillery Row group and its Passport Program for discounts, though the scene has grown beyond its traditional bounds in inner Southeast Portland.

With so many newer distilleries, younger spirits like gin and vodka tend to predominate, though some of the older ones are achieving increasingly distinctive results with their whiskeys. Some of Portland's most celebrated spirits include New Deal’s bourbon, Martin Ryan's dry gin, Westward single-malt whiskey, Stone Barn’s green walnut liqueur, and Vinn’s baijiu. But that's just the tip of the iceberg — an iceberg that also contains Portland aquavit, absinthe, herb-infused liqueurs, and more surprises.

The Clinton Street Theater has been showing The Rocky Horror Picture Show weekly since 1978, making it one of the longest running movies in the world! Every Saturday night!

In escape room games, participants are locked in a themed room and have 60 minutes to solve puzzles and find the key to escape. 

There’s karaoke all over the city.  You can sing in front of a crowd at Suki’s or The Alibi, rent a private room at Voicebox , or unleash your inner rock star with a live band, Karaoke From Hell, at Dante’s.

During your Black Forest Dark Dining Experience, you’ll dine without seeing...by removing your sense of sight, your other senses such as taste and smell are more heightened. Your group uses these “Superpowers” to figure out each of the 7 courses of this Fine Dining Trivia Experience. Once you complete the experience you will have the opportunity to review the menu.

The International Rose Test Garden is a rose garden in Washington Park. There are over 10,000 rose bushes of approximately 650 varieties. The roses bloom from April through October with the peak coming in June, depending on the weather. It is the oldest continuously operating public rose test garden in the United States and exemplifies Portland's nickname, "City of Roses". The garden draws an estimated 700,000 visitors annually.

The Portland Japanese Garden is a traditional Japanese garden occupying 12 acres, located within Washington park in the West Hills.

Located on SW 6th and Morrison, Pioneer Square also known as “Portland’s Living Room,” is a great place to people watch, enjoy artwork, catch a show, or join a protest. 

The Portland Saturday Market is an outdoor arts and crafts market held every Saturday from the beginning of March through December 24th in Tom McCall Waterfront Park,  underneath the Burnside Bridge. It is the largest continuously operated outdoor market in the United States.The market has over 400 members and generates an estimated $12 million in gross sales annually. It has become a central economic engine for the historic Old Town Chinatown neighborhood, and attracts an estimated 750,000 visitors to this area each year.

Oaks Park is a small amusement park located 3.5 miles (5.6 km) south of downtown Portland. The park opened in May 1905 and is one of the oldest continually operating amusement parks in the country.

The 44-acre (18 ha) park includes midway games, about two dozen rides that operate seasonally, a skating rink that is open all-year, and picnic grounds. It is also home to the Herschell–Spillman Noah's Ark Carousel, a historic wooden-constructed carousel in 1912.

Portland currently has somewhere around 600 food carts in operation.  Wow!  Unlike some cities, where the carts are on the sidewalk and are removed each evening, Portland’s food carts are larger in size and more permanent in nature.  They are required to have the ability to move, although once they are in a pod, they stay there for a while.  For the most part, I see relatively low turnover.  Carts often stay in the same spot for years.  Although through the year, there may be a cart or two that leaves the pod and a new one takes their place.

For a map of food cart pods, click Here.

On Mt. Tabor, you’ll enjoy spectacular views across Southeast Portland at the mountain’s summit, with the city skyline and West Hills in the distance. Grab a seat on one of the benches here and watch a summer sunset.

Mill Ends Park (sometimes mistakenly called Mill's End Park)  is an extremely small urban park, consisting of one tree, located in the median strip of SW Naito Parkway next to Tom McCall Waterfront Park along the Willamette River. The park was dedicated on St. Patrick’s Day, 1976, as "the only leprechaun colony west of Ireland,"  According to the Guinness Book of Records, it is the smallest park in the world. 

Fortune is a bar and lounge located inside the historic Sentinel Hotel with a delicious plant based menu featuring DJs and live music throughout the week. Our cocktail menu features both classics and creative originals crafted with fresh ingredients. Come in early or during the week for chill vibes, or on the late night on weekends for a lively dance party. We are proud to be a part of the Downtown Portland resurgence happening in the West End. See you soon.

The little sister of the historic Crystal Ballroom, Lola's Room is located on the second floor, directly below the Crystal. If you're a fan of DJ'd dance events, raging local rock showcases or intimate seated performances, this is the place for you. 

CC Slaughters. Portland’s premier queer nightclub.

When the sun goes down you can find some of Portland's best deejays spinning live in Jackie's Hype Garden.

Bonneville Lock and Dam consists of several run-of-the-river dam structures that together complete a span of the Columbia River between Oregon and Washington The dam is located 40 miles (64 km) east of Portland.

“All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

                                         -The Shining

Timberline Lodge is a mountain lodge on the south side of Mount Hood, about 60 miles (97 km) east of Portland. Constructed from 1936 to 1938 by the Works Progress Administration, it was built and furnished by local artisans during the Great Depression. Timberline Lodge was dedicated September 28, 1937, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.

The National Historic Landmark sits at an elevation of 6,000 feet (1,829 m), within the Mount Hood National Forest  and is accessible through the Mount Hood Scenic Byway. Publicly owned and privately operated, Timberline Lodge is a popular tourist attraction that draws two million visitors annually. It is notable in film for serving as the exterior of the Overlook Hotel in The Shining (1980).

The lodge and its grounds host a ski resort, also known as Timberline Lodge. It has the longest skiing season in the U.S., and is open for skiers and snowboarders all 12 months of the year. Activities include skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, hiking, biking, and climbing.

  The Columbia River Gorge stretches for more than 80 miles as the Columbia River winds westward through the Cascade Range, forming the boundary between the State of Washington to the north and Oregon to the south. Three volcanoes dominate the Cascades and are major attractions when visiting the Gorge. Majestic Mt. Hood is the highest point in Oregon. It is one of the three dormant volcanoes in this region, with Mt. Adams and Mt. St. Helens located across the river in Washington state.

The western Gorge, with an average annual rainfall of 75 inches, is lush and green with misty mountains, old growth forest and over 40 plus waterfalls. The eastern Gorge, with an annual rainfall of less than 15 inches, is a region of rocky bluffs, rolling hills, desert wildflowers and wide open spaces.

Just taking a drive through the Columbia River Gorge and exploring the Mt. Hood Scenic Byway is an experience in itself, as you will be in awe of the spectacular geological wonders.

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Learn all about disc golf in Portland. Ranked as the 4th best disc golf destination in Oregon, Portland has 5 courses. Among these are 3 courses which have 18 or more holes. Portland is also home to 16 leagues and 6 stores that sell disc golf gear. Explore the surrounding area to find 98 courses, 59 leagues, and 23 stores.

There are over 1000 vineyards in the Willamette Valley. Take a tour with us and enjoy the best of what the Willamette Valley has to offer.