Explore Portland History at These Four Attractions

The city of Portland, Oregon, is steeped in history. Perched on the banks of the Willamette River, Portland began as a destination on the Oregon Trail and morphed into a modern city that hasn’t forgotten its roots. Dig into the city’s colorful history by checking out these four Portland attractions.

Portland Art Museum

The Portland Art Museum is the oldest art museum in the Pacific Northwest, and one of the oldest in the United States. The first public exhibition after its founding in 1892 was a showcase of watercolors from the Lewis & Clark Expedition.

The museum’s current location at 1219 SW Park Ave. opened in 1932 and has expanded to encompass two and a half city blocks. Tickets cost $19.99 for adults and provide entrance to the museum’s permanent and temporary collections.

Pittock Mansion

Image via Flickr by Jim Bahn

Henry Pittock began his career as a typesetter at the burgeoning newspaper “The Oregonian” and rose in the ranks until he was the publisher. Later in life, he built an impressive, technologically-advanced house with stunning views of the mountains, rivers, and Portland’s vibrant neighborhoods. Completed in 1914, Pittock only enjoyed the house for four years before his death.

Walk through the 16,000-square-foot French Renaissance-style house and its impressive grounds at 3229 NW Pittock Drive. Entrance for a self-guided tour is $11 for adults and allows you to wander the mansion at your own pace. Don’t miss the intricately decorated Turkish Smoking Room.

Portland Bridge Tour

Portland is the city of bridges. The downtown straddles the Willamette River, and crossing back and forth over the water is a reality of life in the city. To learn the history of the bridges, and see eight of them in a few hours, hop on a cruise down the river.

The Portland Spirit offers lunch, brunch, dinner, and sightseeing cruises daily. Each cruise floats underneath the historic bridges, like the Hawthorne Bridge. The Hawthorne Bridge is the oldest truss bridge with vertical lift still in use in the United States, and it is operated by a bridge-tender 24 hours a day. Cruises start at $30 and leave from the Salmon St. docks.

New Chinatown and Japantown Historic District

As the city of Portland grew, its diversity did as well. Around 1850 Chinese settlers migrated from as far away as China and as close as California. With the decline of the Gold Rush, many people began looking for a new place to call home.

Forty years later, around 1890, Japanese settlers began to arrive and also built a thriving community. Over time, both New Chinatown and Japantown declined in population due to political pressures, economics, and forced relocations during World War II.

New Chinatown and Japantown can still be seen in glimpses today. Phone app tours are available to map out a walking route through the neighborhoods and blooming Chinese gardens. Start at the Lan Su Chinese Garden at the corner of NW 2nd Avenue and Everett Street.

Portland’s history is deeply engrained in the roots of the city’s culture. It’s still alive and ready for you to discover