We all know Portland’s reputation for being wild and fun; it’s even sprung a popular show aptly named Portlandia off of the oddities you can find here. Whether you’re interested in finding the world’s smallest park or you want to see what could possibly be going on in a Rose Test Garden, Portland aims to surprise and delight.
These are five fun and weird activities you can enjoy while you’re here!
Pittock Mansion
There’s no castle in America: but the Pittock Mansion gets close. This gorgeous French Renaissance-style chateau in western Portland has spent the last 110 years stunning everyone who gets to see it. With beautiful architectural details, and fantastic landscaping, this building feels like it was pulled out of a fantasy land; everyone should stop in to see it!
Take in the World’s Smallest Park
Portland is well known for being eco-friendly and working hard to be as green as possible, so it’s no surprise that it has a record-breaking park: but what if we said this was the smallest park in the world? At just 452 square inches, a tiny patch of greenery called Mill Ends Park is the smallest park in the world, qualified by the Guinness Book of World Records! This is a fun spot to take a picture and one of the best destinations for a conversation starter you can use for the rest of your life!
International Rose Test Garden
If you have pollen allergies, this might be a park to skip: otherwise, it’s full of whimsy and beauty. The International Rose Test Garden allows you to look at over 10,000 rose bushes of over 650 different species. The roses are most beautiful in June and offer glimpses of species that aren’t yet available for buying. Many Portland houses for sale show off their local cred by having some of these incredible species outside!
Portland Japanese Garden
This gorgeous Japanese garden stretches over twelve acres in Washington Park and ensures that you never want to leave. The numerous different species of plants are each more beautiful than the last, allowing you to feel like you’re walking through a painting as you explore it. Operating for over sixty years, the Portland Japanese Garden is operated by a non-profit organization that works hard to create a space that allows you to feel like you’re vanishing into the experience. There’s nothing quite like this incredible garden.
Visit the Clown Room
If you have a fear of clowns, this stop isn’t for you! The Clown Room is a space in the Funhouse Lounge. This club offers unique shows and experiences that change from night tonight, but one thing stays true: the room of clown paintings. Numbering in the hundreds, with each more unsettling than the last, the clown rooms make you question who would do this and why they were able to find so many clown paintings that fill out the space so perfectly. We can guarantee this room will at least startle a laugh out of you!
Portland Can Be A Playground for Fun
Portland can be incredibly fun for anyone who arrives! Consider checking out some of these fun and exciting attractions so you can have a trip that you never want to stop talking about after you leave!