Washington Park began life as City Park in 1871 when the city of Portland, Ore., purchased 40.78 acres of land from Amos N. King. Today the park, located minutes from downtown Portland, has expanded to 400 acres and offers a variety of attractions, including a zoo and a railway, as well as 15 miles of walking trails.
The Oregon Zoo was founded in 1887 when Richard Knight presented his private collection of animals to the city and they were installed in the park. The collection grew and today the zoo is the leading paid attraction in Oregon, housing animals from all over the world, ranging from Asian elephants to Arctic polar bears. The zoo is committed to the conservation of endangered animals and their habitats and also provides award-winning education programs to schools and community groups. A season of events and concerts are also hosted at the zoo, and it even boasts its own railway. Admission to the zoo costs $10.50 for adults and $7.50 for children as of 2011.
Founded in 1946, the Children's Museum strives toward its mission "to inspire imagination, creativity and the wonder of learning in children and adults through inviting shared moments of discovery." It offers a variety of activities for children under 10 including the Pet Hospital, where children can run their own kid-size animal clinic, and the Grasshopper Grocery and Butterfly Bistro, a child-size supermarket and a bistro where the children can create sandwiches for their grown-ups. The museum also conducts a number of weekly classes such as Paint and Play and Science Tots. Over 280,000 children attend the museum with their caregivers every year and membership is available in order to make the most of everything it has to offer.
Whilst in Washington Park, you might choose to visit this memorial. The Holocaust Memorial was dedicated in 2004. It features a circular cobblestone area with bronzes of shows, glasses and a suitcase representing the everyday objects left behind when Jewish families were gathered together in town squares to be loaded onto trains and led to their deaths.
Located directly above the Rose Gardens, the Japanese Garden has been described as one of the most authentic such gardens outside of Japan. It is a 5.5-acre haven of tranquillity and beauty in the west hills of Portland made up of five individual gardens: the Flat Garden, Strolling Pond Garden, Tea Garden, Natural Garden and the Sand and Stone Garden. Public guided tours of the garden are available several times a day from April to October and private tours are also available for groups of 10 or more people. The garden also pays host to a range of exhibitions and events throughout the year including art exhibitions and music performances. Admission for adults costs $9.50 and it's $6.75 for youths ages 6 to 17. Children under 6 are admitted free. (Prices as of 2011.)
The idea for the Vietnam memorial was conceived by veterans in 1982 and designed by the Walker Macy firm. It was dedicated in 1987 and takes the form of a black granite wall engraved with the names of the Oregon residents killed during the war as well as those who are missing in action.
