The Oregon Historical Society, located on the corner of Southwest Jefferson and Park, has been in operation at its current location since 1966. The site features more than 85,000 artifacts for guests to peruse including an extensive collection of state history materials and objects from ancient early settlements. Exhibits at the Oregon Historical Society cover topics such as geography, native languages and culture, missionaries, exploration, the Oregon Trail, 20th century immigration and the growth of Oregon industries. Art connoisseurs will enjoy the vast collection of works which showcase the talents of major Oregon artists such as C.C. McKim, Melville T. Wire, C.E.S. Wood, Clara Jane Stephens and Rockwell Carey. The Benson Automobile exhibit features the first car that was completely built in Oregon by Nils Benson and his assistant, James Chance in 1904.
The Portland Art Museum, located on the corner of Southwest Park Avenue and Jefferson Street in the downtown area, is home to more than 42,000 objects and has been open in this location since 1932. The establishment permanently dedicates nearly two floors of space to the display of historic and contemporary art that is reflective of the Northwest's culture and history and this vast collection sets it apart from other institutions in the region. The Northwest Art collection prominently features works of artists living and working in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana. Guests can find works from the likes of Morris Graves, C.S. Price and Jacob Lawrence, who is well known for his work depicting African American history. Nearly 26,000 prints, photographs and drawings are on display from well known artists such as Rembrandt, Matisse, Picasso and Cezanne.
Henry Pittock and his wife Georgiana commissioned architect Edward Foulkes to design and build the Pittock Mansion in 1909. The mansion was completed in 1914 and sits on 46 acres of land nearly 1,000 feet above downtown Portland, the city that Henry and Georgiana loved. The Pittocks were very active members of Portland society. Henry was the owner of the Weekly Oregonian publication and was responsible for reformatting the newspaper into what is read today. Georgiana was actively involved in community service projects that benefited women and children. The mansion features several features which were considered innovative at the time, including a central vacuum system, in-house intercoms and indirect lighting fixtures. Turkish, English and French designs were incorporated into the décor; however, the Pittocks were adamant about hiring local Oregon craftsmen and artisans to undertake the project. The city of Portland purchased the estate in 1964 and opened it to the public as a historical site in 1965. Guests can take a look into the past while touring the estate and grounds.
Oaks Park is one of the oldest continuously operated amusement parks in existence in the United States. The park opened on May 30, 1905 and has been serving families for more than one hundred years. The park features a skating rink that is open year-round and nearly two dozen rides that are open seasonally. Guests can enjoy thrill rides such as the Disk'O which combines a rocking and spinning motion and the Looping Thunder Roller Coaster that features 360 degrees of turns, twists and loops. For guests that prefer a milder experience, several family rides are available as well. The Rockin' Tug is a novelty boat ride that combines realistic rocking and whirling motions while Up, Up and Away gives riders a simulated hot air balloon experience.
