Family-Friendly Activities in Portland

Kʰunamokwst (pronounced KAHN-ah-mockst) is a Chinook wawa name meaning “together”. Kʰunamokwst will be the first PP&R park to enjoy a name indigenous to the land it sits on. Chinook wawa is the language commonly used by the original people of this area.

Westmoreland Park began as a part of a residential subdivision that was subtracted from the Ladd Estate’s Crystal Spring Stock Farm in 1909. In 1924, the property was used as golf links, likely in conjunction with what is today known as Eastmoreland Golf Course. Prior to the 1920s, dating back as far as 1852, the property was used as farmland. By the 1930s, the site east of the subdivision had been converted from a wetland to serve time as a dairy, brickyard, and airstrip known as Broomfield Field (named after a Reed College Graduate by the name of Hugh Broomfield who lost his life over German Lines in WWI while on a recon mission.) However, as development increased, residents requested that these empty fields be turned into a city park.

Dawson Park was acquired by the City of Portland in 1921; it was named for Rev. John Dawson, an advocate for child welfare and civic improvements in the 1920s. The two-acre site had previously been used as a cow pasture, then a ballfield and a touring stop for small traveling circuses. By the late 1940s, it functioned as an unofficial town square for the surrounding African American community. The park was the epicenter of many political and social movements during the next 30 years. Robert F. Kennedy spoke here. Civil rights marches began here.

In the early 1900s, the Pearl District was a major industrial and transportation hub of Portland, with extensive rail yards, warehousing, and manufacturing facilities. In the 1950s, many industrial activities were relocated as transportation patterns shifted from water and rail to surface transit on interstate highways and air. The low rents that soon followed created spaces for artists and small businesses.

The Pearl District of today began in the early 1980s with extensive planning efforts to convert warehouses and rail yards into mixed-use development. Pearl District redevelopment gained momentum in the 1990s which resulted in urban mixed-use with multi-family residential buildings, offices, and a broad range of retail shops and services.

This is the third park that was outlined in the Portland River District Park System Urban Design Framework Study (January 2001). The study included planning and design concepts for four parks within the Urban renewal Area (URA) located between NW 10 and 11 Avenues, beginning at NW Johnson. The four parks include Jamison Square (completed 2002), Tanner Springs (completed 2005), The Fields (completed 2013), and a potential Riverfront Park. The Fields is situated within the Hoyt Street Yards portion of the Pearl District Neighborhood Association (PDNA).

Portland’s signature park isn’t just about big trees and picnic tables. Just two miles west of downtown and accessible by MAX light rail, the 410-acre Washington Park is packed with attractions. From a zoo and two museums to a spectacular rose garden and one of the most authentic Japanese gardens in the world, there’s so much to explore. Plus, it’s bordered by the 5,100-acre Forest Park, one of the nation’s top urban wildernesses.

Portland’s first public rose garden and a hidden gem in the midst of the vibrant Piedmont neighborhood. A classic example of the City Beautiful Movement, the 107-year old garden is graced by a beautiful central fountain and displays 5000+ roses, representing 56 varieties, including Portland’s official rose.

Patton Square Park, named after pioneer and Portland landowner Matthew Patton, was acquired in 1960 and features paved paths, picnic tables, and a playground area.

Poa Cafe was inspired by a 2013 Volunteer Trip to Tanzania, Africa, and the idea that it takes a village to raise healthy, happy + strong individuals. Poa means everything is cool is Swahilli and often used in a greeting amongst good friends. We came home eager to create a platform to both support our community, and feel supported ourselves.

Through the years, as our kids grew, we shifted focus from being family-friendly, to making simple nourishing foods available for our entire community.

It really does take a village, and we invite you to become part of ours.

Ate-Oh-Ate is a Hawaiian restaurant brought to you by Your Neighborhood Restaurant Group. Other YNRG restaurants include Laurelhurst Market, Reverend’s BBQ, Big’s Chicken, and La Luna Cafe.
Our goal is to provide you with the finest and most delicious Hawaiian-style food possible. We use only the highest-quality products, including all-natural meats, fresh vegetables, real Best Foods Mayonnaise, and authentic Spam in our Musubi (accept no substitutions!).

We take pride in offering delicious food in a family-friendly environment. Enjoy one of our many beers on draft or in bottles, a cocktail, or a frozen Pina Colada or Chi-Chi. Relax to the good musical vibes and soak up some surf videos or whatever game is playing on the TVs. We are proud supporters of the Portland Timbers, the Trail Blazers, and the Rose City Rollers!

While at the Woodstock location, be sure to check out our selection of signature Disc Golf discs—we offer a variety of molds and plastics. We love to get out and throw around, and are happy to support our local tournaments.

We are open every day and are available for dine in or take-out.

Mexican Restaurant

Sushi Restaurant

Farm to Table

Lively setting for wood-fired pies, plus other casual eats including salads & housemade ice cream.

Mother’s Bistro & Bar has grown over the years from a charming 90-seat restaurant on Stark Street to a gorgeous 200-seat Portland institution in the Embassy Suites by Hilton Hotel. Chosen Restaurant of the Year by Portland’s Willamette Week, Best Comfort Food, Best Brunch, and Best Lunch Spot by numerous publications and one of America’s Top Restaurant Bargains by Food and Wine Magazine, Mother’s Bistro & Bar is now a destination spot for anyone who comes to downtown Portland.

Our welcoming grand entrance has plenty of room should there be a wait for a table and the adjoining bar with sparkling chandeliers and velvet upholstery beckon you to join us for cocktail. En route to our main dining area is our “family room” with a magnificent 14-foot African rosewood table which seats 20 comfortably. The bright window-wrapped dining room with sumptuous fabric-upholstered booths and banquettes, gold-tin trim, and beautiful wainscoting make you feel warm and comfortable as you settle in to enjoy your dining experience.

Garden

Hiking Destination

Large forested park covering an extinct volcano with tennis courts, a playground & 360-degree views.

The Tryon Creek State Natural Area is a state park located primarily in Portland, in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is the only Oregon state park within a major metropolitan area.

New Englander Hall Jackson Kelley (1790-1874) was one of the most vocal advocates for Oregon in the first half of the 19th century. In 1828 he published Settlement on the Oregon River, and nine more pamphlets on a similar theme over the next 40 years. A bit deranged, he spent most of his life bitterly trying to win notice – and payment – for having sparked American interest in the Pacific Northwest.

Kelley visited Oregon briefly in 1834. During that time, Sellwood, Milwaukie, and Oregon City were all vying with Portland to be the main city at the north end of the Willamette. Among these was Kelley’s unsuccessful attempt to establish a city at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers. In 1926 this site was named Kelley Point.

Kelley Point Park was originally owned by the Port of Portland which covered the flood-prone peninsula with tons of river dredgings. The site that was once envisioned as a city is now a park on an isolated tip of land.

Museum

A museum’s name tells you a lot about what it treasures.

You hear the name—art museum, history museum, automobile museum—and you immediately know what you’ll find there: objects, rare and wonderful; encounters with the unusual; beauty for beauty’s sake. The specifics differ, but in each case, the collection takes center stage.

Our name shows what we treasure, too, and it tells you how we’re different.

We’re a museum that doesn’t act like a museum because our audience—children and the adults who care for them—is more important to us than anything we collect. Indeed, our audience is the essential component that gives our exhibits meaning.

Instead of investing in precious objects, we use familiar materials to craft priceless opportunities for children to learn through play. Our approach is inspired by the early childhood schools of Reggio Emilia, Italy; built on inquiry-based learning strategies; and influenced by a strong image of children as intelligent, creative, and resourceful.

Our Mission: To develop innovative problem-solvers through playful learning experiences that strengthen relationships between children and their world.

Our Vision: We envision a world where everyone retains and values the innate curiosity, creativity, and empathy of childhood.

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion: In the Portland metro area, 47% of students are children of color. At Portland Children’s Museum, we strive to have our guest and school families reflect that diversity, and for our staff and board to be equally diverse. We are committed to eliminating barriers to access and equity and see a diverse workforce as a key step toward this goal. We actively seek to recruit, hire, promote, and retain a diverse workforce—one that welcomes and engages people from every background. We value our staff members, volunteers, and board members and their individual backgrounds, which further our ability to serve and learn from the diverse families that enrich our community. We invite you to join us on our journey.

ORHC provides for the preservation, operation and public enjoyment of Portland’s historic locomotives, railroad equipment, and artifacts, and educates the public about Oregon’s rich and diverse railroad history.

Zoo

The firehouse is located at Southeast 35th and Belmont and is open to the public on certain days or by appointment for a private tour