With kids · Portland · United States
Portland with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Cacophony, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Portland is easygoing with children: the Oregon Zoo, OMSI's hands-on science and submarine, splash fountains in summer and big parks. Food carts make meals easy for picky eaters. Top picks: Oregon Zoo, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) and Food cart pods. Families usually base themselves in Downtown.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Downtown
- Rainy-day options
- 1
- Busiest months
- July–August
Best things to do with kids
Zoo · Washington Park
1.Oregon Zoo
The Oregon Zoo in Washington Park is known for its Asian elephant herd and its Pacific Northwest habitats with cougars, black bears and river otters, plus polar bears and primates. The Washington Park MAX station, one of the deepest transit stations in North America, is at the entrance.
Ride the MAX Red or Blue Line to Washington Park to skip the limited parking.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Nature
- Outdoors
Museum · Central Eastside and Lloyd
2.Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI)
A large hands-on science museum on the east bank of the Willamette, with interactive halls, a planetarium, a large-screen theatre and the USS Blueback, a decommissioned US Navy submarine that visitors can tour.
Book the submarine tour on arrival; times are limited.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Kids
- Rainy day
Experience · Citywide
3.Food cart pods
Portland has hundreds of food carts, many grouped into pods with shared seating and beer taps. Larger pods on the east side and downtown offer dozens of cuisines in one spot, from Thai and Georgian khachapuri to barbecue and vegan bowls.
Go with friends and order from several carts to share; most pods have covered seating for rainy days.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Kids
- Iconic
Garden · Eastmoreland
4.Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden
A lakeside woodland garden in Southeast Portland with more than 2,500 rhododendrons, azaleas and other plants around a spring-fed lake visited by ducks, geese and herons.
Peak bloom is usually April and May.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Nature
- Couples
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Park · Downtown
5.Mill Ends Park
Billed as the smallest park in the world, Mill Ends is a single circle about 60 cm across in the median of SW Naito Parkway, created on St Patrick's Day in 1976 and decorated by locals with tiny additions.
It is easy to miss; look for it in the median strip at SW Taylor Street.
- Time needed
- 10 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Off the beaten path
Landmark · Pearl District
6.Powell's City of Books
Powell's occupies a full city block on West Burnside with new and used books shelved side by side in colour-coded rooms. The Rose Room holds children's books, and the Rare Book Room has signed first editions and antique volumes.
Pick up a free store map at the entrance; it is easy to lose an hour in a single room.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Free
- Rainy day
- Shopping
Rainy-day ideas
- Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) — Book the submarine tour on arrival; times are limited.
Where families should stay
$$$ · Best for first-timers, families and shopping
Downtown
Downtown is the most convenient base, with hotels around Pioneer Courthouse Square, MAX light rail lines to the airport and the zoo, and Tom McCall Waterfront Park along the Willamette. The Portland Saturday Market sets up by the Burnside Bridge, and the Lan Su Chinese Garden is just north in Old Town.
- Good
- Direct MAX from the airport; Walkable to the Pearl and the river; Wide choice of hotels
- Watch out
- Quiet after office hours; Visible homelessness on some blocks
- Nearby
- Pioneer Courthouse Square, Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland Saturday Market, Lan Su Chinese Garden
Family travel tips
- Jamison Square in the Pearl and Salmon Street Springs on the waterfront are free splash fountains in summer.
- Powell's Rose Room has a big children's book section.
- Ride MAX to the zoo to avoid limited parking at Washington Park.
- Multnomah Falls' lower viewing area is an easy walk from the parking area, suitable for small children.
- Pack rain gear outside summer; many parks and trails are muddy.
Day trips for families
- Columbia River Gorge and Multnomah Falls (About 40 minutes by car) — A dramatic river canyon east of Portland lined with waterfalls; Multnomah Falls drops about 189 metres in two tiers below a stone footbridge.
- Mount Hood and Timberline Lodge (About 1.5 hours by car) — Oregon's highest peak has year-round skiing on its upper slopes and summer hiking through wildflower meadows.
- Cannon Beach (About 1.5 hours by car) — An artsy coastal town beside Haystack Rock, a 72-metre sea stack with tide pools at its base and puffins nesting in late spring and early summer.
- Hood River (About 1 hour by car) — A small town in the Gorge known for windsurfing and kiteboarding on the Columbia, and the Fruit Loop of orchards, farm stands and cideries in the valley below Mount Hood.
- Silver Falls State Park (About 1.5 hours by car) — Oregon's largest state park has the Trail of Ten Falls, a loop of about 11 km that passes behind several waterfalls, including the 54-metre South Falls.
When to go with children
The best months overall are June–September. July–August are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Portland good for kids?
Portland is easygoing with children: the Oregon Zoo, OMSI's hands-on science and submarine, splash fountains in summer and big parks. Food carts make meals easy for picky eaters.
+What can kids do in Portland?
Oregon Zoo, Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), Food cart pods, Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden and Mill Ends Park.
+Where should families stay in Portland?
Downtown: Hotels, Pioneer Courthouse Square and the riverfront park.