Portland Oregon attractions truly offer something to suit all types—from cultural interests to natural attractions to excellent restaurants. Since this is the second largest cultural hub in the northwest after Seattle, there are plenty of attractions that cater to cultural enthusiasts, including many fine theaters and museums. Natural attractions are also in good supply. Perhaps a side trip to the nearby Willamette Valley wine region will be too hard to pass up, or maybe you'll drop by one of the city's numerous breweries to try the local product. These are just some of the tourist attractions in Portland, and there are many more to take advantage of during your time in town.

The best attractions in Portland include Powell's Books and Voodoo Doughnuts. The former is the largest independent new and used bookstore in the country, and if you like to read, you could easily spend the better part of a day there. Voodoo Doughnuts is arguably the most unique doughnut shop in the country, if not the entire world. Both of these Portland Oregon attractions are relatively close to one another, so you can easily include both on a same-day itinerary.

Among the best attractions in Portland are a number of attractive parks and a few immaculate gardens. Forest Park is among the most enticing, as it offers miles of forested trails that will have you feeling like you've truly escaped the city. As for the gardens, both the International Rose Test Garden and the Portland Japanese Garden are not to be missed. The former boasts approximately 400 varieties of roses, making it one of the largest gardens of its kind on the planet. Over at the nearby Portland Japanese Garden, visitors will be treated to one of the most impressive Japanese gardens found anywhere outside of Japan.

Portland Map

Both the Rose Garden and the Japanese Garden are part of the larger Washington Park. This park is one of the other top-rated parks in the area, as it is full of great Portland Oregon attractions. Other Washington Park tourist attractions in Portland include the Oregon Zoo, the tree-filled Hoyt Arboretum, the World Forestry Center, and the Portland Children's Museum. Thanks to all these attractions, Washington Park is a destination that you might return to time and again during your Portland vacation.

In the Downtown Portland area, a number of attractions combine to help make spending time in the heart of town a welcoming endeavor. Pioneer Courthouse Square is at the heart of the Downtown District, and you might be interested to know that it hosts numerous events throughout the year. Surrounding the Pioneer Courthouse Square are some of the best shops and restaurants around, not to mention the bulk of the top-rated Portland hotels. As far as the other downtown tourist attractions in Portland are concerned, the Oregon Historical Society, the Portland Art Museum, and Tom McCall Waterfront Park. The latter is a superb city park that plays host to big time Portland festivals like the Rose Festival and the Waterfront Blues Festival.

The best attractions in Portland don't leave sporting enthusiasts out of the mix, or golfing enthusiasts for that matter. At PGE Park, you can catch some minor league baseball, while the Rose Garden is where the Portland Trailblazers play their NBA home games. For racing fans, catching an event at the Portland International Raceway will likely be the option of choice in terms of spectator sports. On the golfing front, a number of excellent public courses provide serious golfers with plenty of excellent places to tee it up. You can also consider skiing and snowboarding when looking for things to do in Portland, and if you enjoy these winter sports, you might be interested to know that one of the ski resorts near Portland is open year round!

Rounding out the best attractions in Portland are the Pittock Mansion, Portland Underground, and Oaks Amusement Park. The former offers fantastic insight into the lives of some of the city's most renowned past residents and is a delight to explore for architectural buffs. Both the Portland Underground and the Oaks Amusement Park also offer some insight into the general history of Portland, as they have been around for quite some time. The Underground, which is a series of tunnels and rooms under the Old City Chinatown streets, has a storied history that you can learn about on a tour, while the Oaks Amusement Park has been offering family fun since it opened back in 1905.