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History

Black and white photo of children getting off of a train named the "Portland Zoo Railway."
Culture
Entry prices for Portland attractions: opening day vs. today
Inflation is no fun, but these five Portland attractions have grown their number of offerings as their admission fees increased.
April 14, 2025 12:39 PM
 · 
Michael Beausoleil
A panoramic view of Bologna shows terracotta roofs, Renaissance architecture, and distant green hills.
Travel and Outdoors
Portland’s sister city: Bologna, Italy
Say buongiorno to beautiful architecture, rich cuisine, and fascinating history in the capital of the Emilia-Romagna region
October 25, 2022
 · 
Ben McBee
A rickety wooden staircase goes up to a metal trap door
History
Digging deeper in the Shanghai Tunnels
Venture into the infamous catacombs beneath Portland and celebrate making it out alive with a pint of beer from Old Town Pizza & Brewing
October 21, 2022
 · 
Ben McBee
WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert speaks to the media before the 2022 playoffs.
Sports
Portland’s WNBA past and future
So you’re saying there’s a chance?
October 11, 2022
 · 
Ben McBee
Cement towers stand in a courtyard covered with photographic reproductions of original art.
History
Northwest Portland’s Lovejoy Columns: one immigrant’s lasting legacy
Tom Stefopoulos’ calligraphic designs were nearly lost to city development
October 10, 2022
 · 
Cambrie Juarez
A man wearing colorful traditional Native American garb and feathers dances
Culture
Recognizing Indigenous peoples in Portland, OR
Get to know local organizations keeping their heritage alive
October 7, 2022
 · 
Ben McBee
Headstones poke through yellow fall leaves covering the grass at a cemetery.
Travel and Outdoors
Take a Tombstone Twilight Tour at Lone Fir Cemetery in Southeast Portland
Pull back the curtain on the history behind the headstones this Halloween weekend
October 6, 2022
 · 
Cambrie Juarez
A copper statue reaches down from its perch on a building
History
The History of Portlandia (the statue not the show)
The iconic sculpture is the second-largest copper repoussé statue in the United States after the Statue of Liberty
October 5, 2022
 · 
Ben McBee
A black and white image shows an open waterfront area with a wide road and sidewalk.
History
Downtown Portland waterfront: 1944 to present
The area that would become Naito Parkway and Tom McCall Waterfront Park looked much different nearly eight decades ago
September 30, 2022
 · 
Cambrie Juarez
A historic photo shows a wooden bridge and waterfall in Washington Park around 1908
Travel and Outdoors
4 things Germans brought to Portland
See the German influence on the city, from green parks to group workouts
September 29, 2022
 · 
Eva Limmer
A gnarly old apple tree with multiple offshoots in a chained off area.
History
Celebrate the Old Apple Tree Festival
The annual gathering honors what’s considered the oldest of its kind in the Pacific Northwest and the mother-of-all-apples for Washington’s iconic industry
September 27, 2022
 · 
Ben McBee
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A rendering of the future OMSI District shows people milling about a mixed-use inner city space, featuring tall buildings and plaza areas.
City
Portland City Council funding pushes OMSI District closer to 2025 groundbreaking
New renderings are also giving us a look at the district’s ‘first-of-its-kind’ Center for Tribal Nations.
September 5, 2024
 · 
Cambrie Juarez
A white sailboat floats just beyond Portland's Hawthorne Bridge, which features trusses and a vertical lift.
Travel and Outdoors
Remembering Portland’s hottest days on record
We’ll be honest, we never want to see the thermometer go that high again.
September 4, 2024
 · 
Ben McBee
Jupiter Hotel sits on the right, with the 6-story Jupiter NEXT on the left. Both sit along East Burnside Street and are lit by a late sunset.
Events
Celebrate two decades of Portland’s ‘original independent hotel’
The Jupiter Hotel will celebrate 20 years of business by hosting a block party on Saturday, Sept. 28th, from 1 to 6:30 p.m., with some big-name local bands.
September 4, 2024
 · 
Ben McBee
People sit around four folding tables and drizzle paint on bear figurines.
Culture
Drippy Bears is Portland’s newest paint-and-sip experience
It’s not quite finger painting, but it scratches the same itch.
September 3, 2024
 · 
Cambrie Juarez
A Japanese garden with a large pond and arched bridge during autumn.
City
5 places to find peace and quiet in Portland
These spots offer a space to clear your mind and escape the noise of city life.
September 3, 2024
 · 
Cambrie Juarez
A view from high up looking south shows Portland along the Willamette River, with freeways and bridges dominating the center of the frame.
Culture
Pack up: People are moving to Portland from these US cities
U-Haul rolled out info on 2024 moving trends — and now you just might know a little more about your new neighbors.
August 30, 2024
 · 
Monica Garske
People sit in a pop-up park made of painted cardboard tubes.
City
PARK(ing) Day returns, empowering Portlanders to reimagine public spaces
The international event came to the city in 2006.
August 29, 2024
 · 
Ben McBee
Dew drops on a spider web.
Travel and Outdoors
Pacific Northwest ‘spider season’ is upon us
You may see more spiders in late summer and fall, but that doesn’t mean there’s been a surge in their numbers.
August 29, 2024
 · 
Cambrie Juarez
Orange leaves lie on the grass in front of Portland's Pittock Mansion.
Play
Fall events happening in and around Portland
Check out harvest and Halloween-themed events happening in and around Portland in this seasonal guide.
August 29, 2024
 · 
Ben McBee
Two crewed dragon boats float on a river. Both vessels are painted in colorful hues and feature traditional Chinese dragon figureheads and decorative tails.
Culture
Portland pursuits: Breast cancer survivors ‘find strength, quality of life’ on dragon boat team
Pink Phoenix is billed as the first dragon boat team in the US made entirely of breast cancer survivors.
August 28, 2024
 · 
Cambrie Juarez