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The City of Portland, Oregon was issued a territorial charter in 1851, incorporating 2.1 square miles of forest, stumps and houses. In May 1913, Portland voters narrowly approved a commission form of government. This structure remains in place today.

One of the nation’s leading science museums, OMSI is 219,000 square feet of brain-powered fun. Five enormous halls bring science to life with hundreds of interactive exhibits and displays. You can experience an earthquake, take part in live lab demonstrations, see a movie in The Empirical (a 4 story giant screen theater), explore the universe in a world-class planetarium and even tour a real submarine. Located on the east bank of the Willamette River along the scenic Eastbank Esplanade. Open daily; admission charged.

As the largest venue in the Pacific Northwest, the Oregon Convention Center provides outstanding experiences by embracing the local flavor and innovative approaches. Built with sustainability in mind, the Oregon Convention Center has long held a leadership role in green building and other environmentally responsible business practices.

At the Oregon Zoo, you can see the world in an afternoon—it’s home to more than 2,000 animals from around the world. Renowned for its conservation work and elephant breeding program, the zoo houses 21 endangered species and more than 30 threatened species. Award-winning exhibits, summer concerts, special events and a scenic train route help draw 1.6 million visitors to the zoo each year. The zoo is located in Washington Park, five minutes from downtown on Highway 26 West, or about 10 minutes via MAX light rail (Blue or Red line, Washington Park stop). Open daily; admission charged.

Nestled high in the West Hills of Portland, the Pittock Mansion soars 1,000 feet above the city’s skyline. A century old symbol of Portland’s dramatic transformation from a small lumber town to a bustling city, it’s an architectural wonder. The house is completely furnished with antique furniture and objets d’art, including family artifacts, appropriate to its 17th, 18th, and 19th century French and English designs. The mansion is open daily for tours.

One of Oregon’s most treasured city-meets-country activities brings farm fresh produce, seafood, meats, cheeses, artisan-baked goods, wine, flowers and more to eight seasonal open-air markets throughout the Portland metro area. With the Winter Market, the Portland Farmers Market is a year-round destination for fresh, local food. MONDAY: Pioneer Courthouse Square, June-Sept. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; WEDNESDAY: South Park blocks at Salmon St., May-Thanksgiving. 10 a.m.-2 p.m.; THURSDAY: Northwest 19th Ave. at Everett St., June-Sept 2 p.m.-7 p.m.; SATURDAY: South Park Blocks at Portland State University, year round, 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m., Nov.-Feb. 9 a.m.-2 p.m.

Proclaimed the most authentic Japanese garden outside of Japan, the Portland Japanese Garden is a 5.5-acre haven of tranquil beauty nestled in the scenic west hills of Portland. The garden is composed of five distinct garden styles – the flat garden, the strolling garden pond, the tea garden, the natural garden, and the sand and stone garden.

Operating since 1974 the Portland Saturday Market is the largest continually operating outdoor arts and crafts market in the nation. Located in Waterfront Park and Ankeny Plaza in Portland’s historic Old Town the Market is one of the most popular shopping destinations for local handcrafted goods. The Market offers a unique opportunity for customers to meet the artist as well as see one of a kind pieces created in the artist’s booth. Over 250 small businesses and individuals artists from across the NW region gather each week for the Saturday/Sunday event with live music and a plethora of exotic foods that will satisfy everyone’s appetite.

From humble storefront beginnings in 1971, Powell’s has grown into a Portland landmark and one of the world’s great bookstores. Covering an entire city block, Powell’s City of Books contains more than 1.5 million books in 3,500 different sections. Get a cup of joe at the in-store coffee shop (where you’re welcome to peruse up to three books), take a ride on the three-door elevator (one of only a handful in the country!), grab a map to navigate the nine color-coded rooms, and lose yourself in the largest used and new bookstore on Earth. Open 9 a.m.-11 p.m., 365 days a year.

Located in Old Town’s popular nightlife district, Voodoo Doughnut is one of the city’s most unusual and delicious culinary destinations. The doughnuts, topped with creative ingredients such as bacon, Captain Crunch and Oreos, are almost as fun to look at as they are to eat. Locals and visitors line up 24 hours a day for what may be the most innovative doughnuts in the world. Be prepared for adorable mustached faces to look up at you from your food (mirroring the many bearded young men you’ll encounter biking around Portland). Open all day, every day. In addition to the original Old Town shop, there’s a second location on the Eastside.

The siren song of Portland draws those in search of diversity and vitality from far and wide. Our city is at once dynamic and mellow, home to eco-activists, cyclists, outdoor enthusiasts, vegans, carnivores, and gardeners. We are home to craft breweries, coffeehouses and some of the finest restaurants in the country.

Oregon Health & Science University is the state’s only academic health center. It provides an uncommon array of services from providing the state’s most comprehensive health care, to educating the next generation of clinicians and biomedical researchers, to achieving breakthroughs and innovations.

A thriving campus in the heart of Portland As Oregon's most affordable public research university, we offer tremendous opportunity to 27,000 students from all backgrounds. Our mission to "let knowledge serve the city" reflects our dedication to finding innovative, sustainable solutions to local and global problems. Our graduates go on to invent for Intel, design for Nike, catch touchdowns in the NFL, run international corporations and make hit Hollywood movies. See for yourself.

Here at The Art Institute of Portland, Portland's diversity is expressed in the work of our instructors and our students, as well as the variety of local organizations we partner with. From Design to Media Arts, our applied arts programs are as vital and varied as Portland itself.

The University of Portland is a thriving community of more than 4,000 students, who come from around the nation and the world, as well as over 1,000 faculty and staff. The University is located up on a bluff in a residential neighborhood overlooking the Willamette River and the city of Portland. The school’s location also is the inspiration for its nickname, “The Bluff.”

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The Portland Timbers are an American professional soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference.The Timbers play their home games at Providence Park since 2011 when the team began play as an expansion team in the league. In 2013, the Timbers finished first in the Western Conference in the regular season, clinching both their first-ever playoff appearance and CONCACAF Champions League berth. The franchise won the Western Conference Finals in the 2015 playoffs, and their first league trophy in the 2015 MLS Cup.

The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division.

The Portland'5 Foundation is a non-profit organization that has been dedicated to supporting the Portland’5 theaters and our resident companies since 1994. Their work helps us maintain high-quality venues that attract premiere performances, enriching our community and keeping our city vibrant.

The Keller Auditorium, formerly known as the Portland Municipal Auditorium, the Portland Public Auditorium, and the Portland Civic Auditorium, hosts such a wide range of performances, built in 1917 and originally known as the Civic Auditorium, stages Broadway productions, ballet, operas, family events and more. Originally holding 4,500 people, the venue now has a capacity of 2,992.

The Moda Center is a $267 million multi-purpose arena that opened in the fall of 1995, and serves as the home of the NBA Portland Trail Blazers. The WHL Winterhawks also call the Moda Center home for a portion of their season. Moda Center has played host to the introductory rounds of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament several times, as recently as 2015. In addition to basketball and hockey, the Moda Center hosts a wide variety of events such as concerts, family shows and other sporting events. In 2009, the Moda Center hosted the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball 1st & 2nd Rounds.

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